Kitsap SC Pumas were an American soccer team based in Bremerton, Washington, United States.[1] The team played in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. From its foundation in 2009 to 2016, the club played in the Premier Development League (PDL), as a professional club. As part of the agreement upon leaving PDL after the 2016 season, the club was unable to use the "Kitsap Pumas" name during the 2017 season while playing in NPSL. The club was officially renamed Kitsap SC until September 1, 2017 when the Pumas name was restored. The club announced on July 20, 2018 that it would cease operations due to declining attendance.[2]
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played with a spherical ball between two teams of eleven players. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies, making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field called a pitch with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by moving the ball beyond the goal line into the opposing goal.
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 41,500 according to the 2018 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap. Bremerton is connected to Downtown Seattle by two ferries: a 60-minute ferry that carries both vehicles and walk-on passengers, and a 28-minute fast ferry that carries passengers and a limited number of bicycles.
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American soccer league commonly recognized as being a fourth tier league although it has been given no official designation by U.S. Soccer. Although the league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup through USASA channels, the league is generally considered to be at the fourth tier of competition in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer (MLS), the USL Championship (USLC), USL League One (USL1), and roughly equal with USL League Two (USL2). It is the successor of the Men's Premier Soccer League, a regional league originally based in the Western United States, which has now expanded nationwide to encompass teams from 29 states. The league's motto is "A National League with a Regional Focus". Some of the clubs are former USL clubs.
Kitsap has won several titles including the 2011 USL PDL national championship. They defeated the Laredo Heat 1–0 in the 2011 PDL Championship game on August 6, 2011 held on their home field in Bremerton.
Laredo Heat is an American soccer team based in Laredo, Texas, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. They were members of the USL Premier Development League from 2004 to 2015. The club was on hiatus for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
The team played its home games at Gordon Field at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. The team's colors were blue, white and gold.
Kitsap had fielded an indoor team which played in the Northwest Division of the Premier Arena Soccer League for 4 seasons from the 2010–11 season until the 2013–14 season.[3]
The Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL) is an indoor soccer league with amateur and semi-professional teams. PASL currently has four divisions across North America. The PASL was previously known as the Federation of Sports Arenas (FSA).
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico from 2005 to 2010.
Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's staff and resources were directed to the new Major League Soccer franchise, Seattle Sounders FC.
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 24 teams—21 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada and constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues in both countries. The regular season runs from March to October, with each team playing 34 games; the team with the best record is awarded the Supporters' Shield. Fourteen teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs through October and November, culminating in the championship game, the MLS Cup. MLS teams also play in domestic competitions against teams from other divisions in the U.S. Open Cup and in the Canadian Championship. MLS teams also compete against continental rivals in the CONCACAF Champions League.
The Pumas were one of four expansion teams in the NW Division of 2009 PDL season along with the Victoria Highlanders, Portland Timbers U23s, and Seattle Wolves. The Pumas played their first official game on May 2, 2009, a 5–0 victory over the Spokane Spiders, with the first goal in franchise history being scored by Tony Kerr.[5] The Pumas qualified for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in their first year beating the Cascade Surge 3–0 at home on the final day of qualifying, outlasting the Portland Timbers U23's by 1 point.[6] Their stay in the tournament was a short one as they lost to the USL Division I Portland Timbers 3–0 in front of a record crowd of 2,128.[7]
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.
Victoria Highlanders FC are a Canadian soccer team based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 2008 after the excitement of the FIFA U-20 World Cup saw crowds up to 11,500, the first team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the Canadian Soccer Pyramid. The Highlanders organization includes a U-21 reserve Highlanders team and a women's program. The Highlanders also co-ordinated an U-21 Vancouver Island Soccer League teams as a development pool for players ages 16 to 21. Highlanders FC players were Canadian CIS and NCAA Division I University and College players, Canadian U-20 National Team Players, local Vancouver Island players, as well as imports from around the world.
Spokane Spiders were an American soccer team based in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The franchise folded at the end of the 2010 season and left the league thereafter.
