The 2008 USL Premier Development League season was the 14th season of the PDL. The regular season started on April 26, 2008, and ended on July 20, 2008. The league consisted of 67 teams across 10 divisions with the addition of the Midwest and New England divisions. The playoffs began on July 22, 2008, and ended with the PDL Championship Game on August 9, 2008.
Thunder Bay Chill finished the season as national champions, beating Laredo Heat on penalty kicks after a 1–1 tie in the PDL Championship game in Laredo, Texas on 9 August 2008.
Michigan Bucks 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 +27 goal difference.
Yakima Reds striker Junior Garcia was the league's top scorer and MVP, knocking in 15 goals. Fresno Fuego's Fabricio Codeceira led the league with 13 assists, while Austin Aztex U23 keeper Miguel Gallardo enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, with a goals-against average of 0.615 per game, and keeping 9 clean sheets in his 13 games.
Changes from 2007
Name changes Abbotsford Rangers changed their name to the Abbotsford Mariners to reflect the name of their parent organization. Los Angeles Storm changed their name to the Los Angeles Legends to reflect the name of their parent organization. The expansion Austin Stampede were renamed the Aztex U23 after the Austin Aztex USL-1 franchise was announced for 2009 and acquired controlling interest in the PDL team.
New franchises Nine franchises joined the league this year, including six brand new teams: Team name Metro area Location Previous affiliation Austin Aztex U23 Greater Austin area Round Rock, TX expansion Cincinnati Kings Greater Cincinnati area Wilder, KY relegated from USL-2 Houston Leones Greater Houston area Richmond, TX expansion Kalamazoo Outrage Kalamazoo area Kalamazoo, MI expansion New Hampshire Phantoms Hillsborough County area Manchester, NH relegated from USL-2 New Jersey Rangers Northern New Jersey area Denville, NJ expansion Newark Ironbound Express Newark area Newark, NJ expansion Panama City Pirates Panama City area Panama City Beach, FL expansion Vancouver Whitecaps Residency Metro Vancouver area Burnaby, BC transferred from PCSL
Folding Five teams left the league prior to the beginning of the season: Albany Admirals - Schenectady, New York Austin Lightning - Austin, Texas Cocoa Expos - Cocoa, Florida Delaware Dynasty - New Castle, Delaware Sioux Falls Spitfire - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Final standings LegendTeam won the Division Title Team qualified for playoff berth
Central Conference
Great Lakes Division
Midwest Division
Heartland Division
The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The Conference champion receives a bye into the Conference Semifinals, with the third place team from that division receiving a playoff berth.
Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division
New England Division
Northeast Division
The Division Champions and the Second Place team with the most points qualify for the playoffs.
Southern Conference
Mid South Division
Southeast Division
Western Conference
Northwest Division
Southwest Division
The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.
Playoffs
The Divisional Round for the Central Conference took place July 22–23, 2008, with the Conference Championships taking place between July 25–27. The PDL Semifinals took place on August 2, and the final was played on August 9.
Playoff bracket
Divisional round
Conference semifinals
Conference finals
PDL semifinals
PDL final
Championship MVP: Gustavo Oliveira (TBC)
