Pennsylvania Stoners
Full name | Pennsylvania Stoners | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Stoners | ||
Founded | 2007 | ||
Dissolved | 2009 | ||
Ground | Zephyr Sports Complex at Whitehall High School | ||
Chairman | Fred Stellato | ||
Manager | David Weitzman | ||
League | National Premier Soccer League | ||
2009 | Regular Season: 3rd, Keystone Playoffs: did not qualify | ||
|
The Pennsylvania Stoners were an American soccer team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007, the team played in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Eastern Keystone Division.
The team played its home games at the Zephyr Sports Complex on the campus of Whitehall High School in nearby Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, where they had played since 2009. The team's colors were royal blue and white.
The Stoners name was derived from Pennsylvania's official nickname, The Keystone State. A previous incarnation of the Stoners was a member of the American Soccer League from 1979 to 1983.
History
[edit]The original Stoners were members of the American Soccer League from 1979 to 1983, during which time the team registered a win-loss-tie record of 76-49-25. The Stoners won the league championship in 1980.[1] Due to increasing competition from other soccer leagues, and decreasing attendance, the team, along with the rest of the league, folded in 1983.[1]
The team was resurrected in 2007 as the Pennsylvania Stoners, and competed in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). The team originally played its home games at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.
In 2008, the team captured the NPSL league championship. In 2009, the Stoners began playing their home matches at Whitehall-Coplay School District's Zephyr Sports Complex in nearby Whitehall. The team folded after the 2009 season. In 2010, the FC Sonic Lehigh Valley brought NPSL soccer back to the Lehigh Valley.[2]
Players
[edit]Individual honors
[edit]- Coach of the Year - Willie Ehrlich (1979, 1980)
- MVP - George Gorleku (1980)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Scott Manning (1980)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Tom Reynolds (1981)
- All-Star Team: Ken McDonald (1981)
- All-Star Team: Jeff Tipping (1981)
Year-by-year
[edit]Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | 2 | ASL | 3rd, Eastern | Semifinals | did not enter |
1980 | 2 | ASL | 1st, National | Champion | did not enter |
1981 | 2 | ASL | 2nd, Liberty | Semifinals | did not enter |
1982 | 2 | ASL | 6th | 1st Round | did not enter |
1983 | 2 | ASL | 2nd, Eastern | Final | did not enter |
2008 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, North | Champion | did not enter |
2009 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Keystone | did not qualify | did not enter |
Honors
[edit]- NPSL Champions 2008
- NPSL North Division Champions 2008
- ASL Champions 1980
- ASL National Division Champions 1980
Head coaches
[edit]- Willie Ehrlich (1979–80)
- Gary Hindley (1982–83)
- Todd Ervin (2008)
- David Weitzman (2009)[3]
Stadiums
[edit]- J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania (2008)
- Zephyr Sports Complex at Whitehall High School in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania (2009)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Long, Ernie (13 December 1999). "The Popular Stoners Were Hurt By League: ASL Got Away From What Made It Successful, Which Destroyed Allentown Team". The Morning Call.
- ^ "National Premier Soccer League - F.C. Sonic Lehigh Valley to take the field in 2010". Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
- ^ "Stoners Announce 2009 Coaching Staff". Retrieved 2009-04-27.
External links
[edit]- 2007 establishments in Pennsylvania
- 2009 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
- Amateur soccer teams in Pennsylvania
- American Soccer League (1933–1983) teams
- Association football clubs established in 2007
- Association football clubs disestablished in 2009
- National Premier Soccer League teams
- Soccer clubs in Pennsylvania
- Sports in Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Northeastern United States soccer club stubs
- Pennsylvania sports team stubs