2009 PDL season
|  Official 2009 PDL Championship logo | |
| Season | 2009 | 
|---|---|
| Champions | Ventura County Fusion (1st Title) | 
| Regular Season Champions | Reading Rage (1st Title) | 
| Matches played | 544 | 
| Goals scored | 1,790 (3.29 per match) | 
| Best Player |  Aaron Wheeler Reading Rage | 
| Top goalscorer |  Aaron Wheeler Reading Rage (17 Goals) | 
| Best goalkeeper |  Jimmy Maurer Chicago Fire Premier | 
| Biggest home win | 9–0, Ottawa Fury over Westchester Flames | 
| Biggest away win | 7–1, Ocean City Barons over Newark Ironbound Express 7–1 Los Angeles Legends over Fresno Fuego | 
| Highest scoring | 10 goals, Portland Timbers U23's 8–2 Yakima Reds 10 goals, Lancaster Rattlers 5–5 Fresno Fuego 10 goals, Hollywood United Hitmen 7–3 Ogden Outlaws | 
| Average attendance | 542 | 
| ← 2008  2010 →  | |
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 league consisted of 68 teams across eight divisions with the elimination of the Midwest and New England divisions. The PDL Championship Game was held on August 8, 2009, and was broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel in the United States.[1]
Ventura County Fusion finished the season as national champions, beating Chicago Fire Premier 2–1 in the PDL Championship game in Ventura, California on August 8, 2009.[2]
Reading Rage finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 13 out of their 16 games, suffering just one loss, and finishing with a +41 goal difference.
Reading Rage striker Aaron Wheeler was the league's top scorer and MVP, knocking in 17 goals, while his teammate Jon Ports led the league with 10 assists. Mississippi Brilla goalkeeper Josh Pantazelos enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, with a goals against average of 0.615 on the season, including 8 shutouts.[3]
Changes From 2008
Name Changes
- Cary Railhawks U23's changed their name to the Cary Clarets to reflect their new association with English Championship team Burnley.
- New Orleans Shell Shockers rebranded themselves as the New Orleans Jesters, having terminated their sponsorship deal with the Shell Oil Company.
New Franchises
- Eleven franchises have been announced as joining the league this year:
| Team Name | Metro Area | Location | Previous Affiliation | 
|---|---|---|---|
|  Atlanta Blackhawks | Greater Atlanta area | Alpharetta, GA | expansion | 
|  Forest City London | London area | London, ON | expansion | 
|  Hollywood United Hitmen | West Los Angeles area | Pacific Palisades, CA | expansion | 
|  Kitsap Pumas | Kitsap County area | Bremerton, WA | expansion | 
|  Portland Timbers U23's | Greater Portland area | Portland, OR | expansion | 
|  Real Colorado Foxes | Denver area | Highlands Ranch, CO | expansion | 
|  Rio Grande Valley Bravos | Rio Grande Valley area | Pharr, TX | expansion | 
|  Rochester Thunder | Rochester area | Rochester, MN | expansion | 
|  Seattle Wolves | Seattle area | Tukwila, WA | PCSL | 
|  Victoria Highlanders | Victoria area | Victoria, BC | expansion | 
|  West Texas United Sockers | Midland-Odessa area | Midland, TX | expansion | 
On hiatus
- One team went on hiatus due to home stadium renovations:
Folding
- Nine teams have been announced as leaving the league prior to the beginning of the season:
- Atlanta Silverbacks U23's – Chamblee, Georgia
- Cape Cod Crusaders – Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
- Colorado Rapids U23's – Boulder, Colorado
- Palm Beach Pumas – Wellington, Florida
- Richmond Kickers Future – Richmond, Virginia
- San Fernando Valley Quakes – Woodland Hills, California
- San Francisco Seals – San Francisco, California
- San Jose Frogs – San Jose, California
- West Michigan Edge – Kentwood, Michigan
 
Standings
In 2009, there was a more balanced 8 divisions (down from 10 in 2008). The top 3 from each division qualified for the play-offs, with the division champion receiving a bye through the first round.
