Austin Lone Stars

Last updated
Austin Lone Stars
Nickname(s)Austin Sockadillos
Founded1987
Dissolved2000
GroundMultiple
Owner Saeed Kadkhodaian
Rick Schram
Coach Wolfgang Suhnholz
League United Soccer League

The Austin Lone Stars were a soccer club that competed in the SISL, USISL and United Soccer Leagues from 1987 to 2000. The club originally started in 1987/88 as the Austin Sockadillos in the original indoor SISL league. [1] They became the Austin Lone Stars in 1994. [2]

Contents

History

Soccadillos

In 1987, Fernando Marcos established the Austin Sockadillos.[ citation needed ] Coached by Tony Simoes and assisted by Wolfgang Suhnholz, the team played in the semi-professional Southwest Indoor Soccer League (SISL).

Indoor seasons

The team started their 1987-1988 season with a scrimmage against the reign Major Indoor Soccer League defending champions Dallas Sidekicks. [3] They started the 1987 against the defending SISL champions Arlington Arrows, losing 2-1 in their opening match. [4] After the initial loss, the Sockadillos were able to qualify for the 1987 SISL playoffs, defeating the Albuquerque Gunners in the first round. [5] The Sockadillos fell to the Oklahoma City Warriors in the 1987–1988 SISL Championships, losing the first three games of the best-of-five series. [6] During the 1988-1989 season, they played their home games at Tatu's All Star Indoor Soccer Place. [7] Austin Sockadillos played well enough in their second season to again reach the championship matches, losing to the Lubbock Lazers 3 games to 2 in their five match set. [8] but Austin garnered multiple post-season honors, including MPV and league leading scorer (71 goals) Brian Monaghan, assist leader Uwe Balzis and Coach of the Year Tony Simoes. [9] Saeed Kadkhodaian became owner of the team prior to the 1989–1990 season. [7] The Sockadillos started the 1989–1990 season in an explosive manner, breaking league records by beating the El Paso Sixshooters 27–3. [10] Austin play remained strong enough throughout the season to earn them a spot in the playoffs for the third year in a row. [11] Austin failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Arlington Arrows 8–5. [12] For the beginning of the 1990–1991 indoor season, Coach Simoes only returned six players from the previous season as an effort to bring more youth to the team. [13] The Sockadillos reached the playoffs for a fourth straight season, but once again failed to proceed past the first round, losing to the Colorado Comets. [14] This was the team's last season playing indoor soccer.

Outdoor seasons

In 1989 the league introduced a summer outdoor season. During the 1989 outdoor season, the league was known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League and the team was known as the Capital Sockadillos. They played their home games at a variety of venues including Burger Center, Nelson Field, and House Park. [15] After not being able to afford to travel to the semi-finals of the 1989 outdoor season playoffs, Kadkhodaian leased the club to the Austin Capital Soccer Club. Head coach Wolfgang Suhnholz pointed out that Austin Capital Soccer Club gave the Sockadillos a larger and more professional organization to help plan the team's season. [16] The Sockadillos made it to the semi-finals again during the 1990 outdoor season, falling to the Richardson Rockets. The 1991 outdoor and 1992 outdoor seasons saw the Sockadillos finish outside of the playoffs. [17] [18] During this period both the USISL and Sockadillos dealt with financial difficulty as each season saw them spending more money then they earned. [19] The 1993 season saw the Sockadillos miss the playoffs once again. [20]

Austin Lone Stars

In March 1994, the team was renamed the Lone Stars and was co-owned by Kadkhodaian and Rick Schram. [21] This season the Lone Stars once again qualified for the playoffs and made it to the division finals before falling to the DFW Toros 4–2. [22] The 1995 season saw the Lone Stars qualify for playoffs and reach the division semi-finals before losing to Des Moines Menace. [23] The 1996 season saw the Lone Stars get some pay back by knocking out Des Moines Meance in the Division semi-finals, [24] before falling to the Omaha Flames in the Division finals. [25]

