The 2003 USL Premier Development League season was the 9th PDL season. The season began in April 2003 and ended in August 2003.
Cape Cod Crusaders finished the season as national champions for the second time, beating Chicago Fire Reserves 2–0 in the PDL Championship game. New Orleans Shell Shockers finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 16 out of their 18 games, suffering just 2 losses, and finishing with a +35 goal difference.
Cape Cod Crusaders striker Joseph Ngwenya and Vermont Voltage forward Bo Vuckovic were the league's top scorers, each knocking in 17 goals. Des Moines Menace midfielders Tomas Boltnar and Joseph Kabwe and Nashville Metros Ben Buerger led the league with 10 assists each, while Indiana Invaders keeper Christopher Sawyer enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, with a goals-against average of 0.287 per game, and Richmond Kickers Future keeper kept 7 clean sheets and had a GAA average of 0.568 in his 12 games.
Changes from 2002 New franchises Thirteen teams joined the league this year, including twelve brand new franchises: Team name Metro area Location Previous affiliation Abbotsford Rangers Abbotsford area Abbotsford, BC expansion Albany Blackwatch Highlanders Albany area Schenectady, NY expansion BYU Cougars Provo area Provo, UT expansion Columbus Shooting Stars Columbus area Columbus, OH expansion Fort Wayne Fever Fort Wayne area Fort Wayne, IN expansion Fresno Fuego Fresno area Fresno, CA expansion Jersey Shore Boca Jersey Shore area Toms River, NJ expansion Nevada Wonders Carson City area Carson City, NV expansion New Orleans Shell Shockers New Orleans area New Orleans, LA expansion St. Louis Strikers St. Louis area St. Louis, MO expansion South Jersey Barons Greater Trenton area Trenton, NJ previously in D3 Pro Toledo Slayers Toledo area Maumee, OH expansion West Virginia Chaos Charleston area Charleston, WV expansion
Folding Ten teams left the league prior to the beginning of the season: Central Coast Roadrunners - San Luis Obispo, California Chicago Eagles Select - Chicago, Illinois Chico Rooks - Chico, California (left to join the newly formed National Premier Soccer League) Dayton Gemini - Dayton, Ohio Denver Cougars - Commerce City, Colorado Los Angeles Heroes - Los Angeles, California Santa Barbara Sharks - Santa Barbara, California (folded during the 2002 season) Seattle Sounders Select - Seattle, Washington (folded during the 2002 season) Tampa Bay Hawks - Tampa, Florida West Michigan Edge - Grand Rapids, Michigan (spending season on hiatus)
Standings LegendDivision champion Team qualified for playoff berth
Central Conference Great Lakes Division
Heartland Division
Eastern Conference Mid Atlantic Division
Northeast Division
Southern Conference Mid South Division
Southeast Division
Western Conference Northwest Division
Southwest Division
Playoffs United Soccer Leagues (RSSSF)
Conference semifinals
Conference Finals
National Semifinals
PDL Championship Game
Awards Year End Awards Scoring Champion: Bojan Vučković (Vermont Voltage) 39 Points (17 Goals, 5 Assists) Golden Boot: Bojan Vučković (Vermont Voltage) Joseph Ngwenya (Cape Cod Crusaders) (17 Goals Each) Assists Champion: Tomas Boltnar (Des Moines Menace) Joseph Kabwe (Des Moines Menace) Ben Buerger (Nashville Metros) (10 Assists Each) GAA Champion: John O'Hara (Richmond Kickers Future) 0.57 Goals Against MVP: Tomas Boltnar (Des Moines Menace) Rookie of the Year: Eric Vasquez (Central Florida Kraze) Defender of the Year: Jose Luis Delgadillo (Fresno Fuego) Goalkeeper of the Year: John O'Hara (Richmond Kickers Future) Coach of the Year: Kenny Farrell (New Orleans Shell Shockers)