| Legend | 
|---|
| Team won the Division Title | 
| Team qualified for playoff berth | 
Central Conference
Great Lakes Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalamazoo Outrage | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 36 | 
| 2 | Chicago Fire Premier | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 33 | 12 | +21 | 35 | 
| 3 | Forest City London | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 16 | +11 | 29 | 
| 4 | Michigan Bucks | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 27 | 
| 5 | Indiana Invaders | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 25 | −1 | 19 | 
| 6 | Cleveland Internationals | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 26 | −3 | 17 | 
| 7 | Fort Wayne Fever | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 26 | −11 | 17 | 
| 8 | Cincinnati Kings | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 17 | 31 | −14 | 15 | 
| 9 | Toronto Lynx | 16 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 40 | −22 | 7 | 
Heartland Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines Menace | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 13 | +22 | 37 | 
| 2 | Thunder Bay Chill | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 16 | +11 | 29 | 
| 3 | Real Colorado Foxes | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 27 | 
| 4 | St. Louis Lions | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 24 | 
| 5 | Rochester Thunder | 16 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 21 | 25 | −4 | 16 | 
| 6 | Kansas City Brass | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 28 | 37 | −9 | 15 | 
| 7 | Springfield Demize | 16 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 43 | −33 | 7 | 
Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Rage | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 58 | 17 | +41 | 41 | 
| 2 | Carolina Dynamo | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 38 | 19 | +19 | 32 | 
| 3 | Cary Clarets | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 16 | +12 | 30 | 
| 4 | Hampton Roads Piranhas | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 27 | 
| 5 | West Virginia Chaos | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 23 | 37 | −14 | 18 | 
| 6 | Fredericksburg Gunners | 16 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 35 | −21 | 12 | 
| 7 | Northern Virginia Royals | 16 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 18 | 35 | −17 | 10 | 
| 8 | Virginia Legacy | 16 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 36 | −22 | 9 | 
Northeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Fury | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 48 | 8 | +40 | 40 | 
| 2 | Long Island Rough Riders | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 10 | +22 | 38 | 
| 3 | Ocean City Barons | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 31 | 15 | +16 | 30 | 
| 4 | Brooklyn Knights | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 20 | +5 | 24 | 
| 5 | Newark Ironbound Express | 16 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 38 | 41 | −3 | 20 | 
| 6 | Rhode Island Stingrays | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 23 | 41 | −18 | 15 | 
| 7 | Westchester Flames | 16 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 36 | −20 | 14 | 
| 8 | New Hampshire Phantoms | 16 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 20 | 32 | −12 | 13 | 
| 9 | New Jersey Rangers | 16 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 44 | −30 | 8 | 
Southern Conference
Mid South Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laredo Heat | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 29 | 18 | +11 | 29 | 
| 2 | West Texas United Sockers | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 27 | 
| 3 | Austin Aztex U23 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 32 | 27 | +5 | 26 | 
