The Edmonton Drillers were two incarnations of a professional soccer team based out in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The first played in the NASL, and the latter in the NPSL. The name and several players from the NPSL version of the team are being advertised as being part of a series of exhibition matches for the upstart Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. ... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower   Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total... North American Soccer League or (NASL) was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. ... The National Professional Soccer League was a professional indoor soccer league in the USA. It started out as the American Indoor Soccer Association in 1984 but changed its name to the National Professional Soccer League in 1990. ...

Edmonton Drillers (NASL 1979-1982)

The NASL edition of the club was brought to the city by Peter Pocklington during the peak of the leagues success. They played from 1979 to 1982. Their home fields were Commonwealth Stadium and Clarke Stadium. Previous to playing in Edmonton, the team was known as the Oakland Stompers, Hartford Bicentennials and Connecticut Bicentennials. Nasl, or El Nasl, is one of the names given to the star Gamma-2 Sagittarii in the constellation Sagittarius NASL is a common abbreviation for the North American Soccer League, a defunct professional soccer league that operated between 1968 and 1984. ... Peter Pocklington (b. ... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Commonwealth Stadium is a venue located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. Built in 1978 to host the Commonwealth Games, the stadium seats 60,217. ... Clarke Stadium, in its original incarnation, was a Canadian football stadium located in Edmonton, Alberta. ... The Oakland Stompers were a soccer team based out of Oakland that played in the NASL. They played only one season, 1978. ... The Connecticut Bicenennials and Hartford Bicentennials were a soccer team based out of Hartford that played in the NASL. Their home fields were Dillon Stadium and Yale Bowl. ... The Connecticut Bicentennials and Hartford Bicentennials were a soccer team based out of Hartford that played in the NASL. Their home fields were Dillon Stadium and Yale Bowl. ...

Year-by-year

The Houston Hurricane were a soccer team based out of Houston that played in the NASL. They played from 1978 to 1980. ... The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team, a descendant of the Washington Darts, Miami Gatos, and Miami Toros, that played in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ... The Los Angeles Aztecs (1974-1981) were a North American Soccer League team from Los Angeles, California part-owned by Elton John. ... The Whitecaps (officially Whitecaps F.C.) are a Canadian professional soccer team, which currently plays in the USL First Division (formerly the A-League) of the United Soccer Leagues (USL), the largest system of national soccer leagues in North America. ... The Chicago Sting (1975-1988) were a United States professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. ... The Seattle Sounders are a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. ... The San Diego Sockers is a name that has been used by two different soccer teams // Original Team The San Diego Sockers were one of the most successful indoor soccer teams in the sports short history. ...

Edmonton Drillers (NPSL 1996-2000)

Edmonton Drillers
Logo '96-'98	Logo '98-'00
Operated	1996-2000
Home arena	Skyreach Centre
Based in	Edmonton, Alberta
Colors	Green/Black/White - Blue/Yellow/Red
Head coach	Ross Ongaro
Captains	Nick DeSantis, Bill Sedgewick, Kevin Holness
General managers	Mel Kowalchuk, Zach Pocklington, Ron Knol
Owners	Peter Pocklington, Wojtek Wojcicki, NPSL

Image File history File links Drillers-npsl-1. ... Image File history File links Drillers-npsl-2. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Rexall Place (formerly known as the Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton Coliseum and Skyreach Centre) is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the north central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farm land on the prairies. ...

Resurrection

On August 23rd, 1996, at a hastily arranged press conference at Telus Field it was announced that Peter Pocklington has purchased the Chicago Power or the National Professional Soccer League and was moving them to Edmonton for the rapidly approaching 96/97 season. The team was to play out of the Edmonton Coliseum and play under the name "Drillers" which had been used by the NASL entry in Edmonton many years earlier, that was also owned by Pocklington. Telus Field is the home of the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the independent Northern League and former home of the defunted Edmonton Trappers, a minor-league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League that moved to Round Rock, Texas and became the Round Rock Express after the 2004 season. ... The Chicago Power were an indoor soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois that competed in the National Professional Soccer League. ... The National Professional Soccer League was a professional indoor soccer league in the USA. It started out as the American Indoor Soccer Association in 1984 but changed its name to the National Professional Soccer League in 1990. ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. ... Rexall Place (formerly known as the Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton Coliseum and Skyreach Centre) is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta. ... Nasl, or El Nasl, is one of the names given to the star Gamma-2 Sagittarii in the constellation Sagittarius NASL is a common abbreviation for the North American Soccer League, a defunct professional soccer league that operated between 1968 and 1984. ...

The acquisition was to produce further synergies between Pocklington's other sports holdings in Edmonton. Pocklington has recently negotiated control of the Coliseum, and was looking to fill dates in the building whose main tenant was his NHL team, the Edmonton Oilers. The Drillers shared office space with the Oilers, and as the NPSL season nicely juxtaposed with the baseball season it allowed for significant crossover of office staff between the Drillers and Pocklington’s Pacific Coast League team the Edmonton Trappers. The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States. ... The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball (Triple A) team in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. ...

