# 2010 PDL season

The 2010 USL Premier Development League season was the 16th season of the PDL. The regular season began on April 24, 2010, and ended on July 26. The league consisted of 67 teams across eight divisions. The playoffs began on Friday, July 30 and concluded with the PDL Championship Game on August 8. As in previous years, the PDL Championship Game was broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel in the United States, with commentary by Kenn Tomasch and Jon Billings.
The Portland Timbers U23's ended the season as national champions, beating Thunder Bay Chill 4–1 in the 2010 PDL Championship game. The Timbers also had the best regular season record, winning all their 16 games, scoring 53 goals and conceding just six along the way. In doing so the Saplings became the first team to post a perfect PDL regular season record since the Jackson Chargers in 1998, the first regular season champion to win the playoffs since the Central Coast Roadrunners in 1996, and the first team in PDL history to go through an entire PDL regular season and playoff campaign without posting a loss or a tie.
Portland Timbers U23's striker Brent Richards was named League MVP and Rookie of the Year for his stellar campaign with the national champions, while Timbers head coach Jim Rilatt was named Coach of the Year. Joe Tait of the Baton Rouge Capitals was named Defender of the Year after scoring six goals and an assist in 12 games, and helping his team to the national final four. Ryan Meara of Newark Ironbound Express was named Goalkeeper of the Year after recording an impressive eight shutout wins in only 12 games played, and ranking fourth in the league in goals-against average at 0.666.
Players from Canadian side Thunder Bay Chill led the majority of the statistical categories, with striker Brandon Swartzendruber leading the league with 15 goals, while his teammate Gustavo Oliveira led the league with 13 assists. Portland Timbers U23's goalkeeper Jacob Gleeson enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, allowing just five goals in 15 games and earning a 0.360 GAA average.

## Changes from 2009
### Name changes

* El Paso Patriots changed their name to Chivas El Paso Patriots after signing a formal partnership with Mexican side Guadalajara.
* Los Angeles Legends were taken over by the ownership group of the Los Angeles-based amateur side LA Blues, and rebranded themselves Los Angeles Azul Legends.
* Ocean City Barons changed their name to Ocean City Nor'easters after splitting from the South Jersey Barons Youth Academy and holding a "name the team" contest to decide their new nickname.
* Reading Rage became an official minor league affiliate of MLS expansion team Philadelphia Union, and renamed themselves Reading United.
* Seattle Wolves merged with a local youth soccer organization and renamed themselves Washington Crossfire.

### New franchises

* Eight franchises were announced as joining the league this year:
| Team Name | Metro Area | Location | Previous Affiliation |
| Albany BWP Highlanders | Albany area | Schenectady, NY | expansion |
| Bermuda Hogges | Bermuda | Hamilton, Bermuda | USL Second Division |
| Central Jersey Spartans | Central New Jersey area | Lawrenceville, NJ | expansion |
| Dayton Dutch Lions | Dayton area | Bellbrook, OH | expansion |
| Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy | Fort Lauderdale area | Lauderhill, FL | expansion |
| Portland Phoenix | State of Maine | Portland, ME | expansion |
| Vermont Voltage | State of Vermont | St. Albans, VT | returning from hiatus |
| Western Mass Pioneers | Springfield (MA) area | Ludlow, MA | USL Second Division |

### Folding

* Nine teams were announced as leaving the league prior to the beginning of the season:
** Austin Aztex U23 – Austin, Texas
** Bakersfield Brigade – Bakersfield, California
** Cary Clarets – Cary, North Carolina
** Cascade Surge – Salem, Oregon
** Fort Wayne Fever – Fort Wayne, Indiana
** Fredericksburg Gunners – Fredericksburg, Virginia
** Panama City Pirates – Panama City, Florida
** Rhode Island Stingrays – East Providence, Rhode Island
** Virginia Legacy – Williamsburg, Virginia

## Standings

* Key to colours in group tables
* Team won the Division Title
* Team qualified for playoff berth
Note: The first tie-breaker in PDL standings is head-to-head results between teams tied on points, which is why some teams with inferior goal differences finish ahead in the standings.

### Central Conference
#### Great Lakes Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Michigan Bucks | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 43 | 14 | +29 | 35 |
| 2 | Forest City London | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 42 | 14 | +28 | 35 |
| 3 | Dayton Dutch Lions | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 32 | 20 | +12 | 29 |
| 4 | Chicago Fire Premier | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 28 | 12 | +16 | 29 |
| 5 | Indiana Invaders | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 23 | 25 | −2 | 25 |
| 6 | Cincinnati Kings | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 31 | 28 | +3 | 22 |
| 7 | Toronto Lynx | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 37 | −22 | 13 |
| 8 | Kalamazoo Outrage | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 55 | −38 | 9 |
| 9 | Cleveland Internationals | 16 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 15 | 41 | −26 | 8 |