Fully professional

In February 1997, the Lone Stars became a fully professional team. [26] In preparation for their first fully professional season, Lone Stars played an exhibition match against MLS team Dallas Burn, coming away with a 1–0 loss. [27] The 1997 season saw the Lone Stars qualify for the playoffs in their first professional season, falling in the Division semi-finals to the San Antonio Pumas. [28] The 1998 season was the Lone Stars best of its short history with the team advancing to the championship round, finishing in 4th place after falling to the Orlando Nighthawks. [29] The 1999 season saw the Lone Stars finish mid-table, [25] qualifying for playoffs, but losing the Texas Toros in the division semi-finals. [30] Going into the 2000 season the Lone Stars named Phillip Perry as their new head coach. [31] The 2000 season was the final season for the Lone Stars seeing them finish at the bottom on the table with a 1–14 record. [32]

U.S. Open Cup

The Soccadillos first experience in the U.S. Open Cup came in 1991, when they lost 3–0 to the Richardson Rockets in the Region III first round. [33] In June 1997, Lone Stars earned a berth in the 1997 U.S. Open Cup [34] advancing to the second round. [35] before falling to the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers. [36] Once again, Austin Lone Stars qualified for the 1998 U.S. Open Cup, reaching the second round on a performance that concerned their new coach. [37] The Lone Stars failed to advance past the second round, losing to Orange County Zodiac. [38] The Lone Stars qualified for their third straight U.S. Open Cup in 1999, but once again could not make it out of the first round, losing to Texas Rattlers 2–0. [39]

Lady Lone Stars

In May 1999, the Austin Lone Stars announced they would field their first woman's soccer team that played in the USL W-League. [40] The team was coached by Jon McCain. [41] The Lady Lone Stars started their campaign in the USL-W League with a 6–0 win against the Houston Tornados. [42] Later that season, the Lady Lone Stars beat the Tornados again to earn a berth into the ULS W-2 playoffs in their first season. [41] In the first round of the playoffs, the Lady Lone Stars played the North Texas Heat, the eventual 1999 champions [43] The Lady Lone Stars second season was not as successful as their first with the team failing to score a goal for the first 10 games of the year. [44]

Year-by-year

Men

YearDivisionLeagueReg. SeasonPlayoffsOpen Cup
1987/88 N/A SISL Indoor 3rd [1] Final [1] N/A
1988/89 N/ASISL Indoor1st, South [45] Final [45] N/A
1989 N/A SOSL 4th [45] Did not qualifyDid not enter
1989/90 N/ASISL Indoor2nd, Texas [46] 1st Round [46] N/A
1990 N/ASISL2nd, Eastern [46] Semifinals [46] Did not enter
1990/91 N/ASISL Indoor2nd, Southwest [17] Quarterfinals [17] N/A
1991 N/ASISL6th, Tex-Oma [17] Did not qualifyRegional First Round [47]
1991/92 N/AUSISL Indoor6th, Tex-Oma [18] Did not qualifyN/A
1992 N/AUSISL5th, South Central [18] Did not qualifyDid not enter
1993 N/AUSISL5th, South Central [48] Did not qualifyDid not enter
1994 3USISL5th, South Central [22] Divisional Finals [22] Did not enter
1995 "4" USISL Premier League 2nd, Central [2] Divisional Semifinals [23] Did not qualify
1996 "4"USISL Premier League1st, Central Southern [25] Division Finals [25] Did not qualify
1997 3 USISL D-3 Pro League 2nd, South Central [25] Division Semifinals [25] 2nd Round [36]
1998 3USISL D-3 Pro League1st, South Central [49] Semifinals [49] 2nd Round [38]
1999 3USL D-3 Pro League5th, Western [25] Conference Semifinals [30] 1st Round [50]
2000 3USL D-3 Pro League8th, Southern [25] Did not qualifyDid not qualify

Women

YearDivisionLeagueReg. SeasonPlayoffs
1999 [51] 3 USL W-League W-2 Central Division 6thFirst Round
2000 [51] 3 USL W-League W-2 West Division 4thdid not qualify

Head coach

Honors

MVP

Leading scorer

Rookie of the Year

Coach of the Year

Executive of the Year

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Soccer League (1968–1984)</span> Defunct major soccer league in the United States and Canada

The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983. The NASL laid the foundations for soccer in the United States that helped lead to the country hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the set-up of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Soccer League</span> American sports governing body

United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of soccer leagues in the United States. It operates several men's and women's leagues, both professional. Men's leagues currently organized are the USL Championship, USL League One, USL League Two, and the youth Super Y League. A women's league, the USL W League, began play in 2022. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Adult Soccer Association. The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Stars (soccer)</span> Defunct American soccer club

The St. Louis Stars were a soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri that played in the original North American Soccer League from 1968 to 1977. The Stars were known for playing mostly American players, many from the St. Louis area, in contrast to other NASL teams' reliance on foreign players. The team moved to Anaheim in 1978 and became the California Surf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Lightning</span> Football club

Austin Lightning was an amateur American soccer team. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">António Simões</span> Portuguese footballer (born 1943)

António Simões da Costa, known as Simões, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left winger.

