1997 PDSL season

Changes from 1996 season

Name changes

• Miami Tango changed their name to Miami Breakers.
• Puget Sound Hammerheads merged with the D-3 Pro's Everett BigFoot to become Puget Sound BigFoot.
• Southern California Gunners changed their name to Southern California Chivas.

New teams

6 teams were added for the season.

Teams Leaving

The Nashville Metros were promoted to the A League. The Arizona Sahuaros (formerly the Arizona Phoenix), Austin Lone Stars, Fort Lauderdale Strikers (formerly Florida Strikers), and San Francisco Bay Seals were promoted to the D-3 Pro League.

6 teams folded after the 1996 season:

• Birmingham Grasshoppers
• Fontana Falcons
• Oklahoma City Heat
• Orlando Lions
• Roanoke River Dawgs
• San Diego Top Guns

The Wichita Blue went on hiatus for this year, and the Willamette Valley Firebirds went on hiatus for the next two years.

Standings

Central Conference

Central Division

North Central Division

Eastern Conference

Mid-South Division

Southeast Division

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Southwest 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 Mid-Michigan Bucks |RD1-score1=4 |RD1-seed2=NC4 |RD1-team2=Michigan Grand Rapids Explosion |RD1-score2=3 |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 |RD3-seed1=NC1 |RD3-team1=Michigan Mid-Michigan Bucks |RD3-score1=3 |RD3-seed2=C4 |RD3-team2=Iowa Des Moines Menace |RD3-score2=0

• Jamie Phillips
• Eric Wilson
• Justin Sells Omaha, Nebraska
• Rob Irvine
• Sean Toohey
• Paul Snape
• Tino Scicluna
• Joe Malachino
• Dennis Brose Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Chris Adrian
• Jamie Harris
• Matt Caution
• Billy Duranzo
• Danny Herrera
• Brian Hagan
• Alex Vasquez
• Hakeem Koroma
• Prince Peters Omaha, Nebraska

• Miguel Calderon
• Craig Scheer
• Eric Wilson
• Jamie Phillips
• Adam Buseck Omaha, Nebraska
• Paul Snape
• Joe Malachino
• Mali Walton
• Drew Drummonds

Holland, Michigan

• Dennis Brose
• Paul Snape Saginaw Township, Michigan |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 Breakers |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 Cocoa, Florida
• Craig Yaks
• Shawn Rockey
• J.T Roberts
• Ryan Schaffer
• Maurice Schilten Jackson, Mississippi Cocoa, Florida
• Lester Felician Jackson, Mississippi

Cocoa, Florida

• Dominic Schell
• Lester Felician
  Jackson, Mississippi

• Fitzgerald Haig
• Eddie Enders
• Dean Farrar Cocoa, Florida |RD1-group1=Northwest Division |RD1-group2=Southwest Division |RD1-seed1=NW1 |RD1-team1=Washington Spokane Shadow (AET/PSO) |RD1-score1=4 (1) |RD1-seed2=NW4 |RD1-team2=Washington Bellingham Orcas |RD1-score2=4 (0) |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
• Ryan Edwards
• Dave Berto
• Zane Higgins
• Jesus Fuentes
• Scot Swanson
• Robbie Berg
• Tim Seeley
• Dave Berto
• Jeff Rose
• Joe Ascolese
• Greg St. Germain Spokane, Washington
• Davidson Feital Spokane, Washington

• Craig Waibel
• Dave Berto Spokane, Washington Glendora, California

• Sarkis Banyan Spokane, Washington

PDSL Finals Brackets

| RD1-seed1 = NC1 | RD1-team1 = Michigan Mid-Michigan Bucks | RD1-score1 = 0 | RD1-seed2 = H | RD1-team2 = California Central Coast Roadrunners | RD1-score2 = 2

| RD1-seed3 = SW1 | RD1-team3 = California San Gabriel Valley Highlanders | RD1-score3 = 0 (0) | RD1-seed4 = SE1 | RD1-team4 = Florida Cocoa Expos (AET/PSO) | RD1-score4 = 0 (1)

| RD2-seed1 = H | RD2-team1 = California Central Coast Roadrunners | RD2-score1 = 2 | RD2-seed2 = SE1 | RD2-team2 = Florida Cocoa Expos | RD2-score2 = 1

| RD2-seed3 = NC1 | RD2-team3 = Michigan Mid-Michigan Bucks | RD2-score3 = 2 | RD2-seed4 = SW1 | RD2-team4 = California San Gabriel Valley Highlanders | RD2-score4 = 3

San Luis Obispo, California

• Joe Munoz
• Craig Tomlinson San Luis Obispo, California

• Mike Rawlins
• Paul Snape
• Grant Shakhbazyan
• Roni Der Saarkissian
• Arshak Abyanli San Luis Obispo, California
• Joe Munoz
• Craig Tomlinson
• Wally Senk San Luis Obispo, California

Honors

• Organization of the Year: Kalamazoo Kingdom
• Executive of the Year: Jeff Robbins, Spokane Shadow
• Fair Play Award: Detroit Dynamite

References

References

1. [https://www.rsssf.org/usadave/usisl.html United Soccer Leagues (RSSSF)]