| 4 | El Paso Patriots | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 26 | 
| 5 | Rio Grande Valley Bravos | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 28 | +4 | 23 | 
| 6 | DFW Tornados | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 29 | 33 | −4 | 19 | 
| 7 | Houston Leones | 16 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 37 | −27 | 3 | 
Note: Austin finish in third place as a result of winning the head-to-head season series 2–0–1 against El Paso.[4]
Southeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi Brilla | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 33 | 
| 2 | Bradenton Academics | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 32 | 14 | +18 | 32 | 
| 3 | New Orleans Jesters | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 24 | 13 | +11 | 26 | 
| 4 | Panama City Pirates | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 23 | 
| 5 | Baton Rouge Capitals | 16 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 16 | 
| 6 | Central Florida Kraze | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 31 | −13 | 15 | 
| 7 | Nashville Metros | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 36 | −20 | 13 | 
| 8 | Atlanta Blackhawks | 16 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 12 | 
Western Conference
Northwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitsap Pumas | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 13 | +27 | 39 | 
| 2 | Portland Timbers U23's | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 43 | 20 | +23 | 35 | 
| 3 | Seattle Wolves | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 18 | +11 | 33 | 
| 4 | Cascade Surge | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 24 | 
| 5 | Victoria Highlanders | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 22 | 
| 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps Residency | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 21 | 
| 7 | Tacoma Tide | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 34 | 40 | −6 | 19 | 
| 8 | Abbotsford Mariners | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 28 | 36 | −8 | 14 | 
| 9 | Yakima Reds | 16 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 49 | −27 | 11 | 
| 10 | Spokane Spiders | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 51 | −39 | 9 | 
Southwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hollywood United Hitmen | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 17 | +21 | 33 | 
| 2 | Los Angeles Legends | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 15 | +19 | 31 | 
| 3 | Ventura County Fusion | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 28 | 
| 4 | BYU Cougars | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 25 | 
| 5 | Fresno Fuego | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 28 | +2 | 22 | 
| 6 | Southern California Seahorses | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 25 | 22 | +3 | 20 | 
| 7 | Lancaster Rattlers | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 38 | −5 | 19 | 
| 8 | Orange County Blue Star | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 19 | 
| 9 | Ogden Outlaws | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 39 | −15 | 13 | 
| 10 | Bakersfield Brigade | 16 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 38 | −24 | 9 | 
Playoffs
Format
The top three teams from each division earn playoff bids. The division champion earns a bye to the Division Finals and the rights to host. The second place team will host the third place team in the Division Semifinals either at their home field or at the division champion's field. The two notable exceptions were the Chicago Fire Premier hosting Forest City London in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Ventura County Fusion hosting the Los Angeles Legends, despite Los Angeles having the higher seed.