The Memphis Storm was an American soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee which existed from 1986 to 1994. They underwent several names changes including the Rogues, the Survivors, the United Express and finally the Jackals. They played in the American Indoor Soccer Association, and the Sunbelt Independent Soccer League, which later came to be known as the United States Interregional Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sporting Arizona FC</span> Soccer club

Sporting Arizona FC is an American developmental soccer team based in Arizona that was founded in 1989. They compete in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) Premier Division.

The San Antonio Pumas were an American soccer team founded in 1988 as the San Antonio Heat in the original indoor SISL league. They became the San Antonio Generals before the 1989/90 indoor season and then the San Antonio Pumas before the 1993 outdoor season. They folded after the 1998 season.

The Austin Thunder was an American soccer club based in Austin, Texas that was a member of the Lone Star Soccer Alliance.

Peter Sarantopoulos is a former Canadian international soccer defender.

The Richardson Rockets were a soccer club based in Richardson, Texas, United States, a suburb of Dallas. The club originally started in the indoor SISL league. They became the North Texas Mid-Cities Flyers for the 1991/92 USISL indoor league and were renamed the Dallas Rockets beginning with the 1992 outdoor league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984)</span> Defunct Canadian soccer club

The original Vancouver Whitecaps were a professional soccer team founded on December 11, 1973. During the 1970s and 1980s they played in the North American Soccer League (NASL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Sounders (1974–1983)</span> Former American soccer team

The Seattle Sounders were an American professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season but the name was revived in 1994 for a lower-division team and Seattle Sounders FC of the top-flight Major League Soccer, founded in 2007.

Wolfgang Sühnholz was a German-American soccer coach and former player. He won in the 1971–72 Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and in 1976 the North-American Soccer Bowl with Toronto Metros-Croatia. Later he settled in the United States and worked as a coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992)</span> Former soccer league in Canada

The Canadian Soccer League was a Division 1 professional soccer league that operated for six seasons between 1987 and 1992. It was a nationwide league that had teams in six provinces over the course of its history. It was the last top-division league in Canada until the Canadian Premier League began play in 2019.

Mark Francis is a former English-American soccer midfielder who played in the American Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association, SISL and USISL. He has also coached at the high school, college and professional levels. He retired from his position as the women's head coach of the University of Kansas October 23, 2023.

Ben Crawley is a retired American soccer player. He was a member of the United States teams at both the 1987 FIFA U-16 World Championship and 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship but spent most of his professional career with lower division teams. He played five games in Major League Soccer with D.C. United in 1996.

Saeed Kadkhodaian is a retired American soccer player, former team owner and currently the president of Azad, Inc. Soccer USA and Doostan, Inc. Soccer USA. He had previously played for, owned and coached the Austin Sockadillos and owned the Minnesota Thunder from 2005 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Edward's Hilltoppers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of St. Edwards University

The St. Edward's Hilltoppers are the athletic teams that represent St. Edward's University, located in Austin, Texas, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Hilltoppers compete as members of the Lone Star Conference for all 13 varsity sports. St. Edward's was a member of the Heartland Conference from 1999 to 2019.

