Thunder Bay Chill
Encyclopedia
Thunder Bay Chill is a Canadian soccer team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario
, Canada
. Founded in 2000, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League
(PDL), the fourth tier of the American
and Canadian soccer pyramids
, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.
The team plays its home games at Fort William Stadium (also known as Chapples Park
), where they have played since 2003. The team's colours are white and blue.
and Boulder Rapids Reserve
.
The 2003 season actually started very promisingly for Chill, as they rattled off three back-to-back victories over Wisconsin Rebels
and Kalamazoo Kingdom
, thanks mainly to the goal scoring prowess of Liberia
n striker Doco Wesseh. Chill's problem was inconsistency - back-to-back wins would be followed by back-to-back defeats - and despite enjoying several impressive victories, including a 4-1 hammering of Wisconsin Rebels
, a hard-fought 5-4 win on the road at Sioux Falls Spitfire
, and a free-scoring 4-2 win over Des Moines Menace
in which Wesseh scored a hat trick, Chill could never quite close the gap on the league-leading Chicago Fire Premier
. Even a final day 1-0 home win over Des Moines was not enough, and the Chill finished the season a much closer 4th, six points off the playoffs. Wesseh and Ron Badanai were Chill's top scorers, with 17 goals between them, while Mike Kolinski contributed 5 assists.
Chill continued their improved run of form through 2004, but a lack of consistency remained their downfall. Chill seesawed their way to five wins and five defeats in their opening ten games of the campaign, taking nine points off the Indiana Invaders
and the Wisconsin Rebels
, but losing twice to Des Moines Menace
on the road in Iowa, who were quickly becoming their fiercest rivals. Weather conditions in Ontario forced Chill to play their seven of their first nine games on the road, contributing to their patchy form. The second half of the season, in which the majority of the games were played at Chapples Park
, generally turned more in Thunder Bay's favor: they overpowered Wisconsin Rebels
4-1, and sneaked a 5-4 victory over Des Moines off an injury-time winner from Doco Wesseh, but lost both of their two final regular season games at home to Chicago Fire Premier
. Chill finished fourth in the Heartland for a second straight year, seven points off the playoff positions. Doco Wesseh and Mike Kolinski were Chill's top scorers, with 6 goals each, while Wesseh also contributed 7 assists.
Thunder Bay finished fourth in the Heartland Division for the third straight year in 2005, albeit a full 21 points behind divisional champions Boulder Rapids Reserve
. Their relative geographical isolation forced them to play their games as 2-game series, on consecutive days, which seemed to hurt their form. After a promising start to the season in which they overpowered Sioux Falls Spitfire
3-1 and 4-1, Chill proceeded to lose five of their next six games on the road, including a trio of heavy defeats: 3-0 to Des Moines Menace
, 4-0 to Chicago Fire Premier
and 3-0 to Fort Wayne Fever
. Chill's form improved once they returned home to Chapples Park
, overturning Fort Wayne 5-1 off a hat trick by Josiah Seton
, registering a hard-fought 2-1 come-from-behind win over Des Moines, and emerging victorious from a bruising 5-3 encounter with Sioux Falls. Unfortunately for Chill, they staggered towards the finish line, losing two of their last three regular season games. Josiah Seton
was Thunder Bay's top scorer, with 12 goals, and Guilherme De Souza contributed 6 assists.
Things fell apart for Chill in 2006, who suffered one of their worst seasons since joining the PDL. The team won just two games all year, and finished a distant 7th in the Heartland Division, three points behind their closest rival, Colorado Springs Blizzard
, and a full 33 points behind divisional champions, Boulder Rapids Reserve
. Their two wins - 2-1 over Sioux Falls Spitfire
and an acrually rather impressive 5-1 on the road at Indiana Invaders
in which Guilherme De Souza scored a hat trick - were scant reward for head coach Tony Colistro's men. The entire rest of the season they were out-fought and out-muscled: they fell 2-0 and 4-1 to bitter rivals Des Moines Menace
in their opening fixtures, threw away a 2-goal lead to tie 2-2 with Indiana in early June, conceded a last minute goal to Des Moines in their 3-2 defeat in early July, and were hammered 4-0 by Chicago Fire Premier
on the last day of the season. De Souza was the top marksman of a team which had trouble scoring goals - he found the net just six times all year, while Marcelo Santos contributed three assists.
