2009_PDL_Season
2009 PDL season
Football league season
The 2009 USL Premier Development League season was the 15th season of the PDL. The regular season began on May 1, 2009, and ended on July 19, 2009. The PDL Championship Game was held on August 8, 2009, and was broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel in the United States.[1]
Official 2009 PDL Championship logo | |
| Season | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Ventura County Fusion |
| Matches played | 544 |
| Goals scored | 1,790 (3.29 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Aaron Wheeler, Reading Rage, 17 |
| Biggest home win | 9–0, Ottawa Fury over Westchester Flames |
| Biggest away win | 7–1, Ocean City Barons over Newark Ironbound Express 7–1 Los Angeles Legends over Fresno Fuego |
| Highest scoring | 10 goals, Portland Timbers U23's 8–2 Yakima Reds 10 goals, Lancaster Rattlers 5–5 Fresno Fuego 10 goals, Hollywood United Hitmen 7–3 Ogden Outlaws |
| Average attendance | 542 |
← 2008 2010 → | |
Ventura County Fusion finished the season as national champions, beating Chicago Fire Premier 2–1 in the PDL Championship game in Ventura, California on August 8, 2009.[2]
Reading Rage finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 13 out of their 16 games, suffering just one loss, and finishing with a +41 goal difference.
Reading Rage striker Aaron Wheeler was the league's top scorer and MVP, knocking in 17 goals, while his teammate Jon Ports led the league with 10 assists. Mississippi Brilla goalkeeper Josh Pantazelos enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, with a goals against average of 0.615 on the season, including 8 shutouts.[3]
Name Changes
- Cary Railhawks U23's changed their name to the Cary Clarets to reflect their new association with English Championship team Burnley.
- New Orleans Shell Shockers rebranded themselves as the New Orleans Jesters, having terminated their sponsorship deal with the Shell Oil Company.
New Franchises
- Eleven franchises have been announced as joining the league this year:
| Team Name | Metro Area | Location | Previous Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
 Atlanta Blackhawks |
Greater Atlanta area | Alpharetta, GA | expansion |
 Forest City London |
London area | London, ON | expansion |
 Hollywood United Hitmen |
West Los Angeles area | Pacific Palisades, CA | expansion |
 Kitsap Pumas |
Kitsap County area | Bremerton, WA | expansion |
 Portland Timbers U23's |
Greater Portland area | Portland, OR | expansion |
 Real Colorado Foxes |
Denver area | Highlands Ranch, CO | expansion |
 Rio Grande Valley Bravos |
Rio Grande Valley area | Pharr, TX | expansion |
 Rochester Thunder |
Rochester area | Rochester, MN | expansion |
| Seattle Wolves |
Seattle area | Tukwila, WA | PCSL |
 Victoria Highlanders |
Victoria area | Victoria, BC | expansion |
| West Texas United Sockers |
Midland-Odessa area | Midland, TX | expansion |
On hiatus
- One team went on hiatus due to home stadium renovations:
Folding
- Nine teams have been announced as leaving the league prior to the beginning of the season:
- Atlanta Silverbacks U23's – Chamblee, Georgia
- Cape Cod Crusaders – Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
- Colorado Rapids U23's – Boulder, Colorado
- Palm Beach Pumas – Wellington, Florida
- Richmond Kickers Future – Richmond, Virginia
- San Fernando Valley Quakes – Woodland Hills, California
- San Francisco Seals – San Francisco, California
- San Jose Frogs – San Jose, California
- West Michigan Edge – Kentwood, Michigan
In 2009, there was a more balanced 8 divisions (down from 10 in 2008). The top 3 from each division qualified for the play-offs, with the division champion receiving a bye through the first round.
