The 1997 Premier Development Soccer League season was its 3rd. The season began in April 1997 and ended in August 1997.

Premier Development Soccer League
Season1997
1996
1998

Central Coast Roadrunners successfully defended the championship, defeating the Cocoa Expos 3-2. Spokane Shadow won the regular season title, winning 14 games to 2 losses.

Changes from 1996 season

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Name changes

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New teams

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6 teams were added for the season.

Team Area Location Previous affiliation
  Alabama Saints Birmingham area Birmingham, AL expansion
  Cascade Surge Willamette Valley Area Salem, OR from USISL Pro League
  Cincinnati Riverhawks Greater Cincinnati area Cincinnati, OH expansion
  San Gabriel Valley Highlanders Greater Los Angeles area Glendale, CA expansion
  Southwest Florida Manatees Southwest Florida area Cape Coral, FL expansion
  Yakima Reds Yakima area Yakima, WA from USISL Pro League

Teams Leaving

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The Nashville Metros were promoted to the A League. The Arizona Sahuaros (formerly the Arizona Phoenix), Austin Lone Stars, Fort Lauderdale Strikers (formerly Florida Strikers), and San Francisco Bay Seals were promoted to the D-3 Pro League.

6 teams folded after the 1996 season:

The Wichita Blue went on hiatus for this year, and the Willamette Valley Firebirds went on hiatus for the next two years.

Standings

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Central Conference

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Central Division

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Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Lincoln Brigade 16 10 2 0 4 34 23 +11 32[a] Division champion
2 Omaha Flames 16 7 0 1 8 42 29 +13 21 Qualified for playoff berth
3 Sioux City Breeze 16 8 0 0 8 26 38 −12 24
4 Des Moines Menace 16 6 1 0 9 29 27 +2 19[b]
5 Colorado Springs Stampede 16 6 0 1 9 23 33 −10 18
6 Twin Cities Tornado 16 3 2 1 10 29 39 −10 11[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Lincoln and Twin Cities were both penalized 6 points.
  2. ^ Des Moines was penalized 3 points.

North Central Division

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Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Mid-Michigan Bucks 16 12 0 1 3 41 24 +17 36 Division champion
2 Detroit Dynamite 16 9 1 2 4 41 20 +21 28[a] Qualified for playoff berth
3 Kalamazoo Kingdom 16 8 2 1 5 32 25 +7 26[b]
4 Grand Rapids Explosion 16 7 1 1 7 35 27 +8 22[a]
5 Michigan Madness 16 0 1 0 15 11 66 −55 1[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Michigan were all penalized 3 points.
  2. ^ Kalamazoo was penalized 6 points.

Eastern Conference

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Mid-South Division

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Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Cincinnati Riverhawks 15 10 0 0 5 48 28 +20 30[a] Division champion
2 Jackson Chargers 16 9 1 0 6 50 25 +25 28[b] Qualified for playoff berth
3 Lexington Bluegrass Bandits 16 8 2 3 3 45 22 +23 26[c]
4 Alabama Saints 16 5 0 1 10 31 34 −3 15
5 Chattanooga Express 16 4 1 0 11 18 54 −36 13[b]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ Game between Cincinnati and Tucson was unable to be rescheduled before season's end, games was cancelled because it had no impact on playoffs.
  2. ^ a b Chattanooga and Jackson were both penalized 3 points.
  3. ^ Lexington was penalized 6 points.

Southeast Division

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Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Cocoa Expos 16 11 1 2 2 46 23 +23 34[a] Division champion
2 South Florida Future 16 10 1 0 5 42 22 +20 31[a] Qualified for playoff berth
3 West Florida Fury 16 8 2 1 5 32 23 +9 26[b]
4 Miami Breakers 16 8 0 1 7 41 24 +17 24
5 Southwest Florida Manatees 16 0 0 0 16 9 74 −65 0
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Cocoa and South Florida were both penalized 3 points.
  2. ^ West Florida was penalized 6 points.

Western Conference

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Northwest Division

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Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Spokane Shadow 16 14 0 0 2 37 16 +21 42 Division champion
2 Yakima Reds 16 7 0 1 8 31 31 0 21 Qualified for playoff berth
3 Cascade Surge 16 6 2 1 7 28 23 +5 23[a]
4 Bellingham Orcas 16 6 0 1 9 26 40 −14 18
5 Puget Sound BigFoot 16 4 1 0 11 27 39 −12 13[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Cascade and Puget Sound were both penalized 3 points.

Southwest Division

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Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 San Gabriel Valley Highlanders 16 12 0 0 4 43 20 +23 36 Division champion
2 Central Coast Roadrunners 16 10 1 2 3 34 17 +17 34 Bye into semifinals as defending champion
3 Tucson Amigos 15 5 1 0 9 18 41 −23 16[a][b] Qualified for playoff berth
4 Southern California Chivas 16 3 1 0 12 16 32 −16 10[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Southern California and Tucson were both penalized 3 points
  2. ^ Game between Cincinnati and Tucson was unable to be rescheduled before season's end, games was cancelled because it had no impact on playoffs.

