USL Premier Development League

From Free net encyclopedia

The USL Premier Development League (PDL) is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid. It is popular with U.S. college players since they can play in it during the summer months and still maintain their collegiate eligibility. A maximum of eight players on each team's 26-man roster can be over 23 years old, and at least three players on each team's roster must be 18 or younger.

Contents 1 History 2 Current Events 3 2006 Teams 3.1 Central Conference 3.1.1 Great Lakes Division 3.1.2 Heartland Division 3.2 Eastern Conference 3.2.1 Mid Atlantic Division 3.2.2 New England Division 3.2.3 Northeast Division 3.3 Southern Conference 3.3.1 Mid South Division 3.3.2 South Atlantic Division 3.3.3 Southeast Division 3.4 Western Conference 3.4.1 Northwest Division 3.4.2 Southwest Division 4 Complete team list 5 Average Attendance 5.1 Regular season 5.2 Playoffs 6 External links

History

In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues, one professional and one amateur. The United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues Premier Development Soccer League, more commonly known simply as the Premier League, was formed as an amateur league apart from the professional USISL Pro League teams. Its main purpose was to improve soccer capabilites to many urban areas throughout the USA and Canada and offer current college soccer players experience without losing their college eligibility. In 1999 the umbrella USISL changed its name to the United Soccer Leagues and the Premier League officially became known as the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League or, more commonly, the PDL. Today some of the PDL teams serve as farm teams to United Soccer Leagues and Major League Soccer clubs.

Current Events

The 2005 cup winner was the Des Moines Menace.

For 2006, the Northern Virginia Royals will move down from the USL Second Division, while the Virginia Beach Mariners of the USL First Division will field an affiliate, the Virginia Beach Submariners. Expansion teams are added in Atlanta, Delaware, Ogden (Utah), San Fernando Valley (California), and St. Louis. Memphis and Toledo leave the league. Nevada and Springfield will be relocated, with new franchises going to San Gabriel (California) -- playing as a Los Angeles franchise -- and San Francisco, where the Bay Seals will be revived.

2006 Teams

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

• Chicago Fire Premier
• Cleveland Internationals
• Fort Wayne Fever
• Indiana Invaders
• Kalamazoo Kingdom
• Michigan Bucks
• West Michigan Edge

Template:PDL GL Stadiums

Heartland Division

• Boulder Rapids Reserve
• Colorado Springs Blizzard
• Des Moines Menace
• Kansas City Brass
• Sioux Falls Spitfire
• St. Louis Lions
• Thunder Bay Chill

Template:PDL HL Stadiums

Eastern Conference

Mid Atlantic Division

• Northern Virginia Royals
• Richmond Kickers
• Virginia Beach Submariners
• West Virginia Chaos
• Williamsburg Legacy

Template:PDL MA Stadiums

New England Division

• Albany Admirals
• Cape Cod Crusaders
• Ottawa Fury
• Rhode Island Stingrays
• Vermont Voltage

Template:PDL NE Stadiums

Northeast Division

• Brooklyn Knights
• Delaware Dynasty
• Ocean City Barons
• Reading Rage
• Westchester Flames F.C.

Template:PDL NoEa Stadiums

Southern Conference

Mid South Division

• Austin Lightning
• DFW Tornados
• El Paso Patriots
• Laredo Heat
• New Orleans Shell Shockers

Template:PDL MS Stadiums

South Atlantic Division

• Atlanta Silverbacks U23
• Augusta FireBall
• Carolina Dynamo
• Nashville Metros
• Raleigh CASL Elite

Template:PDL SA Stadiums

Southeast Division

• Ajax Orlando Prospects
• Bradenton Academics
• Central Florida Kraze
• Cocoa Expos
• Palm Beach Pumas

Template:PDL SE Stadiums

Western Conference

Northwest Division

• Abbotsford Rangers
• BYU Cougars
• Cascade Surge
• Ogden Outlaws
• Spokane Shadow (suspended operations)
• Tacoma FC
• Yakima Reds

Template:PDL NW Stadiums

Southwest Division

• Bakersfield Brigade
• California Gold
• Fresno Fuego
• Los Angeles Storm (San Gabriel, CA)
• Orange County Blue Star
• San Diego Gauchos
• San Fernando Valley Quakes
• San Francisco Bay Seals
• Southern California Seahorses

