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Clemson product Wolde Harris in action for Kansas in 2003 (Ed Zurga/WireImage/MLS)
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5/7/2004 12:22:02 PM
Battery Signs Wolde Harris & Ezra Hendrickson
Charleston, SC - The Charleston Battery has agreed to terms with two seven-year MLS veterans, Wolde Harris and Ezra Hendrickson. Harris comes to the Battery from the Kansas City Wizards while Hendrickson arrives from Major League Soccer's Dallas Burn. A forward, Harris's seven year MLS totals include 206 games played, 50 goals, 31 assists, 131 points. Hendrickson a right-footed defender played 192 games in MLS scoring 23 goals with 30 assists for a total of 76 points.
Charleston Battery Head Coach, Chris Ramsey.
"Hopefully these two players will bring a bit of much-needed grit and experience to the squad. They both come highly recommended and know that the expectations at the Charleston Battery are very high."
Wolde Harris
A native of Jamaica, Harris enjoyed three stellar seasons with Clemson University scoring twenty or more goals in each year played (1993, 1994 and 1995). He is Clemson's all-time leading goal scorer with 76 career goals and ranks second all-time in points (170).
Harris began his pro career with the A-League Colorado Foxes in 1996 where he was named to the All A-League team. He was drafted by MLS's Colorado Rapids in 1997 where he played 92 games in three seasons scoring 27 goals with 19 assists.
In 2000 Harris was traded to the New England Revolution where he would spend three years scoring another 24 goals in 84 games played before moving to the Kansas City Wizards late in the 2003 season.
Harris saw post season action in six of his seven years with Major League Soccer and was a starter in the 2002 MLS Cup match vs. a LA Galaxy side that also featured Ezra Hendrickson.
Harris, 5-10, 190 lbs, 29 yrs., has represented Jamaica at the full National Team level.
Ezra Hendrickson
A native of St. Vincent & The Grenadines Hendrickson was drafted in 1997 by the Metrostars and played eight games for them before being traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy where he would spend the next seven years.
While with the Galaxy Hendrickson made 29 playoff appearances as LA made the playoffs for six consecutive seasons (1997 - 2002). He was a starter in the Galaxy side that won the 2002 MLS Cup. Hendrickson has appeared in three MLS Cup matches during his career (1999, 2001 & 2002).
In addition to his MLS Cup success Hendrickson was named the LA Galaxy’s MVP in 2001, the same year that the Galaxy won the US Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Hendrickson was traded to the Dallas Burn in June 2003.
Hendrickson, 6-3, 185 lbs, 32 yrs., has 50 caps for St. Vincent & The Grenadines including seven 2002 World Cup qualifiers and is expected to participate in qualification this summer.
Charleston Battery @ Atlanta Silverbacks
The Charleston Battery visits Atlanta Saturday night for 6:00 PM match versus its Eastern Conference rival the Atlanta Silverbacks. The game is the first of four scheduled between the two clubs in the 2004 A-League season. Last year Charleston defeated Atlanta three times with one game ending in a tie.
Atlanta failed to make the playoffs in 2003 but have strengthened their roster considerably during the off-season. Former Battery players Fred Degand and Andrew Lewis are both Silverbacks now as is the 2001MLS goal scoring champion, Honduran striker, Alex Pineda-Chacon.
The Silverbacks also hired a new Head Coach for the 2004 season, David Vaudreuil. Vaudreuil is a seven-year MLS veteran who won two MLS Cups (1996 & 1997) and an US Open Cup (1996) as a member of DC United. In addition to United Vaudreuil played for the Miami Fusion, the Colorado Rapids and the Columbus Crew.
In addition to Degand and Lewis the Atlanta roster includes several other ex-Battery players. Forwards, Mac Cozier, Ivo Ilarianov, Velko Iotov plus defender Alan Woods have all played for Charleston.
Atlanta has struggled so far this season with a pair of home losses versus the Syracuse Salty Dogs and the Montreal Impact.
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