| Legend |
|---|
| Team won the Division Title |
| Team qualified for playoff berth |
Central Conference
Great Lakes Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalamazoo Outrage | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 36 |
| 2 | Chicago Fire Premier | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 33 | 12 | +21 | 35 |
| 3 | Forest City London | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 16 | +11 | 29 |
| 4 | Michigan Bucks | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 27 |
| 5 | Indiana Invaders | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 25 | −1 | 19 |
| 6 | Cleveland Internationals | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 26 | −3 | 17 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne Fever | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 26 | −11 | 17 |
| 8 | Cincinnati Kings | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 17 | 31 | −14 | 15 |
| 9 | Toronto Lynx | 16 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 40 | −22 | 7 |
Heartland Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines Menace | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 13 | +22 | 37 |
| 2 | Thunder Bay Chill | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 16 | +11 | 29 |
| 3 | Real Colorado Foxes | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 27 |
| 4 | St. Louis Lions | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 24 |
| 5 | Rochester Thunder | 16 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 21 | 25 | −4 | 16 |
| 6 | Kansas City Brass | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 28 | 37 | −9 | 15 |
| 7 | Springfield Demize | 16 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 43 | −33 | 7 |
Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Rage | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 58 | 17 | +41 | 41 |
| 2 | Carolina Dynamo | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 38 | 19 | +19 | 32 |
| 3 | Cary Clarets | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 16 | +12 | 30 |
| 4 | Hampton Roads Piranhas | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 27 |
| 5 | West Virginia Chaos | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 23 | 37 | −14 | 18 |
| 6 | Fredericksburg Gunners | 16 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 35 | −21 | 12 |
| 7 | Northern Virginia Royals | 16 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 18 | 35 | −17 | 10 |
| 8 | Virginia Legacy | 16 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 36 | −22 | 9 |
Northeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Fury | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 48 | 8 | +40 | 40 |
| 2 | Long Island Rough Riders | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 10 | +22 | 38 |
| 3 | Ocean City Barons | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 31 | 15 | +16 | 30 |
| 4 | Brooklyn Knights | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 20 | +5 | 24 |
| 5 | Newark Ironbound Express | 16 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 38 | 41 | −3 | 20 |
| 6 | Rhode Island Stingrays | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 23 | 41 | −18 | 15 |
| 7 | Westchester Flames | 16 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 36 | −20 | 14 |
| 8 | New Hampshire Phantoms | 16 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 20 | 32 | −12 | 13 |
| 9 | New Jersey Rangers | 16 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 44 | −30 | 8 |
Southern Conference
Mid South Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laredo Heat | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 29 | 18 | +11 | 29 |
| 2 | West Texas United Sockers | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 27 |
| 3 | Austin Aztex U23 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 32 | 27 | +5 | 26 |
| 4 | El Paso Patriots | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 26 |
| 5 | Rio Grande Valley Bravos | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 28 | +4 | 23 |
| 6 | DFW Tornados | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 29 | 33 | −4 | 19 |
| 7 | Houston Leones | 16 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 37 | −27 | 3 |
Note: Austin finish in third place as a result of winning the head-to-head season series 2–0–1 against El Paso.[4]
Southeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi Brilla | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 33 |
| 2 | Bradenton Academics | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 32 | 14 | +18 | 32 |
| 3 | New Orleans Jesters | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 24 | 13 | +11 | 26 |
| 4 | Panama City Pirates | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 23 |
| 5 | Baton Rouge Capitals | 16 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 16 |
| 6 | Central Florida Kraze | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 31 | −13 | 15 |
| 7 | Nashville Metros | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 36 | −20 | 13 |
| 8 | Atlanta Blackhawks | 16 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 12 |
Western Conference
Northwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitsap Pumas | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 13 | +27 | 39 |
| 2 | Portland Timbers U23's | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 43 | 20 | +23 | 35 |
| 3 | Seattle Wolves | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 18 | +11 | 33 |
| 4 | Cascade Surge | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 24 |
| 5 | Victoria Highlanders | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 22 |
| 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps Residency | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 21 |
| 7 | Tacoma Tide | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 34 | 40 | −6 | 19 |
| 8 | Abbotsford Mariners | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 28 | 36 | −8 | 14 |
| 9 | Yakima Reds | 16 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 49 | −27 | 11 |
| 10 | Spokane Spiders | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 51 | −39 | 9 |
Southwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hollywood United Hitmen | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 17 | +21 | 33 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Legends | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 15 | +19 | 31 |
| 3 | Ventura County Fusion | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 28 |
| 4 | BYU Cougars | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 25 |
| 5 | Fresno Fuego | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 28 | +2 | 22 |
| 6 | Southern California Seahorses | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 25 | 22 | +3 | 20 |
| 7 | Lancaster Rattlers | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 38 | −5 | 19 |
| 8 | Orange County Blue Star | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 19 |
| 9 | Ogden Outlaws | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 39 | −15 | 13 |
| 10 | Bakersfield Brigade | 16 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 38 | −24 | 9 |
Format
The top three teams from each division earn playoff bids. The division champion earns a bye to the Division Finals and the rights to host. The second place team will host the third place team in the Division Semifinals either at their home field or at the division champion's field. The two notable exceptions were the Chicago Fire Premier hosting Forest City London in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Ventura County Fusion hosting the Los Angeles Legends, despite Los Angeles having the higher seed.
