The El Paso Patriots continue their 2008 season with two Mid-South Division matches Saturday and Sunday in Louisiana. Saturday, the Baton Rouge Capitals host the Patriots beginning at 7 p.m. MDT, followed by the New Orleans Shell Shockers at 5 p.m. MDT Sunday. Both matches are Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifiers. El Paso lost its only 2007 game against the Capitals in Baton Rouge, 3-2. The Caps will begin their second season against the Patriots this year. El Paso went 1-1 against the Shell Shockers in 2007, each team winning at home, but owns an 8-3-1 record all-time against New Orleans.

The Patriots are still looking for their first goal of the 2008 campaign after battling the Austin Aztex to a 0-0 draw last Saturday. Director of Soccer and head coach Miguel Murillo is still seeing players trickle in as the collegians on the team wrap up their spring semesters, but El Paso will hit the Bayou State missing only a couple of players. One player who will be missing from the lineup Saturday is Trevor Eastman. The forward out of Bellevue University was shown a red card in the Austin match and must sit a game, but Eastman will be back Sunday afternoon in the Big Easy.

Despite Eastman’s loss, Murillo has reason to be hopeful that the Patriots will find the back of the net. In addition to stalwart El Pasoans Omar Mora and Antonio Barrera on the attack, forward Ben Everson also becomes a full-time Patriot after completing coursework at West Texas A&M. Everson, a native of the United Kingdom, will join the team in Louisiana. Murillo has shown faith, not only in his side’s ability to attack but also to defend, never veering from a 3-4-3 system (three defenders, five midfielders and three forwards) Saturday that put greater responsibility on the defenders to have scoring punch up front. Though El Paso has lacked cohesive practice time with several players just arriving, Murillo will most likely run the same formation in Louisiana.

Success is important, not only for the sake of the Mid-South Division standings, but also for making the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Top teams in each conference of the Premier Development League will advance to the first round. The Open Cup is a tournament open to all adult teams at every level of soccer throughout the United States – America’s truest national championship, including all types of teams from the amateur level all the way up to Major League Soccer. The tournament runs concurrently with the American professional season into the fall and teams fortunate to advance will have Open Cup matches added to their schedules. The Patriots were the first professional team to make the finals of the Open Cup – previously open only to amateur sides – in 1995, tying the Richmond Kickers, 1-1, before the Kickers took home the Dewar Cup (the Open Cup’s traveling trophy) in penalty kicks. Fans can check up-to-date scores, standings and stats at http://pdl.uslsoccer.com, as well as check up on the Patriots at the team’s website, www.elpaso-patriots.com. Also check out the El Paso Times Soccer Mania section for the latest Patriots news, features and game stories at www.elpasotimes.com/soccermania.