Whatever coach Colistro did during the 2006-07 offseason worked wonders, because Chill started the 2007 with a bang. They rattled off four wins in their first five games of the season, including a 3-1 opening day road victory over Sioux Falls Spitfire
, and a 3-0 win at home over Springfield Demize
. They key man for Chill was striker Brandon Swartzendruber
, who seemingly found the net at will. He got a pair of braces in Chill's 5-0 and 6-0 drubbings of Springfield in late June and mid-July, scored a hat trick in their hugely satisfying 4-0 thumping of Des Moines Menace
, and got another pair in Chill's 2-1 win over the Menace on the last day of the regular season. That final day victory also secured the Heartland Division title for Thunder Bay by three points over second place St. Louis Lions
, and confirmed their trip to the PDL post-season for the first time. Despite losing their Conference Semi-Final 3-1 to Chicago Fire Premier
, it was nevertheless testament to the longevity of the franchise and the hard work of head coach Colistro that success was finally coming their way. Swartzendruber was of course Chill's top scorer, with 16 goals, while Gustavo Oliveira contributed 15 assists.
If Thunder Bay thought 2007 was good, then 2008 was beyond their wildest dreams. The team lost just two games all season, and finished their regular season campaign top of Heartland Division for the second straight year, a full 13 points clear of their nearest rivals, Colorado Rapids U23's. Both their losses came against Des Moines Menace
, 3-1 on the second day of the season, and 5-1 on the road at the end of a long trek to Missouri and Iowa in which Chill played six games in eight days. In almost every other game, however, Chill simply outclassed their opponents, with striker Brandon Swartzendruber
leading the way once more. They registered a number of impressive victories: 5-0 over Kansas City Brass
, 3-0 over St. Louis Lions
and Springfield Demize
, and a superb 4-game home stand at the end of the season in which they 14 goals, including a 5-1 hammering of Springfield Demize
in the penultimate regular season game. Chill headed to the post-season ranked second in the country, and dispatched the Colorado Rapids U23's 3-1 in the divisional playoff round before making the trip to Pontiac, Michigan
for the Central Connference tournament. They overcame Cleveland Internationals
2-0 in the semi final despite playing the entire second half with nine men, and hammered surprise finalists Kalamazoo Outrage
4-0 to take the Central Conference title. Western Conference champions Vancouver Whitecaps Residency
travelled to Chapples Park
for an all-Canadian national semi-final; Alvaro Zendejas scored a 90th minute winner in front of 1,546 fans to send Thunder Bay to the PDL Championship game for the first time. Defending champions Laredo Heat
awaited them in the televised final; Thunder Bay had Scott Milroth sent off in the second half, but managed to hold Heat to a 1-1 tie thanks to Gustavo Oliveira's goal, and won the resulting penalty shoot-put thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Stephen Paterson. Swartzendruber and Jeremy Gold were Chill's top scorers, with 22 goals between the for the season.
Sola Abolaji
Olawale Adelusimi
Shaun Francis
Kosuke Kimura
Josiah Seton
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario, and the second most populous in Northern Ontario after Greater Sudbury...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Founded in 2000, the team 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...
(PDL), the fourth tier of the American
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
and Canadian soccer pyramids
Canadian soccer pyramid
The Canadian soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in Canada. The governing body of soccer in the country is the Canadian Soccer Association , which oversees the system and domestic cups but does not operate any of its component leagues...
, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.
The team plays its home games at Fort William Stadium (also known as Chapples Park
Chapples Park
Fort William Stadium is a soccer, football, and track and field stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is also known as Chapples Park and is part of the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of 3,500, and is used primarily by the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier...
), where they have played since 2003. The team's colours are white and blue.
