2003 PDL season
Football league season
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The 2003 USL Premier Development League season was the 9th PDL season. The season began in April 2003 and ended in August 2003.
| Season | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Cape Cod Crusaders (2nd Title) |
| Regular Season Champions | New Orleans Shell Shockers (1st Title) |
| Matches | 436 |
| Goals | 1,701 (3.9 per match) |
| Best Player |  Tomas Baltner Des Moines Menace |
| Top goalscorer |  Joseph Ngwenya Cape Cod Crusaders, Bo Vuckovic Vermont Voltage (17 Goals Each) |
| Best goalkeeper |  John O'Hara Richmond Kickers Future |
← 2002 2004 → | |
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
| Legend |
|---|
| Division champion |
| Team qualified for playoff berth |
Central Conference
Great Lakes Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mid-Michigan Bucks | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 16 | +24 | 43 |
| 2 | Indiana Invaders | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 31 | 19 | +12 | 35 |
| 3 | Fort Wayne Fever | 18 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 32 | 30 | +2 | 29 |
| 4 | Kalamazoo Kingdom | 18 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 29 | 39 | −10 | 21 |
| 5 | Toledo Slayers | 18 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 22 | 45 | −23 | 9 |
| 6 | Columbus Shooting Stars | 18 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 28 | 43 | −15 | 8 |
Heartland Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Fire Reserves | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 60 | 17 | +43 | 46 |
| 2 | Des Moines Menace | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 48 | 23 | +25 | 37 |
| 3 | Thunder Bay Chill | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 31 |
| 4 | Boulder Rapids Reserve | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 31 |
| 5 | Kansas City Brass | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 35 | 48 | −13 | 21 |
| 6 | St. Louis Strikers | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 21 |
| 7 | Sioux Falls Spitfire | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 18 |
| 8 | Wisconsin Rebels | 18 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 11 | 71 | −60 | 1 |
Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond Kickers Future | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 41 | 12 | +29 | 43 |
| 2 | Williamsburg Legacy | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 35 | 22 | +13 | 32 |
| 3 | Raleigh CASL Elite | 18 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 26 |
| 4 | Chesapeake Dragons | 18 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 32 | −13 | 22 |
| 5 | West Virginia Chaos | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 54 | −36 | 10 |
| 6 | Greenville Lions | 18 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 23 | 41 | −18 | 8[a] |
- 3 points deducted
Northeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont Voltage | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 21 | +16 | 39 |
| 2 | Cape Cod Crusaders | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 64 | 30 | +34 | 38 |
| 3 | Brooklyn Knights | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 46 | 26 | +20 | 36 |
| 4 | South Jersey Barons | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 62 | 31 | +31 | 34 |
| 5 | Rhode Island Stingrays | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 45 | 28 | +17 | 34 |
| 6 | Albany Blackwatch Highlanders | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 36 | 43 | −7 | 19 |
| 7 | Jersey Shore Boca * | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 23 | 44 | −21 | 12 |
| 8 | Jersey Falcons | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 31 | 85 | −54 | 10 |
| 9 | Worcester Kings | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 21 | 62 | −41 | −3[a] |
- 6 points deducted
Southern Conference
Mid South Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans Shell Shockers (R) | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 18 | +35 | 48 |
| 2 | Memphis Express | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 48 | 25 | +23 | 35 |
| 3 | Nashville Metros | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 21 | +20 | 33 |
| 4 | Texas Spurs | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 44 | 28 | +16 | 31 |
| 5 | Austin Lightning | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 31 | 42 | −11 | 28 |
| 6 | Houston Toros | 18 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 21 | 60 | −39 | 11 |
| 7 | Louisiana Outlaws | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 23 | 46 | −23 | 10 |
Southeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cocoa Expos | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 36 | 27 | +9 | 27 |
