Minnesota Lightning
Encyclopedia
Minnesota Lightning was an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2006. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues
W-League
, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Midwest Division of the Central Conference. The team folded after the 2009 season.
The team played its home games at the National Sports Center
in the city of Blaine, Minnesota
, 18 miles north of downtown Minneapolis
. The team's colors was navy blue and pale blue.
The team was a sister organization of the men's Minnesota Thunder
team, which plays in the USL Premier Development League
. The Minnesota Thunder was suspended from the USL PDL after they left the USL for the new North American Soccer League
.
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
W-League
W-League
The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Midwest Division of the Central Conference. The team folded after the 2009 season.
The team played its home games at the National Sports Center
National Sports Center
The National Sports Center is a 600-acre multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, that includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink, which is...
in the city of Blaine, Minnesota
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
, 18 miles north of downtown Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The team's colors was navy blue and pale blue.
The team was a sister organization of the men's Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its home games at the National Sports Center in nearby...
team, which plays in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
. The Minnesota Thunder was suspended from the USL PDL after they left the USL for the new North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League (2010)
The North American Soccer League is a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began league play on April 9, 2011. It has been provisionally sanctioned as the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer in the...
.
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | USL W-League | 2nd, Midwest | Conference Semifinals |
| 2007 | 1 | USL W-League | 1st, Midwest | Conference Finals |
| 2008 | 1 | USL W-League | 3rd, Midwest | Did not qualify |
| 2009 | 2 | USL W-League | 3rd, Midwest | Did not qualify |