History
Thunder Bay Chill joined the PDL in 2000 as the first ever soccer franchise from western Ontario. Their initial forays into competitive action were not hugely successful: they finished last in the Heartland Division in their debut season with a 4-13-1 record, improved to 6-13-1 in 2001 but still finished fourth of five in the Heartland, and repeated to 5-12-1 in 2002, finishing sixth of eight and still some way off the playoff standard set by regional rivals such as Des Moines MenaceDes Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...
and Boulder Rapids Reserve
Boulder Rapids Reserve
Colorado Rapids U23's was an American soccer team based in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 2000 as part of the development system for the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...
.
The 2003 season actually started very promisingly for Chill, as they rattled off three back-to-back victories over Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels were an American soccer team, founded in 1998, originally as the Fox River Rebels. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was...
and Kalamazoo Kingdom
Kalamazoo Kingdom
Kalamazoo Kingdom were an American soccer team, founded in 1996. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Kingdom folded their...
, thanks mainly to the goal scoring prowess of Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n striker Doco Wesseh. Chill's problem was inconsistency - back-to-back wins would be followed by back-to-back defeats - and despite enjoying several impressive victories, including a 4-1 hammering of Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels were an American soccer team, founded in 1998, originally as the Fox River Rebels. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was...
, a hard-fought 5-4 win on the road at Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire was an American soccer team, founded in 2001. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The team played its home...
, and a free-scoring 4-2 win over Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...
in which Wesseh scored a hat trick, Chill could never quite close the gap on the league-leading Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
. Even a final day 1-0 home win over Des Moines was not enough, and the Chill finished the season a much closer 4th, six points off the playoffs. Wesseh and Ron Badanai were Chill's top scorers, with 17 goals between them, while Mike Kolinski contributed 5 assists.
Chill continued their improved run of form through 2004, but a lack of consistency remained their downfall. Chill seesawed their way to five wins and five defeats in their opening ten games of the campaign, taking nine points off the Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders is an American soccer team based in South Bend, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
and the Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels were an American soccer team, founded in 1998, originally as the Fox River Rebels. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was...
, but losing twice to Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...
on the road in Iowa, who were quickly becoming their fiercest rivals. Weather conditions in Ontario forced Chill to play their seven of their first nine games on the road, contributing to their patchy form. The second half of the season, in which the majority of the games were played at Chapples Park
Chapples Park
Fort William Stadium is a soccer, football, and track and field stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is also known as Chapples Park and is part of the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of 3,500, and is used primarily by the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier...
, generally turned more in Thunder Bay's favor: they overpowered Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels were an American soccer team, founded in 1998, originally as the Fox River Rebels. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was...
4-1, and sneaked a 5-4 victory over Des Moines off an injury-time winner from Doco Wesseh, but lost both of their two final regular season games at home to Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
. Chill finished fourth in the Heartland for a second straight year, seven points off the playoff positions. Doco Wesseh and Mike Kolinski were Chill's top scorers, with 6 goals each, while Wesseh also contributed 7 assists.
Thunder Bay finished fourth in the Heartland Division for the third straight year in 2005, albeit a full 21 points behind divisional champions Boulder Rapids Reserve
Boulder Rapids Reserve
Colorado Rapids U23's was an American soccer team based in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 2000 as part of the development system for the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...
. Their relative geographical isolation forced them to play their games as 2-game series, on consecutive days, which seemed to hurt their form. After a promising start to the season in which they overpowered Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire was an American soccer team, founded in 2001. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The team played its home...
3-1 and 4-1, Chill proceeded to lose five of their next six games on the road, including a trio of heavy defeats: 3-0 to Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...
, 4-0 to Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
and 3-0 to Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever was an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
. Chill's form improved once they returned home to Chapples Park
Chapples Park
Fort William Stadium is a soccer, football, and track and field stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is also known as Chapples Park and is part of the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of 3,500, and is used primarily by the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier...
, overturning Fort Wayne 5-1 off a hat trick by Josiah Seton
Josiah Seton
Josiah Seton is an Liberian footballer . He is a member of the Liberia national football team.Seton previously played for Sabah FA in Malaysia....
, registering a hard-fought 2-1 come-from-behind win over Des Moines, and emerging victorious from a bruising 5-3 encounter with Sioux Falls. Unfortunately for Chill, they staggered towards the finish line, losing two of their last three regular season games. Josiah Seton
Josiah Seton
Josiah Seton is an Liberian footballer . He is a member of the Liberia national football team.Seton previously played for Sabah FA in Malaysia....
was Thunder Bay's top scorer, with 12 goals, and Guilherme De Souza contributed 6 assists.