Bracket
Divisional Semifinals
|  Carolina Dynamo | 1–3 |  Cary Clarets | 
|---|---|---|
| Rojo  32' Shriver  66' Roberts  70' | (Report) | Ibeagha  34' Schilawski  59'  72' Grossman  65' O'Brien  68' Petrasso  90' | 
|  Long Island Rough Riders | 0–2 |  Ocean City Barons | 
|---|---|---|
| (Report) | Neptune  34' Carmichael  23' Noone  73' | 
|  West Texas United Sockers | 2–1 |  Austin Aztex U23 | 
|---|---|---|
| Rios  23' Becerra  24' Everson  46' Furness  51'  59' Franco  69' James  90' | (Report) | McFayden  17'  42' Helton  32' Mirsky  71' | 
|  Portland Timbers U23's | 2–3 |  Seattle Wolves | 
|---|---|---|
| Brown  6' Youngblood  33' Farfan  90' | (Report) | Chursky  30'  81'  90' Zimmerman  52' | 
|  Chicago Fire Premier | 1–0 |  Forest City London | 
|---|---|---|
| Akpan  67' Sinovic  69' | (Report) | Di Biase  70' | 
|  Ventura County Fusion | 2–1 |  Los Angeles Legends | 
|---|---|---|
| Motagalvan  7' Hamilton  18' Byrne  34' Barrera  68' Hill  80' | (Report) | Js. Barton  4' Randolph  57' Whitfield  77' | 
|  Bradenton Academics | 1–0 | .svg.png) New Orleans Jesters | 
|---|---|---|
| Morris  34' Hepple  88' Kendall  90' | (Report) | Young  27' Callon  59'  90' Duncan  88' Gledhill  90' | 
|  Thunder Bay Chill | 0–1 |  Real Colorado Foxes | 
|---|---|---|
| Neto  16' Bukoski  51' Putrus  77' Abolaji  77' | (Report) | Donaldson  26' Cephers  49' Jennings  51' Stisser  87' | 
Divisional Finals
|  Hollywood United Hitmen | 1–3 (AET) |  Ventura County Fusion | 
|---|---|---|
| Hazdovac  26' | (Report) | Byrne  35' Barrera  96' Myerson  105'  117' Becerra  111' | 
|  Reading Rage | 1–2 |  Cary Clarets | 
|---|---|---|
| Mulholland  15' Bienenfeld  45' Hogan  54' Wheeler  57' Burke  86' | (Report) | Minogue  19' Ibeagha  21' Petrasso  35' Drake  60' Brown  64' Lassiter  69'  90' (OG) | 
|  Ottawa Fury | 1–2 (AET) |  Ocean City Barons | 
|---|---|---|
| Maloney  7' Pradié  63' Schippers  104' | (Report) | Richter  35' Melchionni  45' Noone  45'  60' Bellamy  98' | 
|  Kalamazoo Outrage | 1–2 |  Chicago Fire Premier | 
|---|---|---|
| Oatley  58' Lima  83' | (Report) | Cutshaw  67' (PK) Edgar  77' | 
| .svg.png) Mississippi Brilla | 2–3 (AET) |  Bradenton Academics | 
|---|---|---|
| Hunt  33' Lawrence  41' Paulini  75' Lilly  90+' Lemma  90+' | (Report) | Lopes  22' Boggs  45'  85' Williams  53' Reis  77' Ingvarsson  91' Morris  99' McFarland  120' | 
|  Des Moines Menace | 2–1 |  Real Colorado Foxes | 
|---|---|---|
| Jordan  27' (PK) Salem  38' Schmoker  41' Pearson  62' Jordan  78' | (Report) | Donaldson  4' (PK)  11' Werth  88' Salvaggione  90' | 
|  Laredo Heat | 1–0 (AET) |  West Texas United Sockers | 
|---|---|---|
| Ordaz  50' Mulamba  74' Ramos  119' | (Report) | Collazo  5' Furness  36' Everson  45' Steven  115' | 
|  Kitsap Pumas | 2–0 |  Seattle Wolves | 
|---|---|---|
| Phillips  15'  71' | (Report) | Bates  41' Morris  51' Scott  90' | 
Conference Finals
|  Chicago Fire Premier | 3–0 |  Ocean City Barons | 
|---|---|---|
| Blades  18'  75' Braun  66' Akpan  75' Cutshaw  76' | (Report) | Carmichael  38' Banks  73' K. Miller  79' Chapman  88' | 
|  Kitsap Pumas | 1–2 |  Ventura County Fusion | 
|---|---|---|
| Lipset  45' Mohn  51' | (Report) | Hamilton  26' Aghasyan  83' López  92+'  92+' | 
|  Des Moines Menace | 0–1 |  Cary Clarets | 
|---|---|---|
| Schmoker  48' Salem  74' Mujdzic  28' | (Report) | Fitzgerald  28' Brown  48' Grossman  70' Drake  79' Ibeagha  90' | 
|  Laredo Heat | 1–3 (AET) |  Bradenton Academics | 
|---|---|---|
| Mulamba  19' Quinones  57'  120' Bautista  68' Infante  97' Perez  113' | (Report) | McFarland  19' Hepple  20' Reis  63' Voutier  87' Morris  116' Lopes  120' | 
PDL Semifinals
|  Chicago Fire Premier | 2–1 (AET) |  Cary Clarets | 
|---|---|---|
