Ottawa Fury FC has finally moved into its permanent home.

After playing its full inaugural spring season at Carleton University's Keith Harris Stadium, the expansion North American Soccer League club trained for the first time at the brand new TD Place Monday.

Even for a group that has a habit of training at maximum intensity on a regular basis, there was a noticeable jump in the players' step as they took their first touches on the lush green turf that will serve as the playing surface for both the Fury and RedBlacks.

"It's exciting, not only the turf but you have the surrounding stands and the whole experience is pretty exhilarating," said top Fury goalkeeper Devala Gorrick.

The keeper was still smiling as practice wrapped Monday.

"Everybody was joyous, like kids at candy shops," Gorrick said.

For anyone who has yet to step foot inside TD Place, the massive, rebuilt Ottawa landmark leaves an immediate impression, even if there is still plenty of construction going on around the site. For the players who will compete there, it's more than just a new building.

"We actually feel like (we're) home," said forward Pierre-Rudolph Mayard. "I like it. The turf is perfect, the stadium is nice.

"Finally, we have something that's (of) our own."

Aside from the exciting atmosphere and a new pitch to play on, Monday's session was run like every other: warmups, stretching, possession exercises and a scrimmage. But the experience for the players was otherwise a brand new one.

"It's awesome, in one word," said striker Tom Heinemann. "We've been waiting a long time to get in this facility. It's a top class (stadium)."

Heinemann said the move to TD Place is important for increasing the team's visibility in the city as well as getting the players off a Carleton University -- and then briefly Algonquin College -- pitch that was the subject of complaints from nearly anyone who stepped on it.

"We're grateful for Carleton, they really provided a facility for us to use in the meantime," said Heinemann, pointing out the team's early history is a series of small steps forward.

"It's part of the development," he said. "We feel like we're on our way, so now if we can take of action on the pitch, I think we'll be on the right track."

OFF TO EDMONTON

After a few weeks off from competitive matches, Fury FC will train the rest of this week at TD Place before hopping a plane to Alberta this weekend for a match against FC Edmonton on Sunday to kick off the fall season.

The match will mark the fourth time Ottawa has played Edmonton this year; the teams played to a scoreless draw in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship quarterfinals before being eliminated by the Eddies in a 3-1 loss in the second leg. Fury FC closed out the spring season with a hard fought 1-0 victory at home, in which Heinemann came on in the second half to score the winner late in the game after previously sitting out the entire season with an ankle injury.

Ottawa will open its home schedule at TD Place against the New York Cosmos July 20, followed by an international friendly July 23 against Scotland's Rangers FC.

Fury owner John Pugh said Saturday he was pleased with how ticket sales were going. It wouldn't be a surprise to see much of the 24,000-seat stadium packed for a visit by the world famous Rangers, though it's harder to gauge what sales will be like for the first NASL match at the venue.

Pugh wouldn't get into specifics about ticket numbers, but said he was "very confident" tickets for the opener against New York would somewhere in the "five digits."

Ottawa's expansion cousins Indy 11 led the league in average attendance for the spring season at 10,465, with Ottawa bringing up the rear at under 3,000. However, that won't be a fair comparison until Ottawa is playing out of its new home and those in the city who still don't know about the team begin to catch on.

SIDELINES

Fury FC will hold a one-day sale July 12 where soccer fans can buy a Fury kids' pass for all home games for $20. The sale runs 2-6 p.m. at Bayshore Shopping Centre ... Injured midfielder Nicki Paterson was still doing off-pitch rehab Monday but is expected to start integrating himself back into regular training sooner than later. Paterson played only the club's first match of the spring season before injuring his knee in training ... Gorrick continues to hone is acting chops while in Ottawa after landing another gig as an extra on a movie shooting in town. This time he had to play a "good" Secret Service agent who is shot to death during one scene in the flick about the White House being invaded. Gorrick said he wants to do as much of that type of work as he can during time off the pitch.

chris.hofley@sunmedia.ca "

Twitter: @chrishofley