Things fell apart for Chill in 2006, who suffered one of their worst seasons since joining the PDL. The team won just two games all year, and finished a distant 7th in the Heartland Division, three points behind their closest rival, Colorado Springs Blizzard
Colorado Springs Blizzard
Colorado Springs Blizzard were an American soccer team, founded in 2004. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Blizzard played...
, and a full 33 points behind divisional champions, Boulder Rapids Reserve
Boulder Rapids Reserve
Colorado Rapids U23's was an American soccer team based in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 2000 as part of the development system for the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...
. Their two wins - 2-1 over Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire was an American soccer team, founded in 2001. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The team played its home...
and an acrually rather impressive 5-1 on the road at Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders is an American soccer team based in South Bend, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
in which Guilherme De Souza scored a hat trick - were scant reward for head coach Tony Colistro's men. The entire rest of the season they were out-fought and out-muscled: they fell 2-0 and 4-1 to bitter rivals Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...
in their opening fixtures, threw away a 2-goal lead to tie 2-2 with Indiana in early June, conceded a last minute goal to Des Moines in their 3-2 defeat in early July, and were hammered 4-0 by Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
on the last day of the season. De Souza was the top marksman of a team which had trouble scoring goals - he found the net just six times all year, while Marcelo Santos contributed three assists.
Whatever coach Colistro did during the 2006-07 offseason worked wonders, because Chill started the 2007 with a bang. They rattled off four wins in their first five games of the season, including a 3-1 opening day road victory over Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire
Sioux Falls Spitfire was an American soccer team, founded in 2001. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The team played its home...
, and a 3-0 win at home over Springfield Demize
Springfield Demize
Springfield Demize is an American soccer team based in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
. They key man for Chill was striker Brandon Swartzendruber
Brandon Swartzendruber
Brandon Swarzendruber is an American soccer player who currently plays for Thunder Bay Chill in the USL Premier Development League.-College and Amateur:...
, who seemingly found the net at will. He got a pair of braces in Chill's 5-0 and 6-0 drubbings of Springfield in late June and mid-July, scored a hat trick in their hugely satisfying 4-0 thumping of Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...
, and got another pair in Chill's 2-1 win over the Menace on the last day of the regular season. That final day victory also secured the Heartland Division title for Thunder Bay by three points over second place St. Louis Lions
St. Louis Lions
St. Louis Lions is an American soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
, and confirmed their trip to the PDL post-season for the first time. Despite losing their Conference Semi-Final 3-1 to Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
, it was nevertheless testament to the longevity of the franchise and the hard work of head coach Colistro that success was finally coming their way. Swartzendruber was of course Chill's top scorer, with 16 goals, while Gustavo Oliveira contributed 15 assists.
If Thunder Bay thought 2007 was good, then 2008 was beyond their wildest dreams. The team lost just two games all season, and finished their regular season campaign top of Heartland Division for the second straight year, a full 13 points clear of their nearest rivals, Colorado Rapids U23's. Both their losses came against Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at Valley...
, 3-1 on the second day of the season, and 5-1 on the road at the end of a long trek to Missouri and Iowa in which Chill played six games in eight days. In almost every other game, however, Chill simply outclassed their opponents, with striker Brandon Swartzendruber
Brandon Swartzendruber
Brandon Swarzendruber is an American soccer player who currently plays for Thunder Bay Chill in the USL Premier Development League.-College and Amateur:...
leading the way once more. They registered a number of impressive victories: 5-0 over Kansas City Brass
Kansas City Brass
Kansas City Brass is an American soccer team based in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games on...
, 3-0 over St. Louis Lions
St. Louis Lions
St. Louis Lions is an American soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
and Springfield Demize
Springfield Demize
Springfield Demize is an American soccer team based in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
, and a superb 4-game home stand at the end of the season in which they 14 goals, including a 5-1 hammering of Springfield Demize
Springfield Demize
Springfield Demize is an American soccer team based in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
in the penultimate regular season game. Chill headed to the post-season ranked second in the country, and dispatched the Colorado Rapids U23's 3-1 in the divisional playoff round before making the trip to Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
for the Central Connference tournament. They overcame Cleveland Internationals
Cleveland Internationals
Cleveland Internationals was an American soccer team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2004, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference...