Kitsap rebounded with victories in its next five games to take a commanding lead in the Northwest Division. The Pumas became the first team in the PDL to clinch a playoff spot, doing so on July 5.[8] They missed a chance to take the division when they gave up a goal in stoppage time against the Timbers U23 on July 4,[9] but defeated the Abbotsford Mariners 1–0 on July 11 as Stephen Phillips scored off an Alex Megson assist to earn the team's first ever Northwest Division title and a first round playoff bye.[10]
Kitsap went on to beat the Seattle Wolves in their first ever play-off match 2–0 in front of a new club record attendance of 2,328,[11] before losing to the Ventura County Fusion 2–1 in the PDL quarterfinals in Laredo, Texas.[12]
On August 11, it was announced that head coach John Wedge would not return for the 2010 PDL season.[13] It was later revealed by Wedge that the loss to the Fusion cost him his job.[14] On November 9, 2010, the club announced the hiring of Seattle University coach Pete Fewing as its new head coach.[15]
Kitsap got off to another strong start for the 2010 season as they won their first five games to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup for the second straight season. They defeated the NPSL Bay Area Ambassadors 4–2[16] for their first ever win in the tournament. They lost to the Portland Timbers in the second round,[17] the second time in as many years they were eliminated by the then USL-1 club. The Pumas also had problems with the Portland Timbers U23's as well, losing 3–0 and 1–0 in regular season contests. Despite not repeating as division champs, Kitsap clinched the second and final playoff spot by defeating Vancouver 6–2 on July 20.[18]
Kitsap was selected to host the Western Conference playoffs and outlasted the defending champs Ventura County Fusion on penalty kicks in their semi-final match.[19] It was the first time in club history that a match had gone penalty kicks. Dustyn Brim made a save while Jamel Wallace converted the winning penalty attempt. But the Pumas did not have enough energy to outlast the eventual PDL national champions, losing 2–1[20] to the Portland Timbers U23's.
The Pumas made a strong start to the 2011 season, but their early results were matched by Portland Timbers U23's, who also made a strong start to the season, with both teams tied in all statistical qualifiers for the U.S. Open Cup. Instead of holding a lottery, the Pumas persuaded the Timbers and the USL to let their next regular season match against each other double as a qualification for the tournament.[22] Kitsap beat the Timbers 3–2[23] as Robby Christner scored a brace while Bryan Meredith – who was drafted by Seattle Sounders FC – made a key save on a penalty kick to help the Pumas become the first PDL team to qualify for the Open Cup their first three years as an organization. The Pumas defeated the Chivas El Paso Patriots in a first round Open Cup match in penalty kicks. Goalkeeper Zac Lubin – who was starting in place of an injured Meredith – held the Patriots scoreless for the entire match. He then made two saves in the penalty shootout, which went nine rounds before Bryan Burke converted in the ninth round to send the team into the second round of the tournament. They defeated the Real Colorado Foxes 3–1[24] to set up a first-ever official meeting with the Seattle Sounders FC (the two teams had previously played in closed door scrimmages over the last two years). Seattle defeated Kitsap 2–1[25] in a match that saw the Pumas miss on two chances on goal to upset the two-time defending Cup champions.
Back in league play, Kitsap stayed undefeated for much of the season, clinching a second division championship with a scoreless draw[26] against Abbotsford. They lost their first ever international friendly – a 1–0[27] defeat against Football League Two side Port Vale – and their last game of the season against Victoria Highlanders, missing another chance to run the table for the regular season. The playoffs were a much different story, as Kitsap defeated Ventura County Fusion 1–0 and upset the Fresno Fuego 1–0[28] to win its first ever Western Conference title. The match against Fresno ended a 25-game winning streak by the Fuego. Daniel Scott scored in injury time while Meredith made a save off a penalty kick attempt by PDL MVP Milton Blanco a few seconds later to ensure the win. Kitsap returned home to host the PDL championship and made it pay off, as they defeated the Thunder Bay Chill 3–1[29] and the Laredo Heat 1–0[30] to win its first ever national title. Christner scored the game's lone goal off an assist by Burke.
On Oct 27, Waite announced that Fewing would not return next season.[31] A month later, the club announced that assistant coach James Ritchie would take over the head coaching spot.[32]
In November 2016, the club announced that it would move to the National Premier Soccer League and rename itself "Kitsap Soccer Club" beginning in fall 2017.[36]
Dissolution
Kitsap SC announced on July 20, 2018 that it would cease operations due to declining attendance.[2]
Players
2016 roster
Source: Club Roster (current as of July 23, 2015)
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Gordon Field Park, Kitsap County Fairgrounds (2013–2018)
Crest
The official Kitsap Soccer Club crest was designed by Joel DuChesne, who won a competition held by the club to design a logo for the team prior to the 2009 season. Pumas owner Robin Waite said "We were floored when Joel's entry came it. It struck so completely at the heart of what the Kitsap Soccer Club is all about – traditional, authentic, yet modern, clean and looking to the future. He absolutely nailed it." As his prize, DuChesne was presented with tickets to the club's opening match against Tacoma Tide on May 15, 2009, and a pair of full 2009 season tickets.[37][38]
Related Research Articles
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a development soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league has 72 teams competing in four conferences, split into eleven regional divisions. Unofficially, it is considered to be the fourth tier of competition, behind Major League Soccer, USL Championship, and USL League One. USL League Two is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Washington Crossfire, previously the Seattle Wolves, is an American soccer organization based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 2009, the team played in the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, through the 2016 season.