Playoffs

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Format

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Central Coast received a bye to the PDL Semifinals as the defending champion.
The top four teams from every division except the Southwest earn playoff spots. With Central Coast already receiving a bye, the top two teams from the Southwest Division will play each other, however if Central Coast is in the top two, then the third place team receives a playoff spot. The Division winners would then face each other in the Conference finals.

Divisional brackets

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Division Semifinals Division Finals Central Finals
         
NC1   Mid-Michigan Bucks 4
NC4   Grand Rapids Explosion 3
NC1   Mid-Michigan Bucks (AET/PSO) 0 (1)
North Central Division
NC3   Kalamazoo Kingdom 0 (0)
NC2   Detroit Dynamite 0
NC3   Kalamazoo Kingdom (AET) 1
NC1   Mid-Michigan Bucks 3
C4   Des Moines Menace 0
C1   Lincoln Brigade 0
C4   Des Moines Menace 4
C4   Des Moines Menace 6
Central Division
C2   Omaha Flames 0
C2   Omaha Flames 5
C3   Sioux City Breeze 3
Central Conference Division Semifinals
Semifinals
Des Moines Menace4–0Lincoln Brigade
Report
Phelps Field
Omaha, Nebraska
Semifinals
Grand Rapids Explosion3–4Mid-Michigan Bucks
Semifinals
Kalamazoo Kingdom1–0 (OT)Detroit Dynamite
Report
Ed Annen Complex
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Attendance: 1,205
Semifinals
Omaha Flames5–3Sioux City Breeze
Report 1 Report 2
Phelps Field
Omaha, Nebraska
Attendance: 983

Central Division Finals
Central Division Final
Omaha Flames0–6Des Moines Menace
Report
Phelps Field
Omaha, Nebraska
Attendance: 845
North Central Final
Mid-Michigan Bucks0–0 (a.e.t.)Kalamazoo Kingdom
Penalties
4–3
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Central Conference Final
Mid-Michigan Bucks3–0Des Moines Menace
Report
Division Semifinals Division Finals Eastern Finals
         
SE1   Cocoa Expos 5
SE4   Miami Breakers 2
SE1   Cocoa Expos 3
Southeast Division
SE3   West Florida Fury 1
SE2   South Florida Future 0
SE3   West Florida Fury 4
SE1   Cocoa Expos 2
MS2   Jackson Chargers 1
MS1   Cincinnati Riverhawks 7
MS4   Alabama Saints 4
MS1   Cincinnati Riverhawks 0
Mid-South Division
MS2   Jackson Chargers 3
MS2   Jackson Chargers (AET) 1
MS3   Lexington Bluegrass Bandits 0
Eastern Conference Division Semifinals
Semifinals
South Florida Future0–4West Florida Fury
Semifinals
Cincinnati Riverhawks7–4Alabama Saints
Report
The Sports Club
Jackson, Mississippi
Semifinals
Jackson Chargers1–0 (OT) (a.e.t.)Lexington Bluegrass Bandits
The Sports Club
Jackson, Mississippi

Eastern Conference Division Finals
Southeast Division Final
Cocoa Expos3–1West Florida Fury
Report
Mid-South Division Final
Jackson Chargers3–0Cincinnati Riverhawks
Report
The Sports Club
Jackson, Mississippi
Attendance: 1,200

Eastern Conference Conference Final
Cocoa Expos2–1Jackson Chargers
Report
Division Semifinals Division Finals Western Finals
         
NW1   Spokane Shadow (AET/PSO) 4 (1)
NW4   Bellingham Orcas 4 (0)
NW1   Spokane Shadow 2
Northwest Division
NW2   Yakima Reds 0
NW2   Yakima Reds 1
NW3   Cascade Surge 0
NW1   Spokane Shadow 0
SW1   San Gabriel Valley Highlanders 1
SW1   San Gabriel Valley Highlanders bye
 
SW1   San Gabriel Valley Highlanders 2
Southwest Division
SW2   Tucson Amigos 1
SW2   Tucson Amigos bye
 
Western Conference Division Semifinals
Semifinals
Spokane Shadow4–4 (a.e.t.)Bellingham Orcas
Report
Penalties
1–0

Western Conference Division Finals
Northwest Division Final
Spokane Shadow2–0Yakima Reds
Report 1 Report 2
Southwest Division Final
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders2–1Tucson Amigos

Western Conference Final
Spokane Shadow0–1San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
Report

PDSL Finals Brackets

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PDSL Semifinals PDSL Finals
      
NC1   Mid-Michigan Bucks 0
H   Central Coast Roadrunners 2
H   Central Coast Roadrunners 2
SE1   Cocoa Expos 1
SW1   San Gabriel Valley Highlanders 0 (0)
SE1   Cocoa Expos (AET/PSO) 0 (1) PDSL Third Place
NC1   Mid-Michigan Bucks 2
SW1   San Gabriel Valley Highlanders 3

[1]

PDSL National Semifinals
Semifinals
Cocoa Expos0–0San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
Penalties
3–1
Semifinals
Central Coast Roadrunners2–0Mid-Michigan Bucks
Report

PDSL National Championship Game
Central Coast Roadrunners2–1Cocoa Expos
Report

Honors

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References

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