| 2 | Central Florida Kraze | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 26 | +12 | 23 |
| 3 | Bradenton Academics | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 21 |
| 4 | Palm Beach Pumas | 14 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 23 | 55 | −32 | 6[a] |
- 1 point deducted
Western Conference
Northwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane Shadow | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 14 | +24 | 44 |
| 2 | Cascade Surge | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 27 | +5 | 35 |
| 3 | Yakima Reds | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 30 | 26 | +4 | 28 |
| 4 | Abbotsford Rangers * | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 21 | 33 | −12 | 12 |
| 5 | Calgary Storm Prospects * | 15 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 31 | −17 | 7 |
Southwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresno Fuego | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 23 | +27 | 42 |
| 2 | Orange County Blue Star | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 29 | +23 | 42 |
| 3 | Southern California Seahorses | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 32 |
| 4 | BYU Cougars | 18 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 21 | 52 | −31 | 7 |
| 5 | Nevada Wonders | 18 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 51 | −38 | 5 |
Playoffs
| Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | National Semifinals | PDL Championship Game | ||||||||||||||||
| MA1 |  Richmond Kickers Future
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 |  Cape Cod Crusaders
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 | Cape Cod Crusaders
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| NE1 |  Vermont Voltage
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE1 | Vermont Voltage
| 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| MA2 | Williamsburg Legacy
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 | Cape Cod Crusaders
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS2 |  Memphis Express
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS1 | New Orleans Shell Shockers
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| SE2 |  Central Florida Kraze
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS1 | New Orleans Shell Shockers
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Southern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| MS2 | Memphis Express
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| SE1 | Cocoa Expos
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS2 | Memphis Express
| 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 | Cape Cod Crusaders
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 |  Chicago Fire Reserves
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 | Chicago Fire Reserves
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| GL2 | Indiana Invaders
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 | Chicago Fire Reserves
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Central Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| GL1 |  Mid-Michigan Bucks
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| GL1 | Mid-Michigan Bucks
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL2 |  Des Moines Menace
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 | Chicago Fire Reserves
| 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW2 | Orange County Blue Star
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW1 | Fresno Fuego
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| NW1 |  Spokane Shadow
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW1 | Fresno Fuego
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| SW2 | Orange County Blue Star
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW2 | Orange County Blue Star
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| NW2 |  Cascade Surge
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Conference semifinals
| Chicago Fire Reserves | 8–0 | Indiana Invaders |
|---|---|---|
|
Report 1 Report 2 |
Berkley, Michigan
| Richmond Kickers Future | 0–4 | Cape Cod Crusaders |
|---|---|---|
| Report 1 Report 2 |
|
St. Albans, Vermont
| Memphis Express | 5–2 | Cocoa Expos |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Vermont Voltage | 5–2 | Williamsburg Legacy |
|---|---|---|
|
Report 1 |
|
St. Albans, Vermont
| Mid-Michigan Bucks | 1–0 | Des Moines Menace |
|---|---|---|
|
Report 1Report 2 |
Berkley, Michigan
| New Orleans Shell Shockers | 4–1 | Central Florida Kraze |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Orange County Blue Star | 2–1 | Cascade Surge |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Spokane Shadow | 0–1 | Fresno Fuego |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Conference Finals
| New Orleans Shell Shockers | 0–2 | Memphis Express |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Mid-Michigan Bucks | 0–2 | Chicago Fire Reserves |