Nestor “Chico” Villar is a retired Peruvian-American soccer player and coach. He was a two-time Coach of the Year in the Southwest Indoor Soccer League.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer - 1988". www.Sover.net. Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Litterer, Dave. "United Soccer Leagues Statistical History, Part 2 (1994-1996)". www.Sover.net. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  3. Roberts, Reggie (October 13, 1987). "Semi-pro soccer team debuts tonight". Austin American-Statesman . Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Briefs". Austin American-Statesman. November 8, 1987. Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Sockadillos sock it to Gunners". Austin American-Statesman. March 6, 1988. Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Warriors wallop Sockadillos". Austin American-Statesman. March 27, 1988. Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Renaud, Jorge (November 17, 1989). "Hungry for crown - Sockadillos hoping this will be season to win elusive title". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Lazers beat Sockadillos for SISL title". Austin American-Statesman. April 9, 1989. Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  9. "The Year in American Soccer - 1989". Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  10. Renaud, Jorge (December 3, 1989). "Sockadillos silence Sixshooters by scoring amazing 27 goals". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  11. Renaud, Jorge (February 18, 1990). "Sockadillos earn playoff spot with 12-7 rout of San Antonio". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  12. Renaud, Jorge (March 4, 1990). "Arrows end season for older Sockadillos". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  13. Renaud, Jorge (November 10, 1990). "Sockadillos have new look as indoor season starts". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  14. Renaud, Jorge (March 11, 1991). "Sockadillos bow to Comets in playoffs". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  15. Northington, David (May 25, 2009). "Outdoor play could lead to bigger things". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 Maraniss, Andrew (May 19, 1990). "Sockadillos' coach sees brighter future". Austin American-Statesman. pp.  1, 2 . Retrieved October 10, 2023 via Newspaper.com.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer, 1991". www.Sover.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer, 1992". www.Sover.net. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  19. Cohen, Andrew (June 29, 1993). "Can't win for losing". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Soccer". Austin American-Statesman. July 27, 1993. Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Briefs". Austin American-Statesman. March 17, 1994. Retrieved October 10, 2023 via Newspaper.com.
  22. 1 2 3 Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer, 1994". www.Sover.net. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "1995 USISL Playoffs". www.SoccerAmerica.com. Soccer America. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  24. Silva, Dan (August 3, 1996). "Lone Star rid themselves of Menace in overtime". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "USA - United Soccer Leagues". www.RSSSF.org. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  26. Wangrin, Mark (February 25, 1997). "Lone Stars ready to shine at pro soccer". Austin American Statesman. pp.  1, 2 . Retrieved October 10, 2023 via Newspaper.com.
  27. Vormelker, Erik (March 24, 1997). "Lone Star battle the big boys". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  28. Habel, Steve (August 3, 1997). "Unhappy ending for Lone Star". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  29. Kian, Ted (September 14, 1997). "Lone Stars end season with 3–2 loss to Orlando". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  30. 1 2 "Six Teams Advance To Second Round; South Jersey Awaits". www.UnitedSoccerLeagues.com. United Soccer League. August 24, 1999. Archived from the original on September 14, 2000. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  31. "Soccer". Austin American-Statesman. December 17, 1999. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  32. Baroni, Marc (August 13, 2000). "Lone Stars finish season with loss". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  33. Bils, Chris (May 14, 2019). "Soccer notebook: Bold adds to Austin's history in U.S. Open Cup". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  34. Lindstrom, Kevin (June 1, 1997). "Lone Star earn berth in Open Cup". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  35. Habel, Steve (June 19, 1997). "Lone Star advance in U.S. Cup". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  36. 1 2 "1997 United States Open Cup" . Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  37. Hettenhausen, Amy (June 10, 1998). "Lone Stars' win worries coach". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  38. 1 2 Hakala, Josh (October 31, 1998). "1998 US Open Cup results". TheCup.US. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  39. "Soccer". Austin American-Statesman. April 23, 2000. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  40. "Soccer". Austin American-Statesman. May 5, 1999. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  41. 1 2 3 Goodwin, Mark (June 27, 1999). "Lady Lone Stars top Houston to earn W-2 playoff berth". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  42. Goodwin, Mark (May 9, 1999). "Lone Stars women open with big win". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  43. Goodwin, Marc (July 22, 1999). "Lone Stars fall short against Denver as season winds down". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  44. Johnson, Curtis (July 23, 2000). "Lone Stars can't repeat win". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  45. 1 2 3 "The Year in American Soccer - 1989". www.Sover.Net. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  46. 1 2 3 4 Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer, 1990". www.sover.net. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  47. Hakala, Josh. "1991 US Open Cup results". TheCup.US. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  48. Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer, 1993". www.Sover.net. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  49. 1 2 Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer, 1998". Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  50. "1999 Lamar Hunt United States Open Cup" . Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  51. 1 2 "The W-League (USL) (1995-2005)". Socccer History USA. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  52. Hornaday, Saray (July 9, 1996). "Stars shining brightly". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  53. "Lone Stars open season with a win". Austin American-Statesman. April 5, 1998. Retrieved October 11, 2023 via Newspaper.com.
  54. "The Year in American Soccer - 1988". Archived from the original on 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  55. "Soccer". Austin American-Statesman. November 21, 1997. Retrieved October 10, 2023 via Newspaper.com.