Bracket
Divisional Semifinals
 Carolina Dynamo | 1–3 | Cary Clarets |
|---|---|---|
Rojo  32'Shriver  66'Roberts 70' |
(Report) | Ibeagha 34' Schilawski 59' 72'Grossman 65'O'Brien 68'Petrasso 90' |
 Long Island Rough Riders | 0–2 |  Ocean City Barons |
|---|---|---|
| (Report) | Neptune 34' Carmichael 23'Noone 73' |
| West Texas United Sockers | 2–1 | Austin Aztex U23 |
|---|---|---|
| Rios 23' Becerra 24'Everson 46'Furness 51' 59'Franco 69'James 90' |
(Report) | McFayden 17' 42' Helton 32'Mirsky 71' |
| Portland Timbers U23's | 2–3 | Seattle Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Brown 6' Youngblood 33'Farfan 90' |
(Report) | Chursky 30' 81' 90' Zimmerman 52' |
 Chicago Fire Premier | 1–0 | Forest City London |
|---|---|---|
| Akpan 67' Sinovic 69' |
(Report) | Di Biase 70' |
| Ventura County Fusion | 2–1 | Los Angeles Legends |
|---|---|---|
| Motagalvan 7' Hamilton 18'Byrne 34'Barrera 68'Hill 80' |
(Report) | Js. Barton 4' Randolph 57'Whitfield 77' |
 New Orleans Jesters | 0–1 |  Bradenton Academics |
|---|---|---|
| Young 27' Callon 59'  90'Duncan 88'Gledhill 90' |
(Report) | Morris 34' Hepple  88'Kendall 90' |
| Real Colorado Foxes | 1–0 | Thunder Bay Chill |
|---|---|---|
| Donaldson 26' Cephers 49'Jennings 51'Stisser 87' |
(Report) | Neto 16' Bukoski 51'Putrus 77'Abolaji 77' |
Divisional Finals
| Hollywood United Hitmen | 1–3 (AET) | Ventura County Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Hazdovac 26' |
(Report) | Byrne 35' Barrera 96'Myerson 105' 117'Becerra 111' |
 Reading Rage | 1–2 | Cary Clarets |
|---|---|---|
| Mulholland 15' Bienenfeld 45'Hogan 54'Wheeler 57'Burke 86' |
(Report) | Minogue 19' Ibeagha 21'Petrasso 35'Drake 60'Brown 64'Lassiter 69' 90' (OG) |
| Ottawa Fury | 1–2 (AET) | Ocean City Barons |
|---|---|---|
| Maloney 7' Pradié 63'Schippers 104' |
(Report) | Richter 35' Melchionni 45'Noone 45' 60'Bellamy 98' |
 Kalamazoo Outrage | 1–2 | Chicago Fire Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Oatley 58' Lima 83' |
(Report) | Cutshaw 67' (PK) Edgar 77' |
 Mississippi Brilla | 2–3 (AET) | Bradenton Academics |
|---|---|---|
| Hunt 33' Lawrence 41'Paulini 75'Lilly 90+'Lemma 90+' |
(Report) | Lopes 22' Boggs 45' 85'Williams 53'Reis 77'Ingvarsson 91'Morris 99'McFarland 120' |
 Des Moines Menace | 2–1 | Real Colorado Foxes |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan 27' (PK) Salem 38'Schmoker 41'Pearson 62'Jordan 78' |
(Report) | Donaldson 4' (PK) 11' Werth 88'Salvaggione 90' |
| Laredo Heat | 1–0 (AET) | West Texas United Sockers |
|---|---|---|
| Ordaz 50' Mulamba 74'Ramos 119' |
(Report) | Collazo 5' Furness 36'Everson 45'Steven 115' |
| Kitsap Pumas | 2–0 | Seattle Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Phillips 15' 71' |
(Report) | Bates 41' Morris 51'Scott 90' |
Conference Finals
| Ocean City Barons | 0–3 | Chicago Fire Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Carmichael 38' Banks 73'K. Miller 79'Chapman 88' |
(Report) | Blades 18' 75' Braun 66'Akpan 75'Cutshaw 76' |
| Ventura County Fusion | 2–1 | Kitsap Pumas |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton 26' Aghasyan 83'López 92+' 92+' |
(Report) | Lipset 45' Mohn 51' |
| Des Moines Menace | 0–1 | Cary Clarets |
|---|---|---|
| Schmoker 48' Salem 74'Mujdzic 28' |
(Report) | Fitzgerald 28' Brown 48'Grossman 70'Drake 79'Ibeagha 90' |
| Laredo Heat | 1–3 (AET) | Bradenton Academics |
|---|---|---|
| Mulamba 19' Quinones 57' 120'Bautista 68'Infante 97'Perez 113' |
(Report) | McFarland 19' Hepple 20'Reis 63'Voutier 87'Morris 116'Lopes 120' |
PDL Semifinals
| Cary Clarets | 1–2 (AET) | Chicago Fire Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Drake 63' (PK) Grossman 65'O'Brien 99'Petrasso 105'Bouemboue 110'Willis 120'Gutierrez (coach) 120' |
