Yeah, a lot of Abington players have been pulled away by real life for now; babies, new jobs, grad school, etc. With enough notice, I'm sure an opponent could be found for a demo or whatever.
All of the above is good advice but I really want to emphasize that you will lose a lot in the beginning and things may not look as balanced as you expected. That's normal. The game is pretty fast paced and can generate some huge blow outs you don't see as often in other games. Don't get frustrated, its part of the process of learning the game and happens to everyone.
Also, like with anything, people say all sorts of outrageous things about models/units on the internet. There are a number of units that were dismissed by virtually everybody via conventional wisdom that have become stars. There are a number of "staples" that don't live up to their hype. I believe just about anything released is at the minimum serviceable, so grab what you think rules and don't worry about consensus.
Have fun!