PEORIA, IL -- Tryout camp time is getting closer for the Peoria Mustangs. In fact, it’s now less than a month away.

Camp is scheduled for Aug. 2-4 in Peoria.

“We’re looking forward to the camp. We normally have about 40-50 kids in camp and it should be competitive,” Peoria head coach Steve Ortman said earlier this summer.

A lot of the players who will be at the camp are already hard at work in training sessions, both on and off the ice. He said the trainer has put together a great program for the players.

“He has put a great workout program together and the players really benefit from it,” Ortman said. “They are really put to the test by the program.”

Ortman said the players tend to make the most of the opportunity to train, knowing it is likely to pay off in the long run.

“They take advantage of the opportunity to put in the work to be ready for the season,” Ortman said. “It’s a great way to show off our hockey program to potential new players. And we get a chance to continue evaluating them.”

Ortman has said before that recruiting in junior hockey is a non-stop job and that hasn’t changed as the summer has rolled on.

“It’s a tough job. We are keeping up with so many different kids. We want to find the best players for our team, and we are still waiting to see how things go with some of the kids in NAHL camps,” Ortman said.

Peoria is coming off another successful season, reaching the playoffs once again. They finished fourth in the NA3HL Central Division before falling to the Coulee Region in a competitive opening-round playoff series.

“We’re hoping for another good year. We feel confident we can put together a pretty good team again,” Ortman said.

For more visit www.peoriamustangs.com.