2-0 in the semi final despite playing the entire second half with nine men, and hammered surprise finalists Kalamazoo Outrage
Kalamazoo Outrage
Kalamazoo Outrage was an American soccer team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
4-0 to take the Central Conference title. Western Conference champions Vancouver Whitecaps Residency
Vancouver Whitecaps Residency
Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, formerly known as Whitecaps FC Reserves, is a Canadian soccer team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Although founded in 2005 as part of the development system for the Vancouver Whitecaps USL First Division franchise, beginning in 2011 they are part of the...
travelled to Chapples Park
Chapples Park
Fort William Stadium is a soccer, football, and track and field stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is also known as Chapples Park and is part of the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of 3,500, and is used primarily by the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier...
for an all-Canadian national semi-final; Alvaro Zendejas scored a 90th minute winner in front of 1,546 fans to send Thunder Bay to the PDL Championship game for the first time. Defending champions Laredo Heat
Laredo Heat
Laredo Heat is an American soccer team based in Laredo, Texas, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference....
awaited them in the televised final; Thunder Bay had Scott Milroth sent off in the second half, but managed to hold Heat to a 1-1 tie thanks to Gustavo Oliveira's goal, and won the resulting penalty shoot-put thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Stephen Paterson. Swartzendruber and Jeremy Gold were Chill's top scorers, with 22 goals between the for the season.
Current roster
As of June 10, 2011.Notable former players
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.Sola Abolaji
Sola Abolaji
Oluwanisola "Sola" Abolaji is an American soccer player of Nigerian heritage who currently plays for Lillehammer Fk in the 2 Division Norway.-College and Amateur:...
Olawale Adelusimi
Olawale Adelusimi
Olawale Adelusimi is a Nigerian soccer player who currently plays for Crystal Palace Baltimore in the USSF Second Division.-College and Amateur:Adelusimi came from his native Nigeria to the United States in 2002...
Shaun Francis
Shaun Francis
Shaun Francis is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
Kosuke Kimura
Kosuke Kimura
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.He is the only player in the league's history who was born in Japan, and was a starting defender for the Rapids in its run to the MLS Cup Championship in 2010.-College and amateur:Kimura's career in...
Josiah Seton
Josiah Seton
Josiah Seton is an Liberian footballer . He is a member of the Liberia national football team.Seton previously played for Sabah FA in Malaysia....
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Canada Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4 | USL PDL | 6th, Heartland | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2001 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Heartland | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2002 | 4 | USL PDL | 6th, Heartland | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2003 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Heartland | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2004 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Heartland | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2005 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Heartland | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2006 | 4 | USL PDL | 7th, Heartland | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2007 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Conference Semifinals | Did not participate |
| 2008 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Champions | N/A |
| 2009 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Heartland | Divisional Semifinals | N/A |
| 2010 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | National Final | N/A |
| 2011 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | National Semifinals | N/A |
Honours
- USL PDL Central Conference Champions 2011
- USL PDL Heartland Division Champions 2011
- USL PDL Central Conference Champions 2010
- USL PDL Heartland Division Champions 2010
- Victoria Challenge CupVictoria Challenge CupThe Victoria Challenge Cup is a pre-season competition between the 4 USL Premier Development League clubs from Ontario, Canada. The inaugural event took place on the Victoria Day weekend of May 15 to 17 2009 at the Algonquin Soccer Complex in Ottawa, Ontario....
Champions 2009 - USL PDL Champions 2008
- USL PDL Central Conference Champions 2008
- USL PDL Heartland Division Champions 2008
- USL PDL Heartland Division Champions 2007
Average attendance
Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html.- 2005: 551
- 2006: 1,046 (6th in PDL)
- 2007: 744 (9th in PDL)
- 2008: 567
- 2009: 548
- 2010: 794
- 2011: 599