Seattle Sounders FC U-23 is an American soccer team based in Tacoma, Washington, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 96th edition of the USSF's annual national soccer championship, running from June through early September.
Cameron Robert Hepple is a Bahamian footballer who plays for Lyford Cay.
Tony Kerr is an English professional footballer who plays for Kitsap Pumas in the USL Premier Development League, and for the English National Beach Soccer team.
The 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 97th edition of the USSF's annual national soccer championship, running from June through early October.
The 2009 Portland Timbers season was the ninth season for the club in the United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1), the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid. The first competitive game of the 2009 season was played on April 25 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC versus Vancouver Whitecaps FC which the Timbers lost 1–0. Following that loss the Timbers went on a 24-game unbeaten streak in the league on their way to securing the Commissioner's Cup for finishing the regular season atop the table. In a hard-fought, two-legged series, Vancouver Whitecaps FC knocked Portland out of the playoffs in the semifinals by an aggregate score of 5–4. In the U.S. Open Cup the Timbers hosted Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer in the third round but were eliminated by their bitter rivals 2–1 in front of 16,382 spectators at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon.
The 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 98th edition of the USSF's annual national soccer championship, running from June through early October. Seattle Sounders FC, who entered the competition as the two-time defending champions, successfully defended their title again. They became the third team in U.S. Open Cup history to win three straight U.S. Open Cups. As winner of the Open Cup, the Sounders earned a place in the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage. The farthest advancing USL Pro team was the Richmond Kickers.
The 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 99th edition of the USSF's annual national soccer championship, running from May through early August. The Seattle Sounders FC, of Major League Soccer entered the competition as the three-time defending champions, making this tournament the first domestic tournament since 1970 that a team enters the tournament as the three-time defending winners. They appeared in their fourth consecutive U.S. Open Cup Final, losing to Sporting Kansas City on August 8, 2012.
The 2012 USL Premier Development League season was the 18th season of the PDL. The regular season began on 22 April with a match between the Los Angeles Misioneros and Fresno Fuego, and ended with 14 matches on 15 July 2012. The regular season was followed by a postseason tournament of conference winners which determined the league's champion, Forest City London. Thirteen teams were added to the league and 4 teams dropped, bringing the total number of teams in the league to 73 for 2012.
FC Tucson is an American soccer club based in Tucson, Arizona that will play in USL League One starting in 2019. Organized in 2010, the club first fielded a team in March 2011, then joined the Premier Development League Western Conference in 2012.
Lane United FC is an American soccer club based in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 2013, the team currently plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The 2014 USL Premier Development League season was the 20th season of the PDL. The regular season began on May 3 and ended July 20. The regular season was followed by a postseason tournament of conference winners to determine the league's champion. Seven teams were added to the league, bringing the total number of teams in the league to 64 for 2014. The Austin Aztex were the defending champions.
The 2015 USL Premier Development League season was the 21st season of the PDL and consisted of 63 teams. The regular season began on May 2 and ended on July 19. The Michigan Bucks were the defending champions and posted the best overall record in the League; however, they were defeated by K-W United FC in the Central Conference finals. K-W United went on to win the league championship by defeating the Seattle Sounders FC U-23 1-0 in the semi-finals and in high scoring final they overcame the New York Red Bulls U-23 4-3. 63 clubs competed in the semi-professional soccer leagues.
Carlos Patino is a Colombian footballer who plays for Canadian club Cavalry FC.
The 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 103rd edition of the oldest ongoing competition in American soccer.
Peter Fewing is an American soccer coach and former player for the FC Seattle Storm of the Western Soccer Alliance. He is currently the manager of the Seattle University Redhawks and part of the broadcasting team for Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer.
References
1 2 "The Club". Kitsap Pumas. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
