1996 USISL Premier League season

Changes from 1995 season

Name changes

• Ann Arbor Elites became the Michigan Madness.
• Arizona Cotton became the Arizona Phoenix.
• Montclair Standard Falcons moved to Fontana, CA and became the Fontana Falcons.
• Oklahoma City Slickers changed their name to the Oklahoma City Heat.
• San Francisco All-Blacks United changed their name to the San Francisco Bay Seals.
• Wichita Blue Angels changed their name to the Wichita Blue.

New teams

12 teams were added for the season.

Teams leaving

Five teams folded after the 1995 season:

• Arkansas A's
• Columbia Heat
• Inland Empire Panteras
• North Bay Breakers
• Shasta Scorchers

Standings

Central Conference

Northern Division

Southern Division

Eastern Conference

Northern Division

Southern Division

Western Conference

Northern Division

Southern Division

Playoffs

Format

Central Coast received a bye to the PDL Semifinals as the defending champion.

The top four teams from every division except the Southwest earn playoff spots. With Central Coast already receiving a bye, the top two teams from the Southwest Division will play each other, however if Central Coast is in the top two, then the third place team receives a playoff spot. The Division winners would then face each other in the Conference finals.

Divisional brackets

|RD1-group1=North Central Division |RD1-group2=Central Division |RD1-seed1=NC1 |RD1-team1=Michigan Michigan Madness |RD1-score1= |RD1-seed2=NC4 |RD1-team2=Michigan Mid-Michigan Bucks |RD1-score2=0 |RD1-seed3=NC2 |RD1-team3=Michigan Detroit Dynamite |RD1-score3=0 |RD1-seed4=NC3 |RD1-team4=Michigan Kalamazoo Kingdom (AET) |RD1-score4=1 |RD1-seed5=C1 |RD1-team5=Nebraska Lincoln Brigade |RD1-score5=0 |RD1-seed6=C4 |RD1-team6=Iowa Des Moines Menace |RD1-score6=4 |RD1-seed7=C2 |RD1-team7=Nebraska Omaha Flames |RD1-score7=5 |RD1-seed8=C3 |RD1-team8=Iowa Sioux City Breeze |RD1-score8=3 |RD2-seed1=NC1 |RD2-team1=Michigan Mid-Michigan Bucks (AET/PSO) |RD2-score1=0 (1) |RD2-seed2=NC3 |RD2-team2=Michigan Kalamazoo Kingdom |RD2-score2=0 (0) |RD2-seed3=C4 |RD2-team3=Iowa Des Moines Menace |RD2-score3=6 |RD2-seed4=C2 |RD2-team4=Nebraska Omaha Flames |RD2-score4=0

Central Conference Playoffs

• Dennis Brose
• Andrew Guest
• Scott Wieger Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo, Michigan

• Tim Ritchey

Kalamazoo, Michigan

• Chris Veselka Omaha, Nebraska
• Paul Lekics
• Johnny Torres
• Johnny Anderson
• Mark Haston
• Josh Bahr
• Kieth DeFini
• Brandon Jenkins
• Chris Reid Omaha, Nebraska

• Johnny Torres
• Brian Adams
• Marc Madeley
• Mike Bustos
• Gabe Jones
• Chris Veselka Omaha, Nebraska

|RD1-group1=Southeast Division |RD1-group2=Mid-South Division |RD1-seed1=SE1 |RD1-team1=Florida Cocoa Expos |RD1-score1=5 |RD1-seed2=SE4 |RD1-team2=Florida Miami Tango |RD1-score2=2 |RD1-seed3=SE2 |RD1-team3=Florida South Florida Future |RD1-score3=0 |RD1-seed4=SE3 |RD1-team4=Florida West Florida Fury |RD1-score4=4 |RD1-seed5=MS1 |RD1-team5=Ohio Cincinnati Riverhawks |RD1-score5=7 |RD1-seed6=MS4 |RD1-team6=Alabama Alabama Saints |RD1-score6=4 |RD1-seed7=MS2 |RD1-team7=Mississippi Jackson Chargers (AET) |RD1-score7=1 |RD1-seed8=MS3 |RD1-team8=Kentucky Lexington Bluegrass Bandits |RD1-score8=0 |RD2-seed1=SE1 |RD2-team1=Florida Cocoa Expos |RD2-score1=3 |RD2-seed2=SE3 |RD2-team2=Florida West Florida Fury |RD2-score2=1 |RD2-seed3=MS1 |RD2-team3=Ohio Cincinnati Riverhawks |RD2-score3=0 |RD2-seed4=MS2 |RD2-team4=Mississippi Jackson Chargers |RD2-score4=3 |RD3-seed1=SE1 |RD3-team1=Florida Cocoa Expos |RD3-score1=2 |RD3-seed2=MS2 |RD3-team2=Mississippi Jackson Chargers |RD3-score2=1

