2000 PDL season

Last updated

USL Premier Development League
Season2000
Champions Chicago Sockers (2nd Title)
Regular Season Champions Mid-Michigan Bucks (1st Title)
Best Player Flag of Mexico.svg Fernando Salazar San Fernando Valley Heroes
Top goalscorer Flag of Russia.svg Arshak Abyanli San Fernando Valley Heroes (15 Goals)
Best goalkeeper Flag of the United States.svg Adam Throop Chicago Sockers
1999
2001

The 2000 USL Premier Development League season was the 6th PDL season. The season began in April 2000 and ended in August 2000.

Contents

Chicago Sockers finished the season as national champions, beating Mid-Michigan Bucks 1–0 in the PDL Championship game. Westchester Flames had finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 15 out of their 18 games, suffering just three losses, and finishing with a +26 goal difference.

Changes from the 1999 season

Rules

This is the first year that the PDL used ties in the standings, whereas previous seasons employed a shootout.

Name changes

The following teams changed their name:

New teams

10 New teams were added, including 8 expansion teams:

Team NameMetro AreaLocationPrevious Affiliation
Flag of Alabama.svg Alabama Saints Birmingham area Birmingham, AL returned from hiatus
Flag of Colorado.svg Boulder Nova Boulder area Boulder, CO expansion
Flag of Florida.svg Broward County Wolfpack Broward County area Fort Lauderdale, FL expansion
Flag of Ohio.svg Dayton Gems Dayton Area Dayton, OH expansion
Flag of New Jersey.svg New Brunswick Brigade New Brunswick area New Brunswick, NJ expansion
Flag of New Jersey.svg North Jersey Imperials North Jersey area Paramus, NJ from D3 Pro League
Flag of Florida.svg Palm Beach Pumas Palm Beach area Palm Beach, FL expansion
Flag of Florida.svg South Florida Future Southwest Florida area Sarasota, FL returned from hiatus
Flag of Florida.svg Tampa Bay Hawks Tampa Bay Area Palm Harbor, FL expansion
Flag of Ontario.svg Thunder Bay Chill Thunder Bay Area Thunder Bay, Ontario expansion

Folding

Eight teams folded before the season:

Standings

Legend
Division champion
Team qualified for playoff berth
Regular season champion and bye into PDL Semifinals.

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 Mid-Michigan Bucks 1814316421+431471
2 Dayton Gems 189813735+2744
3 West Michigan Edge 1899032386743
4 Kalamazoo Kingdom 1899037370743
5 Indiana Invaders 18810035438537
6 Lexington Bluegrass Bandits 185130264721525
Source: [ citation needed ]

Heartland Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 Chicago Sockers 1813504517+281062
2 Rockford Raptors 189723835+3846
3 Des Moines Menace 1810806328+35545
4 Wisconsin Rebels 189813425+9643
5 Twin Cities Tornado 1879226337232
6 Thunder Bay Chill 184131204929219
Source: [ citation needed ]

Provisional Teams

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 Louisiana Outlaws [a] 1255225250527
2 Alabama Saints [a] 7142614817
3Central Jersey Riptide [a] 1019010312115
Source: [ citation needed ]
Notes:
  1. 1 2 3 Provisional teams are not eligible for playoffs

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 Westchester Flames 1815304721+261070
2 Vermont Voltage 1811613722+15853
3New York Freedom1810714524+21849
4 Brooklyn Knights 1898130322441
5 North Jersey Imperials 187110384911634
6 New Brunswick Brigade 182151225634110
Source: [ citation needed ]

Southeast Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 Tampa Bay Hawks 1812515235+17958
2 Bradenton Academics 1811614327+16853
3 Cocoa Expos 1811613827+11651
4 Central Florida Kraze 1810624634+12850
5 Palm Beach Pumas 1888239434741
6 South Florida Future 188100304313335
7 Broward County Wolfpack 184122365620725
8 Miami Breakers 183141274619518
Source: [ citation needed ]

Western Conference

Rocky Mountain Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 Colorado Comets 1812515129+22756
2 Wichita Jets 18882466014741
3 Boulder Nova 188913832+6740
4 Kansas City Brass 185112415615628
5 Colorado Springs Stampede 185112274619325
Source: [ citation needed ]