(Report) | Braun 38' Rice 63'Rodriguez (coach) 67'Akpan 95' |
| Ventura County Fusion | 6–1 | Bradenton Academics |
|---|---|---|
| Guzman 27' López 38'Becerra 40'Hamilton 45' 54'Barrera 53'Guerrero 62'Aghasyan 90' |
(Report) | Lopes 35' Reis 45' |
PDL Championship
| Ventura County Fusion | 2–1 | Chicago Fire Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Becerra 8' Guzman 33'Smarte 35'Mikkelsen (coach) 60'Motagalvan 70' 92+'Smith (coach) 92+' |
(Report) | Blades 47' Akpan 74'Sunderland (coach) 90' |
The awards finalists, Goalkeeper of the Year, and All-League teams were announced on August 4, 2009, with the winners announced on August 6.[5]
Most Valuable Player
- Aaron Wheeler, F, Reading Rage (Winner)
- Tom Oatley, F, Kalamazoo Outrage
- Debola Ogunseye, F, Mississippi Brilla
U19 Player of the Year
- Christian Ibeagha, D, Cary Clarets (Winner)
- Sheanon Williams, D, Carolina Dynamo
- Max Touloute, F, Fort Wayne Fever
Defender of the Year
- Christian Ibeagha, Cary Clarets (Winner)
- Bonivenger Misiko, Fort Wayne Fever
- Daniel Scott, Seattle Wolves
- Chris Williams, New Orleans Jesters
Goalkeeper of the Year
Coach of the Year
- Casey Mann, Des Moines Menace (Winner)
- Dan Fisher, Long Island Rough Riders
- Mark Spooner, Kalamazoo Outrage
- Brent Whitfield, Los Angeles Legends
Central Conference
F: Andre Akpan, CHI; Teal Bunbury, ROC; Tom Oatley*, KAL
M: Dave Hertel*, MIC; Nolan Intermoia, TB; Brad Stisser, COL
D: Anthony Di Biase, LON; Bonivenger Misiko*, FW; Wilson Neto, TB; Brian Wurst, KC
G: Jimmy Maurer*, CHI
Honorable Mention: Justin Ferguson, D, SPR; Saidi Isaac, F, IND; David Mueller, D, SL; Armin Mujdzic, F, DM; Yoram Mwila, M, CLE; Kyle Segebart, D, CIN; Jordan Webb, M, TOR
Eastern Conference
F: Cody Arnoux, CAR; Adam Arthur, WV; Aaron Wheeler*, REA
M: Will Beague*, OTT; Adam Gazda, REA; Zach Loyd, CAR
D: Brien Chamney, OTT; Christian Ibeagha*, CRY; Rich Martinez, LI; Sheanon Williams, CAR
G: Tunde Ogunbiyi, OCC
Honorable Mention: Frank Alesci, M, BRK; Zachary Carr, G, NJ; Kevon Harris, M, HR; Sean Kelley, G, NV; Michael Konicoff, M, WCH; Jerrod Laventure, F, NWK; Ken Manaham, G, FRB; Matthew Marcin, M, RI; Timothy Murray, G, NH; Ian Stowe, M, VIR
Southern Conference
F: Zak Boggs, BRD; Salvador Luna, RGV; Debola Ogunseye*, MIS
M: Danny Galvan, LAR;Greg Mulamba, LAR; Gary Stopforth, NO
D: Jamie Cunningham, AUS; Dwyane Demmin, MIS; Thomas Wharf, PAN; Chris Williams*, NO
G: Ryan Cooper, LAR
Honorable Mention: Jay Ambrosy, M, HOU; Lief Craddock, G, WTU; Janrai Gravely, G, DFW; Tommy Krizanovic, F, CF; Wilfrid Loizeau, M, ATL; Felipe Lowall, M, BR; Ryan McDonald, D, NAS; Jorge Muniz, G, EP
Western Conference
F: Rory Agu, TAC; Brent Whitfield, LA; Ryan Youngblood, POR
M: Ely Allen, SEA; Tomislav Colic, SC; Michael Farfan, LA; Armando Ochoa*, HU
D: Nick Cardenas, OGD; Mark Lee, KIT; Dan Scott*, SEA
G: Dustyn Brim, KIT
Honorable Mention: Richie Bindrup, M, BYU; Zach Brunner, G, LAN; Jason Devinish, M, VIC; Gagandeep Dosanjh, M, VAN; Eddie Gutierrez, M, FRE; Anthony Hamilton, F, VEN; Jacob Hustedt, M, BAK; Kristjan Johannson, G, ABB; Kristopher Minton, G, ORC; Vinicius Oliveira, F, YAK; John Prugh, F, SPO; Steve Reese, G, CSC
* denotes All-League selection
- "PDL 2009 season details announced". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- "Fusion overcome Fire for PDL title". Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- "PDL Statistical Honors Announced". Archived from the original on November 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- "2009 PDL Tiebreaker rules". Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
- "PDL All-League Teams announced". Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.