#### Heartland Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Thunder Bay Chill | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 12 | +28 | 38 |
| 2 | Rochester Thunder | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 10 | +12 | 33 |
| 3 | Real Colorado Foxes | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 18 | +8 | 27 |
| 4 | Des Moines Menace | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 30 | 23 | +7 | 25 |
| 5 | St. Louis Lions | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 19 |
| 6 | Springfield Demize | 16 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 37 | −27 | 6 |
| 7 | Kansas City Brass | 16 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 14 | 44 | −30 | 6 |

### Eastern Conference
#### Mid Atlantic Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Reading United | 16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 40 | 14 | +26 | 34 |
| 2 | Newark Ironbound Express | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 12 | +17 | 33 |
| 3 | Central Jersey Spartans | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 31 | 23 | +8 | 27 |
| 4 | Carolina Dynamo | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 30 | 23 | +7 | 25 |
| 5 | Northern Virginia Royals | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 28 | −4 | 22 |
| 6 | Ocean City Nor'easters | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 25 | −2 | 20 |
| 7 | West Virginia Chaos | 16 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 21 | 26 | −5 | 19 |
| 8 | Hampton Roads Piranhas | 16 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 31 | −13 | 17 |
| 9 | New Jersey Rangers | 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 37 | −19 | 15 |
| 10 | Bermuda Hogges | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 25 | −16 | 13 |

#### Northeast Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Ottawa Fury | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 33 | 10 | +23 | 36 |
| 2 | Portland Phoenix | 16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 14 | +23 | 34 |
| 3 | Albany BWP Highlanders | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 21 | +11 | 32 |
| 4 | Long Island Rough Riders | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 20 | +5 | 28 |
| 5 | Vermont Voltage | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 22 | 31 | −9 | 19 |
| 6 | Western Mass Pioneers | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 20 | −3 | 18 |
| 7 | New Hampshire Phantoms | 16 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 23 | −13 | 13 |
| 8 | Brooklyn Knights | 16 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 42 | −18 | 10 |
| 9 | Westchester Flames | 16 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 32 | −19 | 9 |

### Southern Conference
#### Mid South Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Laredo Heat | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 36 | 19 | +17 | 29 |
| 2 | Houston Leones | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 25 |
| 3 | DFW Tornados | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 25 |
| 4 | West Texas United Sockers | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 24 | −4 | 21 |
| 5 | Chivas El Paso Patriots | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 19 |
| 6 | Rio Grande Valley Bravos | 16 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 30 | −18 | 9 |
* 1 2 Chivas El Paso Patriots and Rio Grande Valley Bravos deducted three points for league rules infringement

#### Southeast Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Mississippi Brilla | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 14 | +27 | 36 |
| 2 | Baton Rouge Capitals | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 15 | +15 | 30 |
| 3 | Atlanta Blackhawks | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 31 | −4 | 22 |
| 4 | Central Florida Kraze | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 21 |
| 5 | New Orleans Jesters | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 30 | 22 | +8 | 20 |
| 6 | Bradenton Academics | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 19 |
| 7 | Nashville Metros | 14 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 34 | −26 | 6 |
| 8 | Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy | 14 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 34 | −29 | 2 |

### Western Conference
#### Northwest Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Portland Timbers U23's | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 6 | +47 | 48 |
| 2 | Kitsap Pumas | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 14 | +24 | 38 |
| 3 | Tacoma Tide | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 20 | +13 | 30 |
| 4 | Victoria Highlanders | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 27 | 24 | +3 | 24 |
| 5 | Washington Crossfire | 16 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 35 | 31 | +4 | 20 |
| 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps Residency | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 27 | 37 | −10 | 15 |
| 7 | Abbotsford Mariners | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 25 | 44 | −19 | 13 |
| 8 | Yakima Reds | 16 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 42 | −24 | 12 |
| 9 | Spokane Spiders | 16 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 26 | 64 | −38 | 8 |

#### Southwest Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Ventura County Fusion | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 12 | +23 | 34 |
| 2 | Hollywood United Hitmen | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 41 | 20 | +21 | 33 |
| 3 | Orange County Blue Star | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 42 | 24 | +18 | 31 |
| 4 | Fresno Fuego | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 42 | 33 | +9 | 28 |
| 5 | Southern California Seahorses | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 28 | −3 | 21 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Azul Legends | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 27 | 33 | −6 | 18 |
| 7 | Lancaster Rattlers | 16 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 51 | −24 | 14 |
| 8 | BYU Cougars | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 17 | 27 | −10 | 14 |
| 9 | Ogden Outlaws | 16 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 22 | 50 | −28 | 9 |

## Playoffs
### Format

The 2010 PDL playoffs will feature 16 teams, down from 24 the previous year. The format will have each division winner play against the second-place team in their counterpart division within their respective conference.