Weekly awards Player of the Week Week Player Club Position Reason 3 Indalecio "Zico" Antunes-SilvaRhode Island StingraysForwardHat Trick at South Jersey Barons 4 David BulowCape Cod CrusadersForward4 goals, 1 assist vs Jersey 5 Doco WessehThunder Bay ChillForward 3 goals in pair of wins at Wisconsin Rebels 6 Kenny UzoigweToledo SlayersForward 4 goals in 5-3 win over West Michigan Edge 7 David BulowCape Cod CrusadersForward 4 goals in two wins and draw 8 Haven BruceGreenville LionsForward 5 goals in 4-3 win and 3-2 loss 9 Matt ClarkTexas SpursMidfielder 5 goals, 1 assist in 6-1 win over Austin Lightning 10 Jake WardSouthern California SeahorsesDefender Solid play in 2-1 win over Fresno Fuego 11 Doco WessehThunder Bay ChillMidfielder 2 goals, 1 assist in 5-4 OT win at Sioux Falls Spitfire 12 Joseph KabweDes Moines MenaceForward 5 goals, 1 assist in 8-2 win over Kansas City Brass 13 Ben BuergerNashville MetrosMidfielder 1 Goal, 4 assists in wins over Memphis Express, St. Louis Strikers 14 Ricky FrancisIndiana InvadersMidfielder 2 goals, 2 assists in wins over Columbus Shooting Stars, Toledo Slayers Team of the Week Week Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards 3 Mahoney (RIS) Sullivan (BRK) McGowan (JER) Ericson-Neilson (NOS) Gula (JER) Poltl (OCBS) Gutierrez (FRE) Murray (NAS) Antunes (RIS) Ramirez (FRE) Garcia (IND) 4 Rowe (NEV) Branch (RAL) Anderson (SPK) Luya (KAL) Murray (NAS) Ryan (KCB) Suhm (YAK) Vučković (VER) Bulow (CCC) Perkins (KCB) McElligott (CHE) 5 Pogue (TOL) Redhage (DMM) Parkhurst (BRA) Ncube (CCC) Mouw (CHI) Gula (JER) Evans (SCS) Curley (CAS) Thomas (WIL) Wesseh (TBC) Coiner (OCBS) 6 Graham (BRA) Gorton (TBC) Photivihok (NAS) Newland (SFS) Camarena (CAS) Jones (DMM) Thelen (RIC) Petrarca (RIS) Lopez (NOS) Uzoigwe (TOL) Mankowski (PBP) 7 Dzubay (MMB) Tanner (CHI) Gibson (TXS) Mackey (CFK) Evans (SCS) Chevalier (ABH) Cameron (MMB) Sanchez (CAS) Bulow (CCC) Garrity (CAL) Atkinson (COE) 8 Sanders (WME) Wagenfuhr (BRR) Buehler (RAL) Bryant (WME) Chisoni (COE) Wickart (CHI) Barber (COL) Garay (RIC) Bruce (GVL) Kuska (SPK) Hotchkin (SCS) 9 Pickens (CHI) Lampert (BRR) Peetoom (ABB) Hare (RIC) Clark (TXS) Odwell (CHI) Sulkin (FWF) Vasquez (CFK) Smart (BRK) Bogdanov (SFS) Auckland (YAK) 10 Leon (ABB) Ward (SCS) Shinaberger (FWF) Pearce (BRA) Camarena (CAS) DeVall (NAS) Dombrowski (CHI) Chevalier (ABH) Quattrocchi (STL) Omekanda (MMB) Bulow (CCC) 11 O'Hara (RIC) Lawson (OCBS) Buck (FWF) Hinkle (WIL) Brito (RIS) Wesseh (TBC) Porto (FWF) Skeels (WME) Hotchkin (SCS) Phillip (CFK) Smith (BRR) 12 Hiebert (NOS) Clanton (CHI) Kos (CAS) Neagu (RIC) Umana (WIL) Grabavoy (CHI) Vasquez (CFK) Vučković (VER) Francis (IND) Kabwe (DMM) Mabee (ABH) 13 O'Hara (RIC) Fortes (RIS) Sullivan (BRK) Schwartz (FWF) Buerger (NAS) Fitzpatrick (COL) Ambrose (TXS) Harwatt (CHI) Wesseh (TBC) Cummings (SPK) Hotchkin (SCS) 14 Wiese (MMB) Ihekoronye (CAS) Brazeau (DMM) Uriarte (AUS) Francis (IND) Simic (VER) Cila (BRK) Pilarski (CCC) Antunes (RIS) Wakhisi (IND) Ngwenya (CCC)
All-League and All- Conference Teams
Central Conference F: Jake Bleyenberg (KCB), Kenny Uzoigwe (TOL), Doco Wesseh (TBC)* M: Knox Cameron (MMB), Tomas Boltnar (DMM)*, Tighe Dombrowski (CHI), Ned Grabavoy (CHI) D: Denny Clanton (CHI)*, Danny Crew (COL), Erik Nelson (MMB) G: Matt Pickens (CHI)
Eastern Conference F: Zico Antunes (RIS)*, David Bulow (CCC), Joseph Ngwenya (CCC) M: Graham Albert (WIL), Greg Chevalier (ABH)*, Clyde Simms (RAL), Bojan Vučković (VER)* D: Cristian Neagu (RIC), Gary Sullivan (BRO), Valdemar Texeira (RIS), G: John O'Hara (RIC)*
Southern Conference F: Matt Clark (TXS), Mubarike Chisoni (COA), Dayton O'Brien (MEM) M: Stephen Murray (NAS), Stephen Pate (NOS), Marcelino Uriarte (AUS), Eric Vasquez (CFK)* D: Danny Collins (COA), Thomas McCallum (NAS), Ross McLynn (MEM)*, G: Daryl Sattler (NAS)
Western Conference F: Edgardo Contreras (FRE), Jason Hotchkin (SCS)*, Jason Kuska (SPK) M: Miguel Camarena (CAS), Paul Johnson (SPK), Tom Poltl (OCBS), Matt Taylor (OCBS) D: Jose Luis Delgadillo (FRE)*, Leonard Griffin (OCBS), Jacob Ward (SCS), G: Shaun Kalnasy (SPK)
* denotes All-League selection All-League Team F: Jason Hotchkin (SCS), Doco Wesseh (TBC), Zico Antunes (RIS) M: Tomas Boltnar (DMM) (League MVP), Bojan Vučković (VER) (Scoring Champion and Co-Golden Boot), Eric Vasquez (CFK) (Rookie of the Year), Greg Chevalier (ABH) D: Jose Luis Delgadillo (FRE) (Defender of the Year), Denny Clanton (CHI), Ross McLynn (MEM) G: John O'Hara (RIC) (Goalkeeper of the Year and GAA Champion)
References