The Cary Invasion, the minor league basketball team which played its first season this past spring, will host open tryouts Jan. 28-29 at the Herb Young Community Center in downtown Cary.

The Invasion went 9-1 in the regular season and won the one-game championship series as well.

"There is a lot of talent in the Raleigh and Cary area. We hope to add a few key players from our open tryout that will help us win another championship," Invasion coach MarQus Johnson said in a statement.

The Jan. 28 tryout runs from 7:30 to 10 p.m., while the Sunday one goes from 10 a.m. until noon.

As a personal aside, I plan on covering this event very closely.

Probably closer than anything I've ever covered before.

Invasion owner Mark Janas has agreed to let me be a part of the tryouts.

It probably won't lead to a roster spot - and that's OK, it would probably be weird covering my own games. But it will be fun to get a first-hand look at what it takes to be a member of the Invasion.

Until then, it's time to get into shape and give this tryout my best shot. If I get embarrassed, I'd rather it be for something other than poor conditioning.

Like a green headband.

Hey, that's not a bad idea. Anyone got one I can borrow?

Shaffer in training: Alexis Shaffer of Green Hope's girls soccer team was among 26 players who attended the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team training camp in Sunrise, Fla., two weeks ago.

Shaffer had 16 goals and eight assists for the 18-2 Falcons last spring.

The players in camp are expected to compete for a berth on the U.S. team in the 2014 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Canada and some of the players could be on the U.S. club for the 2012 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Uzbekistan.

Junior power: While we're talking about Shaffer, it might be a good time to recognize what great girls soccer talent the area has among the 2013 class.

Shaffer is ranked the No. 54 junior player in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.com, which also lists Panther Creek's Claire Wagner and Taylor Francis at Nos. 69 and 92, respectively. All three are ranked among the top 10 juniors in the south Atlantic region, while Cary's Bria Dixon and Green Hope's Cameron Sigmon are in the top 20.

Many of these players - and other top area juniors - have already made their college pick.

Shaffer has already verbally committed to Virginia, while her Green Hope teammate Alexis Degler has done the same with Ohio State.

Wagner - along with Apex High's top scorer from last year, Paige Reckert - has chosen Clemson.

Dixon is committed to Virginia Tech.

TopDrawerSoccer has an early read on the 2014 class, where Holly Springs' Domonique Babbitt is ranked No. 2 in the region.