Template:PDL SW Stadiums

Complete team list

Abbotsford 86ers Select (2000); Abbotsford 86ers (1999); Abbotsford Athletes in Action (1998) Abbotsford Rangers (2003-present) - provisional team in 2003 Ajax Orlando Prospects (2004-present) Alabama Saints (1997-98; 2000) Albany Admirals (2005-present); Albany Blackwatch Highlanders (2003-04) Arizona Phoenix (1996); Arizona Cotton (1995) Arkansas A's (1995) Augusta Fireball United (2005-present) Austin Lightning (2003-present) Austin Lone Stars (1995-96) Bakersfield Brigade (2005-present) Bellingham Orcas (1996-97) Birmingham Grasshoppers (1995-96) Boulder Rapids Reserve (2002-present); Boulder Nova (2000-01) Bradenton Academics (1998-present) Brooklyn Knights (1999-present) Broward County Wolfpack (2000) BYU Cougars (2003-present) Calgary Storm (2001) Calgary Storm Prospects (2004); Calgary Storm Select (2003) California Gold (2005-present) Cape Cod Crusaders (2001-present) Carolina Dynamo (2004-present) Cascade Surge (1997-present) Central Coast Roadrunners (1996-02) Central Florida Kraze (1999-present); Central Florida Lionhearts (1998) Central Jersey Riptide (1999-00) Chattanooga Express (1997) Chesapeake Dragons (2001-04) Chicago Eagles Select (2001-02) Chicago Fire Premier (2005-present); Chicago Fire Reserves (2001-04) Chicago Sockers (1999-00) Chico Rooks (2002) Cincinnati Riverhawks (1997) Clarksville Gunners (1999) Cleveland Internationals (2004-present) Cocoa Expos (1995-present) Colorado Spring Ascent (2001); Colorado Springs Stampede (1995-00) Colorado Springs Blizzard (2004-present) Columbia Heat (1995) Columbus Shooting Stars (2003-04) Dayton Gemini (2001-02); Dayton Gems (2000) Denver Cougars (2001-02); Colorado Comets (1998-00) Des Moines Menace (1995-present) Detroit Dynamite (1996-98) DFW Tornados (2004-present); Texas Spurs (2001-03) El Paso Patriots (2004-present) F.C. Madison (1989-1996) Florida Strikers (1996) Fontana Falcons (1996); Montclair Standard Falcons (1995) Fort Wayne Fever (2003-present) Fresno Fuego (2003-present) Greenville Lions (2003) Greenville Lions Premier (2002) Houston Toros (2001-02) Indiana Invaders (1998-present) Inland Empire Panteras (1995) Jackson Chargers (1995-99) Jersey Falcons (2001-04) Jersey Shore Boca (2003) Kalamazoo Kingdom (1996-present) Kansas City Brass (1998-present) Lafayette Swamp Cats (2004); Louisiana Outlaws (2000-03) Lansing Locomotive (1998) Laredo Heat (2004-present) Lexington Bluegrass Bandits (1996; 1999-00) Lincoln Brigade (1997) Los Angeles Heroes (2002); San Fernando Valley Heroes (1999-01) Los Angeles Storm (2006-present); Nevada Wonders (2003-2005) Memphis Express (2002-05)

Miami Strike Force (2001); Miami Breakers (1997; 1999-00); Miami Tango (1996) Miami Tango (1998-99) Michigan Bucks (2004-present); Mid-Michigan Bucks (1996-03) Michigan Madness (1996-97); Ann Arbor Elites (1995) Nashville Metros (1995-96; 2002-present) Nevada Zephyrs (1999-00) New Brunswick Brigade (2000) New Jersey Stallions (2004) New Orleans Shell Shockers (2003-present) New York Capital District Shockers (1999) New York Freedom (1999-01) North Bay Breakers (1995) North Jersey Imperials (1995; 2000-01) Northern Arizona Prospectors (1998) Northern Virginia Royals (2006-present) Ocean City Barons (2005-present); South Jersey Barons (2003-04) Okanagan Predators (2001) Okanagan Valley Challenge (1998) Oklahoma City Heat (1996); Oklahoma City Slickers (1995) Omaha Flames (1996-98) Orange County Blue Star (2002-present) Orlando Lions (1995-96) Orlando Nighthawks (1999) Ottawa Fury (2005-present) Palm Beach Pumas (2000-present) Raleigh CASL Elite (2002-present) Reading Rage (2004-present) Roanoke River Dawgs (1995-96) Rockford Raptors (1999-00) Rhode Island Stingrays (2002-present) Richmond Kickers (1995) Richmond Kickers Future (2002-present) St. Louis Strikers (2003-04) St. Louis Jazzz (1994-1997) San Diego Gauchos (2005-present) San Diego Top Guns (1996) San Francisco Bay Seals (1996); San Francisco All Blacks (1995) San Gabriel Valley Highlanders (1997-01) Santa Barbara Sharks (2002) Seattle Bigfoot (1998); Puget Sound Bigfoot (1997); Puget Sound Hammers (1995-96) Seattle Sounders Select (1999-02); Seattle Hibernians (1998) Shasta Scorchers (1995) Silicon Valley Ambassadors (1998-99) Sioux City Breeze (1995-99) Sioux Falls Spitfire (2001-present) Southern California Chivas (1997-98) Southern California Gunners (1996) Southern California Seahorses (2001-present) South Florida Future (1995-98; 2000) Southwest Florida Manatees (1997) Spokane Shadow (1996-2005) Springfield Storm (2005) Tacoma FC (2006-present) Tampa Bay Hawks (2000-02) Team St. Louis (1999) Thunder Bay Chill (2000-present) Toledo Slayers (2003-present) Tucson Amigos (1995-97; 1999) Twin Cities Phoenix (2001); Twin Cities Tornado (1997-01) Vermont Voltage (1999-present) Victoria Umbro Select (1998) Washington Mustangs (1995) West Dallas Kings (2001) West Florida Fury (1996-97) West Michigan Edge (2000-present); Western Michigan Explosion (1999); Grand Rapids Explosion (1995-98) West Virginia Chaos (2003-present) Westchester Flames (1999-01; 2005-present) Wichita Blue (1996-97; 1999); Wichita Blue Angels (1995) Wichita Jets (2001) Willamette Firebirds (1996; 1999-00) Williamsburg Legacy (2001-present) Wisconsin Rebels (1999-00; 2002-04); Fox River Rebels (1998) Worcester Kings (2002-03) Yakima Reds (1997-present)

Average Attendance

Regular season

• 2005: 874
• 2004: 601
• 2003: 560
• 2002: 523
• 2001: 491
• 2000: 437
• 1999: 303
• 1998: 528
• 1997: 704
• 1996: 776
• 1995: 982

Playoffs

• 2005: 1,096
• 2004: 1,011
• 2003: 944
• 2002: 821
• 2001: 661
• 2000: 709
• 1999: 801
• 1998: 876
• 1997: 920
• 1996: 1,098
• 1995: 1,411

Template:United Soccer Leagues

Template:Mensoccer

External links

• Official PDL site