Awards, All–Conference Teams and All-League team Awards
Scoring Champion:Junior Garcia (Yakima Reds) (15 Goals, 10 Assists) Golden Boot:Junior Garcia (Yakima Reds) (15 Goals) Assists Champion: Fabricio Codeceira (Fresno Fuego) (13 Assists) GAA Champion: Miguel Gallardo (Austin Aztex U23) MVP: Junior Garcia (Yakima Reds) U19 Player of the Year: Felix Garcia (Laredo Heat) Defender of the Year: Norberto Papandrea (Austin Aztex U23) Goalkeeper of the Year: Miguel Gallardo (Austin Aztex U23) Coach of the Year: Wolfgang Suhnholz (Austin Aztex U23)
Weekly awards Player of the Week Week Player Club Position Reason 3 Kellan WilsonSan Francisco SealsForward 2 goals off bench in 3-2 win at Fresno Fuego 4 Adrian SchippersNew Hampshire PhantomsForward 2 goals in 2-1 win at Cape Cod Crusaders, gave Cape Cod their first home loss in 27 Games 5 Steve MillerOcean City BaronsForward 5 goals, 1 assist in 1-0-1 weekend 6 Nate JaftaMichigan BucksMidfielder 1 Goal, 6 Assist Week for Bucks; Qualified for US Open Cup 7 Dan StevensVermont VoltageMidfielder 3 Assists and Gamewinning Goal in 19 minute span; 5-4 win over Rhode Island Stingrays 8 Dan WilliamsDes Moines MenaceGoalkeeper 23 Saves, 1 Shutout in 1-0-1 week against Thunder Bay Chill 9 Jerrod LaventureNewark Ironbound ExpressForward Hat-trick in 4-0 win over unbeatean Ocean City Barons 10 Jeremy GoldThunder Bay ChillForward 4 Goals in 2 wins over previously undefeated St. Louis Lions 11 Robert McCurdyYakima RedsGoalkeeper 2 Shutouts, 10 Saves week on the road: 2-0 over Abbotsford Mariners, 1-0 over Vancouver Whitecaps Residency 12 Jamie WatsonAustin Aztex U23Forward 2 Goals, 1 Assist Week (3-1 over Laredo Heat) (Game Winning Goal in 1-0 win over Mississippi Brilla). 13 Kris MintonOrange County Blue StarGoalkeeper Allowed only 1 goal in 270 minutes in 3 weekend wins 14 Spencer SchomakerTacoma TideForward 3 Goals, 2 Assists in 6-2 win over Yakima Reds to clinch playoff berth/division Team of the Week Week Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Honorable Mentions 3 Gallardo (AUS) Winblad (LAL) Howell (LAN) Skelding (LIR) Delaney (NHP) M. Davis (SFV) Domínguez (HOU) Galland (BAK) Wilson (SFS) Araujo (CFK) Sagare (YAK) NA 4 Antonio (BRO) Lawrence (MIS) Papandrea (AUS) Fletcher (OCB) Angus (SLL) Wiedeman (SJF) Soto (CAD) Leopoldo (VCF) Nunes (FRE) Grella (CAD) Schippers (NHP) Cooper, GK, (LAR); Ritter, F, (RIS); Araujo, F, (CFK); 5 Gorrick (CFK) Alvino (KAL) Kulkov (BRO) Cunningham (ELP) Mena (WME) Johnson (FRD) Maxwell (BRD) Warman (KCB) J. García (YAK) Clark (OC) Miller (OCB) Paterson, M, (DMM); F. Garcia, F, (LAR); DeMartin, F, (MIC); 6 Gallardo (AUS) Banks (OCB) Younger (CHI) Kalungi (FRD) Etherington (LAL) Jafta (MIC) Klukowski (CCC) Damiani (BRO) Williams (KCB) Boggs (BRD) J. García (YAK) J. Davis, M, (DMM); Boughton, M, (FWF); Heinemann, F (SLL); 7 Mitrovich (ATL) Armstrong (MIS) VanMatre (VER) Loizou (VIR) Lopez (VCF) Gonsalves (RIS) Stevens (VER) Niziolek (NIE) Wilson (SFS) Uzoigwe (MIC) Zakuani (CLE) Becerra, M, (LIR); Mattson, F, (CFK); Barros, M, (BRC) 8 D. Williams (DMM) Fletcher (OCB) Williams (CAR) Tracy (SFV) Munro (CCC) Tangney (TAC) Belcher (VIR) Almeida (BRC) Campos (FRE) F. Garcia (LAR) Bouemboue (CAR) Alexander, M, (KAL); Kekec, F, (ABB); Cuero, M, (AUS) 9 Baldock (ABB) Harrison (WVC) Pate (SFV) Nogueira (ATL) Massie (CCC) Nanchoff (CLE) Oliveira (TBC) Kamara (IND) Stelmak (CIN) Greigo (ELP) Laventure (NIE) Forrest, GK, (SLL); Ramirez, M, (FRE); Lacey, M, (FRD); 10 Bilinski (FWF) Blades (CHI) Benson (REA) Tracy (SFV) Peterlin (VCF) Louvier (CAS) Olivares (ELP) Bailey (WES) Edwini-Bonsu (VWR) Gold (TBC) Buffington (MIS) Binstock, GK, (TOR); Konicoff, M, (WES); Gatzky, M, (RIC); 11 McCurdy (YAK) Quinn (REA) Bushiri (OTT) West (WVC) Rodríguez (KCB) Konicoff (WES) Shipalane (MIC) Da Luz (AUS) Oatley (KAL) Karcz (NIR) Ritter (RIS) Paul, F, (LAL); Swartzendruber, F, (TBC); Harris, F, (PCP); 12 Patovic (BRO) Khale (RIS) Demmin (MIS) Motagalvan (VCF) Boltnar (DMM) França (CHI) Gatzky (RIC) Barros (BRC) Dasah (OTT) Swartzendruber (TBC) Watson (AUS) Conner, GK, (SFS); Briggs, M, (KAL); Woollard, F, (HRP); 13 Minton (OC) Samano (ELP) Alvino (KAL) Ruesgen (NIE) Gonzalez (BRO) Hayers (NO) Rowling (NIE) Barros (BRC) Schomaker (TAC) DeMartin (MIC) Lovell (SFS) Swartzendruber, F, (TBC); Bush, GK, (CCC); Neagu, F, FRD) 14 Clark (MIC) Munro (CCC) Powell (OGD) Groch (BRO) Codeceira (FRE) Harkins (MIS) Morales (LAR) Hogan (REA) Karcz (NIR) Leopoldo (SFV) Schomaker (TAC) Christensen, F, (OGD); Boggs, F, (BRD); A. Williams, M, (KCB)
All- Conference Teams
Central Conference F: Tommy Heinemann (SLL), Brandon Swartzendruber (TBC), Kenny Uzoigwe (MIC), M: Nate Jafta (MIC)*, Michael Nanchoff (CLE), Joseph Salem (DMM) D: Terry Alvino (KAL), Mike Holody (MIC)*, David Mueller (SLL), Robert Younger (CFP) G: Steve Clark (MIC) Honorable Mention: Daniel Revivo, F, TOR; Jimmy Cummings, MF, CIN; Sterling Flunder, D, WVC; Nicholas Cardenas, D, COL; Mamba Chisoni, M, IND; Bonivenger Misiko, D, FWF; Ryan Emerson, D, WME
Eastern Conference F: Jerrod Laventure (NIE), Jim Taranto (REA), Michael Todd (LIR), M: Will Beauge (OTT)*, Adam Gazda (REA)*, Michael Konicoff (WES), Jeff Matteo (BRO) D: Henry Kalungi (FRD), Graham Munro (CCC), Joseph Ruesgen (NIE), G: Tomer Chencinski (NIE) Honorable Mention: Andrew Techanchuk, G, HRP; Nathan Belcher, F, VIR; Alex Horwath, G, NVR; Andrew Dykstra, G, RKF; Matt Stedman, F, VER; Tim Murray, G, NHP; Tim Ridder, F, RIS; Adam Sternberger, M, OCB; Pat Brown, M, NJR; Southern Conference F: Carlos Araujo (CFK)*, Zak Boggs (BRA), Felix Garcia (LAR)* M: Leonardo Barros (BRC), Juan Ibarra (LAR), Ryan Roushandel (ATL) D: Darrius Barnes (CAR)*, Travis Bender (CFK), Dwyane Demmin (MIS), Norberto Papandrea (AUS)* G: Miguel Gallardo (AUS)* Honorable Mention: Sebastian Narvaez, G, ELP; Bruno Guarda, M, DFW; Brandon Chagnard, M, NOS; Fernando Benitez, D, HOU; Matt Watts, M, PCP; Sheanon Williams, D, CAR; Ryan McDonald, D, NAS; Collin Nicholas, M, PBP;
Western Conference F: Pablo Campos (FRE), Randy Edwini-Bonsu (VAN), Junior Garcia (YAK)* M: Junior Burgos (SFS), Taylor Canel (SFV), Fabricio Codeceira (FRE)*, Gagan Dosanjh (VAN) D: Doug Carr (SFS), Juan Viveros (YAK), Mark Lee (TAC), G: Frank Logan (SPK) Honorable Mention: Richie Bindrup, D, BYU; Michael Chesler, G, OGD; James Giebelhaus, D, ABB; Arron Patrick, M, CAS; Nick Barclay, D, SPK; Kyle Kaveny, D, SJF; Davis Paul, M, LAL; Eric Franco, D, BAK; Kyle Schmid, D, OCBS; Cristian Rus, F, SCS; Mauricio Harrie, M, LAN; * denotes All-League selection All-League team F: Carlos Araujo (Central Florida Kraze); Felix Garcia (Laredo Heat) (U19 Player of the Year); Junior Garcia (Yakima Reds) (league MVP) M: Will Beaugé (Ottawa Fury); Fabricio Codeceira (Fresno Fuego); Adam Gazda (Reading Rage); Nate Jafta (Michigan Bucks) D: Darrius Barnes (Cary RailHawks U23's); Mike Holody (Michigan Bucks); Norberto Papandrea (Austin Aztex U23) (Defender of the Year) G: Miguel Gallardo (Austin Aztex U23) (Goalkeeper of the Year) Coach: Wolfgang Suhnholz (Austin Aztex U23)
See also United Soccer Leagues 2008
References