Northwest Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 Yakima Reds 1812515929+301160
2 Spokane Shadow 1811434336+7754
3 Seattle Sounders Select 1811613328+5651
4 Abbotsford 86ers Select 188914944+5942
5 Cascade Surge 1851123428+6628
6 Willamette Valley Firebirds 183150287143416
Source: [ citation needed ]

Southwest Division

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDBPPts
1 San Fernando Valley Heroes 1811705748+91256
2 Central Coast Roadrunners 1811705139+12953
3 Nevada Zephyrs 187110324311432
4 San Gabriel Valley Highlanders 184140356631420
Source: [ citation needed ]

Playoffs

Format

Mid-Michigan won the PDL Regular Season title and a bye to the National Semi-Finals. This moved Dayton up to the Great Lakes Division first place spot and allowed West Michigan into the playoffs, taking the second place spot for the division.

For the Central and Eastern divisions, the top seeds from each division face the second place team from the opposite division. For the Western Conference, the division champion with the most points will play the wild card, while the two remaining division champions play each other.

Conference playoffs

Central Semifinals Central Finals
      
HL1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers 6
GL2 Flag of Michigan.svg West Michigan Edge 0
HL1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers 2
GL1 Flag of Ohio.svg Dayton Gems 0
GL1 Flag of Ohio.svg Dayton Gems 1
HL2 Flag of Illinois.svg Rockford Raptors 0
Central Conference Playoffs
Conference Semifinal
Flag of Illinois.svg Rockford Raptors 0–1 Flag of Ohio.svg Dayton Gems
Report
Forest View Park
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Conference Semifinal
Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers 6–0 Flag of Michigan.svg West Michigan Edge
Forest View Park
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Central Conference Final
Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers 2–0 Flag of Ohio.svg Dayton Gems
Forest View Park
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Eastern Semifinals Eastern Finals
      
NE1 Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames 1
SE2 Flag of Florida.svg Bradenton Academics 0
NE1 Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames 1
SE1 Flag of Florida.svg Tampa Bay Hawks 0
SE1 Flag of Florida.svg Tampa Bay Hawks (AET/PSO) 2 (4)
NE2 Flag of Vermont.svg Vermont Voltage 2 (2)
Eastern Conference Playoffs
Conference Semifinal
Flag of Florida.svg Tampa Bay Hawks 2–2 (a.e.t.) Flag of Vermont.svg Vermont Voltage
Penalties
4–2
Conference Semifinal
Flag of Florida.svg Bradenton Academics 0–1 Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames
Eastern Conference Final
Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames 1–0 Flag of Florida.svg Tampa Bay Hawks
Western Semifinals Western Finals
      
NW Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds 2
WC Flag of Washington.svg Spokane Shadow 0
NW Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds 1
RM Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Comets 0
RM Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Comets 4
SW Flag of California.svg San Fernando Valley Heroes 1
Western Conference Playoffs
Conference Semifinal
Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Comets 4–1 Flag of California.svg San Fernando Valley Heroes
Report
Conference Semifinal
Flag of Washington.svg Spokane Shadow 0–2 Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds
Report
Western Conference Final
Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds 1–0 Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Comets

PDL championship

PDL Semifinals PDL Finals
      
PDL Flag of Michigan.svg Mid-Michigan Bucks 5
NW Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds 2
PDL Flag of Michigan.svg Mid-Michigan Bucks 0
HL1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers 1
NE1 Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames 0
HL1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers 5PDL Third Place
NW Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds 2
NE1 Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames 5

[1]

PDL National Semifinals
Flag of Michigan.svg Mid-Michigan Bucks 5–2 Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds
Report
White Pine Stadium
Saginaw Township, Michigan
Attendance: 526

Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames 0–5 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers
Report
White Pine Stadium
Saginaw Township, Michigan


Third Place Game
Flag of New York.svg Westchester Flames 5–2 Flag of Washington.svg Yakima Reds
Report
White Pine Stadium
Saginaw Township, Michigan


PDL Championship Game
Flag of Michigan.svg Mid-Michigan Bucks 0–1 Flag of Illinois.svg Chicago Sockers
Report
White Pine Stadium
Saginaw Township, Michigan
Attendance: 1,220

References