### Bracket

| Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | PDL Semifinals | PDL Semifinals | PDL Semifinals | | PDL Championship | PDL Championship | PDL Championship |
| NW1 | Portland Timbers U23's | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| SW2 | Hollywood United Hitmen | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| SW2 | Hollywood United Hitmen | 1 | NW1 | Portland Timbers U23's | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | NW1 | Portland Timbers U23's | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | NW2 | Kitsap Pumas | 1 | | | | | | | |
| SW1 | Ventura County Fusion | 1 (3) | NW2 | Kitsap Pumas | 1 | | | | | | | |
| NW2 | Kitsap Pumas (AET/PSO) | 1 (5) | | | | | | | | | | |
| NW2 | Kitsap Pumas (AET/PSO) | 1 (5) | | | | NW1 | Portland Timbers U23's | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | MA1 | Reading United | 1 | | | | |
| NE1 | Ottawa Fury | 2 | | | | | | | MA1 | Reading United | 1 | | | | |
| MA2 | Newark Ironbound Express | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MA2 | Newark Ironbound Express | 0 | NE1 | Ottawa Fury | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | NE1 | Ottawa Fury | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | MA1 | Reading United | 3 | | | | | | | |
| MA1 | Reading United | 2 | MA1 | Reading United | 3 | | | | | | | |
| NE2 | Portland Phoenix | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| NE2 | Portland Phoenix | 1 | | | | | | | | NW1 | Portland Timbers U23's | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | HL1 | Thunder Bay Chill | 1 |
| HL1 | Thunder Bay Chill | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | HL1 | Thunder Bay Chill | 1 |
| GL2 | Forest City London | 0 | | | | | | |
| GL2 | Forest City London | 0 | HL1 | Thunder Bay Chill (AET) | 2 | | | |
| Central Conference | Central Conference | Central Conference | HL1 | Thunder Bay Chill (AET) | 2 | | | |
| Central Conference | Central Conference | Central Conference | GL1 | Michigan Bucks | 1 | | | |
| GL1 | Michigan Bucks | 2 | GL1 | Michigan Bucks | 1 | | | |
| HL2 | Rochester Thunder | 0 | | | | | | |
| HL2 | Rochester Thunder | 0 | | | | HL1 | Thunder Bay Chill | 2 |
| | | | | | | SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals | 1 |
| MS1 | Laredo Heat | 1 (5) | | | | SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals | 1 | | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals (AET/PSO) | 1 (6) | | | | | | |
| SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals (AET/PSO) | 1 (6) | SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals | 2 | | | | | MA1 | Reading United | 2 (2) |
| Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals | 2 | | | | | MA1 | Reading United | 2 (2) |
| Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | MS2 | Houston Leones | 1 | | | | | SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals (PSO) | 2 (4) |
| SE1 | Mississippi Brilla | 2 (5) | MS2 | Houston Leones | 1 | | | | | SE2 | Baton Rouge Capitals (PSO) | 2 (4) |
| MS2 | Houston Leones (AET/PSO) | 2 (6) | | | | | | |

### PDL Final
## Award winners and finalists

MVP: Brent Richards (POR) (winner), Moses Aduny (MIS), Andrew Rigby (OTT), Brandon Swartzendruber (TB) Rookie of the Year: Brent Richards (POR) (winner), Fredrik Brustad (CF), Dominic Reinold (NJ) Defender of the Year: Joe Tait (BR) (winner), Matt Hedges (REA), Mark Lee (KIT), Alexis Pradié (OTT),
Goalkeeper of the Year: Ryan Meara (NWK) Coach of the Year: Jim Rilatt (POR) (winner), Brendan Burke (REA), Dave Dixon (MIS), Martin Painter (LON)

## All-League and All-Conference teams
### Eastern Conference

F: Will Beaugé (OTT), Dominic Reinold (NJ), C. J. Sapong (REA) M: Frank Alesci* (NWK), Luke Mulholland (REA), Scott Rojo* (CAR) D: Chris Christian (CJ), John Fletcher (OcC), Matt Hedges* (REA), Alexis Pradié* (OTT) G: Ryan Meara* (NWK)

### Central Conference

F: Gustavo Oliveira (TB), Brandon Swartzendruber (TB), Kenny Uzoigwe* (MIC) M: Steven Beattie (CIN), Alan McGreal (LON), Jeremy Warman (KC) D: C.J. Brown (KAL), Stewart Givens (MIC), Logan McDaniel (DM), Sebastian Stihler (LON) G: Oscar Moens (DAY)

### Southern Conference

F: Moses Aduny* (MIS), Ben Callon (BR), Ryan Maloney (ATL) M: Jonathan Mendoza (CF), Lucas Paulini (MIS), Carl Reynolds (NO) D: Willie Hunt (MIS), Ryan McDonald (NAS), Guilherme Reis (BRD), Joe Tait* (BR) G: Leif Craddock (WTU)

### Western Conference

F: Jaime Chavez (HU), Brent Richards* (POR), Amani Walker (OrC) M: Freddie Braun* (POR), Cameron Hepple (KIT), Jordan Hughes (VIC) D: Mo Aziz (ABB), Ryan Kawulok (POR), Mark Lee* (KIT), Daniel Scott (KIT) G. Jake Gleeson (POR)
* denotes All-League player