Eastern Conference Playoffs

• Ian Spooner
• Ken Hoey
• Doug Schenke Roanoke, Virginia Pensacola, Florida

• Tony Siikala Jackson, Mississippi

• Sheldon Bennett
• Dwayne Demmin
• Mickey Trottman
• Pasi Kinturi
• Tony Siikala Jackson, Mississippi

|RD1-group1=Northwest Division |RD1-group2=Southwest Division |RD1-seed1=NW1 |RD1-team1=Washington Spokane Shadow |RD1-score1=2 |RD1-seed2=NW4 |RD1-team2=Washington Puget Sound Hammers |RD1-score2=1 |RD1-seed3=NW2 |RD1-team3=Washington Yakima Reds |RD1-score3=1 |RD1-seed4=NW3 |RD1-team4=Oregon Cascade Surge |RD1-score4=0 |RD1-seed5=SW1 |RD1-team5=California San Gabriel Valley Highlanders |RD1-score5=bye |RD1-seed6= |RD1-team6= |RD1-score6= |RD1-seed7=SW2 |RD1-team7=Arizona Tucson Amigos |RD1-score7=bye |RD1-seed8= |RD1-team8= |RD1-score8= |RD2-seed1=NW1 |RD2-team1=Washington Spokane Shadow |RD2-score1=2 |RD2-seed2=NW2 |RD2-team2=Washington Yakima Reds |RD2-score2=0 |RD2-seed3=SW1 |RD2-team3=California San Gabriel Valley Highlanders |RD2-score3=2 |RD2-seed4=SW2 |RD2-team4=Arizona Tucson Amigos |RD2-score4=1 |RD3-seed1=NW1 |RD3-team1=Washington Spokane Shadow |RD3-score1=0 |RD3-seed2=SW1 |RD3-team2=California San Gabriel Valley Highlanders |RD3-score2=1

Western Conference Playoffs

• Joe Munoz
• Marc Rohrer
• Bryan Taylor
• Mario Sanchez
• Mike Matson
• Donny Duetch

• Tim Seely
• Zane Higgins
• Ian Russell Spokane, Washington
• Troya Cowell
• Marco Bonaccorsi
• Haugland Spokane, Washington

• Stuart Saunders
• Chad Brown
• Chris McDonald
• Mike Black Spokane, Washington

Premier Six Tournament

Six teams entered the Premier Six Tournament in Cocoa, Florida the weekend of August 16–18. Each of the five division playoff champions qualified for the tournament, along with the host Cocoa Expos. The teams were seeded in this order, based on their regular season points:

• 1. Central Coast Roadrunners
• 2. San Francisco Bay Seals
• 3. Cocoa Expos
• 4. Omaha Flames
• 5. Jackson Chargers
• 6. Mid-Michigan Bucks.

The Central Coast Roadrunners played the bottom two seeds (Jackson and Mid-Michigan). The San Francisco Seals played the #4 and #6 seeds (Omaha and Mid-Michigan). The Cocoa Expos played and #4 and #5 seeds (Omaha and Jackson).

Qualification to the finals

In order to determine the two teams to qualify for the finals, the league used the following point system during the Premier Six Tournament:

• Win = 3 points
• Shootout win = 2 points
• Shootout loss = 1 point
• Bonus points: Each team scoring three or more goals in regulation or overtime received one extra point.

Friday

Saturday

Final

• MVP: Bryan Taylor

Honors

• MVP: Pasi Kinturi
• Points leader: Pasi Kinturi
• Goals leader: Pasi Kinturi
• Assists leader: Steve Freeman
• Rookie of the Year: Bryan Taylor
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Michael LaBerge
• Defender of the Year: Dwyane Demmin
• Coach of the Year: Nuno Piteira
• Organization of the Year: Central Coast Roadrunners
• All League
  • Goalkeeper: Michael LaBerge
  • Defenders: Steve Freeman, Dwyane Demmin, Zane Higgins, Jeremy Oetman
  • Midfielders: Jude Beller, Toni Siikala
  • Forwards: Pasi Kinturi, Chris McDonald, Dennis Brose, Bryan Taylor

References

References

1. [http://www.socceramerica.com/article/16369/usisl-1996-postseason-awards.html USISL: 1996 Postseason Awards]