2017 PDL season

Football league season

The 2017 USL Premier Development League season is the 23rd season of the PDL. The Michigan Bucks entered the season as the defending champions, but their title defense campaign ended with a loss in the Central Conference semi-finals. On August 5, 2017, the Charlotte Eagles won their first PDL championship by defeating the Thunder Bay Chill 2-1.

Changes from 2016

New Teams

Name Changes

• FC Miami City Champions became FC Miami City
• FC Sonic Lehigh Valley became Lehigh Valley United

Folded/left

• Baltimore Bohemians – Folded
• Floridians FC – Folded
• Kitsap Pumas – renamed Kitsap SC and moved to the National Premier Soccer League
• Kokomo Mantis FC – Folded its PDL team
• LA Laguna FC – Folded
• Laredo Heat – Folded its PDL team
• Las Vegas Mobsters – moved to the United Premier Soccer League
• Midland/Odessa Sockers – renamed Midland-Odessa FC and moved to the National Premier Soccer League
• Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23 – Folded
• SW Florida Adrenaline – Folded
• Southern West Virginia King's Warriors – Folded its PDL team

Standings

Tiebreakers

1. Head-to-head results
2. Goal differential
3. Goals scored

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Heartland Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Mid Atlantic Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

South Atlantic Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Southern Conference

Mid South Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Southeast Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Western Conference

Mountain Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Northwest Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(J) Juan de Fuca Plate

Southwest Division

Source: Premier Development League
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Playoffs

• After extra time

Divisional Qualification

Matches in the Divisional Qualification round were held on July 18. Two Eastern Conference play-in matches were played at Amesbury, MA (Seacoast United Phantoms) and Whippany, NJ (New York Red Bulls U-23). One Western Conference play-in match was played at Salem, OR (Portland Timbers U23s).

New York Red Bulls U-23 v Long Island Rough Riders

Seacoast United Phantoms v Reading United AC

Portland Timbers U23s v Calgary Foothills FC

Conference Championships

The PDL Conference Championships were held over the weekend of July 21–23. Matches were played at: Tucson, AZ (Western Conference, host FC Tucson); Statesboro, GA (Eastern Conference, host South Georgia Tormenta FC); Pontiac, MI (Central Conference, host Michigan Bucks); and Clinton, MS (Southern Conference, host Mississippi Brilla FC). The four conference champions advanced to the PDL semifinals.

Eastern Conference

Myrtle Beach Mutiny v Long Island Rough Riders

Charlotte Eagles v Seacoast United Phantoms

Charlotte Eagles v Long Island Rough Riders

Southern Conference

OKC Energy U23 v FC Miami City

Mississippi Brilla FC v SIMA Aguilas

Mississippi Brilla FC v FC Miami City

Central Conference

Thunder Bay Chill v K-W United FC

Michigan Bucks v Des Moines Menace

Thunder Bay Chill v Des Moines Menace

Western Conference

FC Golden State Force v Portland Timbers U23s

FC Tucson v Fresno Fuego

FC Golden State Force v Fresno Fuego

PDL Championship

The PDL semifinals were held on July 29, with matches played at Charlotte, NC (Charlotte Eagles) and Thunder Bay, ON (Thunder Bay Chill). The PDL Championship Game was held on August 5 in Matthews, NC (Charlotte Eagles).

Semi-finals

Charlotte Eagles v Mississippi Brilla FC

Thunder Bay Chill v FC Golden State Force

Championship Game

Charlotte Eagles v Thunder Bay Chill

Awards

• Most Valuable Player: Brian White (NYR)
• Golden Boot: Brian White (NYR)
• Young (U21) Player of the Year: Aaron Molloy (REA)
• Coach of the Year: Robert Elliott (NYR)
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Ben Lundgaard (NYR)
• Defender of the Year: Mitch Osmond (TBC)
• Creative Player of the Year: Harry Pearse (JER)

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All-League and All-Conference Teams

^{[13][14][15][16][17]}

Eastern Conference

F: Tobenna Uzo (MYB) *, Brian White (NYR) *, Joao Costa (CHE)
M: Ricardo Gomez (MYB) *, Aaron Molloy (REA) *, Martim Galvão (NAS)
D: Douglas Oliveira (CHE), Alex Nelson (MYB), Kevin Politz (NYR), Daniel Kozma (OCN)
G: Ben Lundgaard (NYR) *

Central Conference

F: Ryan Sierakowski (CHI), Samuel Gainford (STL), Francis Atuahene (MIB)
M: Abraham Villon (TBC), Amass Amankona (DDL), Chris Mueller (CHI)
D: Mitch Osmond (TBC) *, Nick Walker (MIB) *, Lucas Stauffer (DMM), Brandon Fricke (DMM)
G: Michael Yantz (DDL)

Western Conference

F: Mark Verso (GSF) *, Ryosuke Kinoshita (FCB), Jose Cuevas (FRE)
M: Moshe Perez (TUC) *, Christo Michaelson (POR), Jose Carrera-Garcia (GSF)
D: Sergi Nus (FRE) *, Scott DeVoss (COL) *, Sho Goto (VIC), Wouter Verstraaten (POR)
G: Jordan Farr (POR)

Southern Conference

F: Mohamed Kourouma (MIA), Ricardo Diegues (LAK), Julio Moncada (OKC)
M: Kevin Varela (TBR), Willian Hopfner (VIL), Angelo Kelly-Rosales (MIS)
D: Kevin Coiffic (MIA), Jonathan Parpeix (MIA), Gabriel Torres (VIL), Thomas Vancaeyezeele (MIS)
G: Eric Dick (OKC)

* denotes All-League player

References

1. Staff, PDL (February 10, 2017). "Cleburne to become a two sport town!". cleburnetimesreview.com.
2. Staff, PDL (January 23, 2017). "PDL Awards FC Boulder Franchise Ahead of 2017 Season". USLPDL.com.
3. "Brazos Valley Franchise Unveils Name, Logo". USLPDL.com. February 17, 2017.
4. "Houston FC Named New PDL Franchise". United Soccer League (USL). February 3, 2017.
5. "PDL Reveals Lakeland Tropics as Expansion Franchise". Premier Development League. September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
6. Staff, PDL (September 20, 2016). "PDL Introduces Nashville SC U23".
7. "Montverde Academy Awarded PDL Franchise". USL League Two. January 26, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
8. "North County Battalion, San Diego Surf Establish New PDL Franchise". USL League Two. November 28, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
9. Communications, Rowdies (February 2, 2017). "Rowdies U23 to Compete in USL's Premier Development League".
10. "Tobacco Road FC Revealed as PDL Expansion Franchise". Premier Development League. November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
11. "Wilmington Hammerheads FC Awarded PDL Franchise". Premier Development League. September 29, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
12. "The Charlotte Eagles did not disappoint on Saturday night, advancing to the PDL Final". medium.com/soccer-n-sweet-tea. July 31, 2017.
13. "2017 2017 PDL All-League Awards Revealed". Premier Development League (PDL). August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
14. "2017 PDL All-Eastern Conference Team". Premier Development League (PDL). July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
15. "2017 PDL All-Central Conference Team". Premier Development League (PDL). July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
16. "2017 PDL All-Western Conference Team". Premier Development League (PDL). July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
17. "2017 PDL All-Southern Conference Team". Premier Development League (PDL). July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.