| Braun  38' Rice  63' Rodriguez (coach)  67' Akpan  95' | (Report) | Drake  63' (PK) Grossman  65' O'Brien  99' Petrasso  105' Bouemboue  110' Willis  120' Gutierrez (coach)  120' | 
|  Bradenton Academics | 1–6 |  Ventura County Fusion | 
|---|---|---|
| Lopes  35' Reis  45' | (Report) | Guzman  27' López  38' Becerra  40' Hamilton  45'  54' Barrera  53' Guerrero  62' Aghasyan  90' | 
PDL Championship
|  Ventura County Fusion | 2–1 |  Chicago Fire Premier | 
|---|---|---|
| Becerra  8' Guzman  33' Smarte  35' Mikkelsen (coach)  60' Motagalvan  70'  92+' Smith (coach)  92+' | (Report) | Blades  47' Akpan  74' Sunderland (coach)  90' | 
Award Winners and Finalists
The awards finalists, Goalkeeper of the Year, and All-League teams were announced on August 4, 2009, with the winners announced on August 6.[5]
Most Valuable Player
- Aaron Wheeler, F, Reading Rage (Winner)
- Tom Oatley, F, Kalamazoo Outrage
- Debola Ogunseye, F, Mississippi Brilla
U19 Player of the Year
- Christian Ibeagha, D, Cary Clarets (Winner)
- Sheanon Williams, D, Carolina Dynamo
- Max Touloute, F, Fort Wayne Fever
Defender of the Year
- Christian Ibeagha, Cary Clarets (Winner)
- Bonivenger Misiko, Fort Wayne Fever
- Daniel Scott, Seattle Wolves
- Chris Williams, New Orleans Jesters
Goalkeeper of the Year
Coach of the Year
- Casey Mann, Des Moines Menace (Winner)
- Dan Fisher, Long Island Rough Riders
- Mark Spooner, Kalamazoo Outrage
- Brent Whitfield, Los Angeles Legends
All-League and All-Conference Teams
Central Conference
F: Andre Akpan, CHI; Teal Bunbury, ROC; Tom Oatley*, KAL
M: Dave Hertel*, MIC; Nolan Intermoia, TB; Brad Stisser, COL
D: Anthony Di Biase, LON; Bonivenger Misiko*, FW; Wilson Neto, TB; Brian Wurst, KC
G: Jimmy Maurer*, CHI
Honorable Mention: Justin Ferguson, D, SPR; Saidi Isaac, F, IND; David Mueller, D, SL; Armin Mujdzic, F, DM; Yoram Mwila, M, CLE;  Kyle Segebart, D, CIN; Jordan Webb, M, TOR
Eastern Conference
F: Cody Arnoux, CAR; Adam Arthur, WV; Aaron Wheeler*, REA
M: Will Beague*, OTT; Adam Gazda, REA; Zach Loyd, CAR
D: Brien Chamney, OTT; Christian Ibeagha*, CRY; Rich Martinez, LI; Sheanon Williams, CAR
G: Tunde Ogunbiyi, OCC
Honorable Mention: Frank Alesci, M, BRK; Zachary Carr, G, NJ; Kevon Harris, M, HR; Sean Kelley, G, NV; Michael Konicoff, M, WCH; Jerrod Laventure, F, NWK; Ken Manaham, G, FRB; Matthew Marcin, M, RI; Timothy Murray, G, NH; Ian Stowe, M, VIR
Southern Conference
F: Zak Boggs, BRD; Salvador Luna, RGV; Debola Ogunseye*, MIS
M: Danny Galvan, LAR;Greg Mulamba, LAR; Gary Stopforth, NO
D: Jamie Cunningham, AUS; Dwyane Demmin, MIS; Thomas Wharf, PAN; Chris Williams*, NO
G: Ryan Cooper, LAR
Honorable Mention: Jay Ambrosy, M, HOU; Lief Craddock, G, WTU; Janrai Gravely, G, DFW; Tommy Krizanovic, F, CF; Wilfrid Loizeau, M, ATL; Felipe Lowall, M, BR; Ryan McDonald, D, NAS; Jorge Muniz, G, EP
Western Conference
F: Rory Agu, TAC; Brent Whitfield, LA; Ryan Youngblood, POR
M: Ely Allen, SEA; Tomislav Colic, SC; Michael Farfan, LA; Armando Ochoa*, HU
D: Nick Cardenas, OGD; Mark Lee, KIT; Dan Scott*, SEA
G: Dustyn Brim, KIT
Honorable Mention: Richie Bindrup, M, BYU; Zach Brunner, G, LAN; Jason Devinish, M, VIC; Gagandeep Dosanjh, M, VAN; Eddie Gutierrez, M, FRE; Anthony Hamilton, F, VEN; Jacob Hustedt, M, BAK; Kristjan Johannson, G, ABB; Kristopher Minton, G, ORC; Vinicius Oliveira, F, YAK; John Prugh, F, SPO; Steve Reese, G, CSC
* denotes All-League selection
See also
References
- ^ "PDL 2009 season details announced". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ "Fusion overcome Fire for PDL title". Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- ^ "PDL Statistical Honors Announced". Archived from the original on November 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- ^ "2009 PDL Tiebreaker rules". Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
- ^ "PDL All-League Teams announced". Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