|---|---|---|
| Report 1Report 2 |
|
Berkley, Michigan
| Vermont Voltage | 2–4 | Cape Cod Crusaders |
|---|---|---|
|
Report 1 Report 2 |
|
St. Albans, Vermont
National Semifinals
| Cape Cod Crusaders | 4–0 | Memphis Express |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
| Chicago Fire Reserves | 3–1 | Orange County Blue Star |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
PDL Championship Game
Awards
Year End Awards
Scoring Champion:
Bojan Vučković (Vermont Voltage) 39 Points (17 Goals, 5 Assists) [3]
Golden Boot: Bojan Vučković (Vermont Voltage) Joseph Ngwenya (Cape Cod Crusaders) (17 Goals Each)[3]
Assists Champion: Tomas Boltnar (Des Moines Menace) Joseph Kabwe (Des Moines Menace)
Ben Buerger (Nashville Metros) (10 Assists Each)[3]
GAA Champion: John O'Hara (Richmond Kickers Future) 0.57 Goals Against [3]
MVP: Tomas Boltnar (Des Moines Menace)[4]
Rookie of the Year: Eric Vasquez (Central Florida Kraze) [5]
Defender of the Year:
Jose Luis Delgadillo (Fresno Fuego) [5]
Goalkeeper of the Year: John O'Hara (Richmond Kickers Future)[3]
Coach of the Year: Kenny Farrell (New Orleans Shell Shockers) [5]
Weekly awards
| Player of the Week | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Player | Club | Position | Reason | Ref. |
| 3 |  Indalecio "Zico" Antunes-Silva |
Rhode Island Stingrays | Forward | Hat Trick at South Jersey Barons | [6] |
| 4 | David Bulow |
Cape Cod Crusaders | Forward | 4 goals, 1 assist vs Jersey | [7] |
| 5 |  Doco Wesseh |
Thunder Bay Chill | Forward | 3 goals in pair of wins at Wisconsin Rebels | [8] |
| 6 | Kenny Uzoigwe |
Toledo Slayers | Forward | 4 goals in 5-3 win over West Michigan Edge | [9] |
| 7 | David Bulow |
Cape Cod Crusaders | Forward | 4 goals in two wins and draw | [10] |
| 8 | Haven Bruce |
Greenville Lions | Forward | 5 goals in 4-3 win and 3-2 loss | [11] |
| 9 | Matt Clark |
Texas Spurs | Midfielder | 5 goals, 1 assist in 6-1 win over Austin Lightning | [12] |
| 10 | Jake Ward |
Southern California Seahorses | Defender | Solid play in 2-1 win over Fresno Fuego | [13] |
| 11 | Doco Wesseh |
Thunder Bay Chill | Midfielder | 2 goals, 1 assist in 5-4 OT win at Sioux Falls Spitfire | [14] |
| 12 | Joseph Kabwe |
Des Moines Menace | Forward | 5 goals, 1 assist in 8-2 win over Kansas City Brass | [15] |
| 13 | Ben Buerger |
Nashville Metros | Midfielder | 1 Goal, 4 assists in wins over Memphis Express, St. Louis Strikers | [16] |
| 14 | Ricky Francis |
Indiana Invaders | Midfielder | 2 goals, 2 assists in wins over Columbus Shooting Stars, Toledo Slayers | [17] |
| Team of the Week | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Ref. | ||
| 3 | Mahoney (RIS) |
Sullivan (BRK) McGowan (JER) Ericson-Neilson (NOS) |
 Gula (JER) Poltl (OCBS) Gutierrez (FRE) Murray (NAS) |
Antunes (RIS) Ramirez (FRE) Garcia (IND) |
[18] | ||
| 4 |  Rowe (NEV) |
Branch (RAL) Anderson (SPK) Luya (KAL) |
Murray (NAS) Ryan (KCB) Suhm (YAK) Vučković (VER) |
Bulow (CCC) Perkins (KCB) McElligott (CHE) |
[19] | ||
| 5 | Pogue (TOL) |
Redhage (DMM) Parkhurst (BRA) Ncube (CCC) |
Mouw (CHI) Gula (JER) Evans (SCS) Curley (CAS) |
Thomas (WIL) Wesseh (TBC) Coiner (OCBS) |
[20] | ||
| 6 | Graham (BRA) |
Gorton (TBC) Photivihok (NAS) Newland (SFS) |
Camarena (CAS) Jones (DMM) Thelen (RIC) Petrarca (RIS) |
 Lopez (NOS) Uzoigwe (TOL) Mankowski (PBP) |
[21] | ||
| 7 | Dzubay (MMB) |
Tanner (CHI) Gibson (TXS) Mackey (CFK) |
Evans (SCS) Chevalier (ABH) Cameron (MMB) Sanchez (CAS) |
Bulow (CCC) Garrity (CAL) Atkinson (COE) |
[22] | ||
| 8 | Sanders (WME) |
Wagenfuhr (BRR) Buehler (RAL) Bryant (WME) |
Chisoni (COE) Wickart (CHI) Barber (COL) Garay (RIC) |
Bruce (GVL) Kuska (SPK) Hotchkin (SCS) |
[23] | ||
| 9 | Pickens (CHI) |
Lampert (BRR) Peetoom (ABB) Hare (RIC) Clark (TXS) |
Odwell (CHI) Sulkin (FWF) Vasquez (CFK) |
Smart (BRK) Bogdanov (SFS) Auckland (YAK) |
[24] | ||
| 10 | Leon (ABB) |
Ward (SCS) Shinaberger (FWF) Pearce (BRA) |
Camarena (CAS) DeVall (NAS) Dombrowski (CHI) Chevalier (ABH) |
Quattrocchi (STL) Omekanda (MMB) Bulow (CCC) |
[25] | ||
| 11 | O'Hara (RIC) |
Lawson (OCBS) Buck (FWF) Hinkle (WIL) |
 Brito (RIS) Wesseh (TBC) Porto (FWF) Skeels (WME) |
Hotchkin (SCS) Phillip (CFK) Smith (BRR) |
[26] | ||
| 12 |  Hiebert (NOS) |
Clanton (CHI) Kos (CAS) Neagu (RIC) Umana (WIL) |
Grabavoy (CHI) Vasquez (CFK) Vučković (VER) Francis (IND) |
Kabwe (DMM) Mabee (ABH) |
[27] | ||
| 13 | O'Hara (RIC) |
Fortes (RIS) Sullivan (BRK) Schwartz (FWF) |
Buerger (NAS) Fitzpatrick (COL) Ambrose (TXS) Harwatt (CHI) |
Wesseh (TBC) Cummings (SPK) Hotchkin (SCS) |
[28] | ||
| 14 | Wiese (MMB) |
 Ihekoronye (CAS) Brazeau (DMM) Uriarte (AUS) |
Francis (IND) Simic (VER) Cila (BRK) Pilarski (CCC) |
Antunes (RIS) Wakhisi (IND) Ngwenya (CCC) |
[29] | ||
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)[3]