Another more vindictive motivation for bringing in the indoor soccer side was to make life more difficult for the expansion Western Hockey League team, the Edmonton Ice. Pocklington had wanted a WHL franchise in Edmonton for himself, but was never granted one. So when Ed Chynoweth stepped down as WHL commissioner and was promptly granted a franchise in Edmonton, needless to say it rubbed Pocklington the wrong way. As a result, the Ice were not allowed to play at the Pocklington controlled Coliseum, and were instead left to play there games at the somewhat less fan friendly Northlands Agricom. On top of that it was standard practice to schedule Driller games head-to-head with Ice games, and distribute large quantities of complimentary tickets. The Western Hockey League is one of the three hockey Major Junior Tier I leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. ... City: Cranbrook, British Columbia League: Western Hockey League Conference: Western Division: B.C. Founded: 1997-98 Home Arena: Cranbrook Recreational Complex Colours: blue, black and bronze Head Coach: Cory Clouston General Manager: Jeff Chynoweth The Kootenay Ice are a major junior hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia and competing...

Coaching and Management

Ross Ongaro was tapped to coach the side. He had previously been a player/coach for the MISL Cleveland Force, as well as coaching the CSL Edmonton Brickmen. His assistants were Pasquale DeLuca and Sean Fleming. Joe Petrone was chosen to be Director of Coaching and Player Personnel. Oddly enough, Ongaro, DeLuca, and Petrone had been involved with the original NASL Drillers, Ongaro and DeLuca as players, and Petrone in management. DeLuca left the club after the 97/98 season, but the rest remained with the club through their folding.

96/97 Season

Humble Beginnings

Not much was expected of the Drillers, nowhere more evident than in the pre-season coaches poll that had them pegged to finish 4-36. Such opinions were hardly unexpected though, as the Power were a dismal 6-34 the year prior. Even then most of the players inherited were good for little more than trade bait as the NPSL required that teams could field no more than four imports. Experienced players were very hard to come by, as not only hadn’t their been any Canadian teams prior to provide a talent base, but there was another Canadian team entering the league that year, the Toronto Shooting Stars, and they had a head start on finding players.

When the Drillers kicked off their inaugural season they only had three players with NPSL experience. Bill Sedgewick (who was also Captain) and Nick DeSantis came with the franchise from Chicago, and Todd Rattee whom was acquired from the Milwaukee Wave for Mark Manganello. The only other player with any tangible indoor experience was backup ‘keeper Scott Hileman, who had played in the rival Continental Indoor Soccer League the summer prior. It should further be noted that none of these players had more than one year of pro experience under their belt. The Milwaukee Wave are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States. ...

Heading into their first game, Pat Onstad had earned the starting goalkeeping spot, but while traveling to suit up for the Canadian National team he was involved in a car accident and suffered a wrist injury which knocked him out of action for six weeks. In his stead Scott Hileman assumed the number one spot, and never relinquished it.

The Drillers played their first game November 1st, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Sipho Sibiya scoring the first goal in franchise history, and the club posting their first win, 11-7 over the Shooting Stars. Maple Leaf Gardens, 2006 Exterior signage as of 2006, with letters missing Maple Leaf Gardens was an indoor arena in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street. ...

Other significant happenings that season;

November 2nd, 1996: Drillers suffered their first loss at the hands of the Detroit Rockers, 16-9 at Joe Louis Arena. The Detroit Rockers were an indoor soccer team in the National Professional Soccer League from 1990 to 2001. ... Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed Hockeytown, The Joe, and JLA, is the home of the National Hockey League franchise the Detroit Red Wings. ...

November 17th, 1996: Drillers play their home opener, dropping the contest 19-9 to the Kansas City Attack infront of a crowd of 8,974. The name Kansas City Comets has been used by two different indoor soccer teams. ...

February 24th, 1997: Acquired Domenic Mobilio from the Harrisburg Heat for cash. The Harrisburg Heat was a professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ...

The Stretch Run

As the season progressed, the Drillers experienced the steep learning curve, but managed to easily surpass the rather low expectations thrust on them to only win four games all season. With eight games to play the Drillers were still in the hunt for a playoff with a respectable 14-18 record, but were a long shot as seven of those games were on the road included a dreaded three games, in three nights, in three different cities stretch. Rather improbably the Drillers suddenly caught fire, and rattled off six wins in the seven road games and found themselves with one game to play against their division rival Detroit with a playoff spot going to the victor.

The improbable run of the Drillers had made the rounds in the media, and coinciding with the poor season the Oilers were having, suddenly the Drillers were the flavour of the month in Edmonton. This was evident in the stands as the largest regular season crowd in Drillers history took in the regular season finale March 29th, where they defeated the Rockers 7-4 infront of a boisterous 9,136 patrons. The win gave the Drillers a 21-19 record for the year, and a first round playoff date with the Milwaukee Wave.

Post Season

Riding the momentum of their late season run, on April 4th the Drillers went into Milwaukee and hammered the Wave in the first game of their best-of-three series 20-6. This game is also notable as the first game ever on the radio, as the locale station CKER agree to broadcast the playoff away games, with assistant coaches Fleming and DeLuca doing the play-by-play and commentary. Things did not go without a hitch though, and as a result of technical difficulties, the listening public was left listening to polka music for more than three quarters of the game before things finally got sorted out.

In the return match April, 6th, 9,189 fans took in probably the most memorable game in club history, seeing the Drillers rookie scoring sensation, Carmen D’Onofrio head home his own rebound past indoor legend Victor Nogueira in the final minute of play for a two-point goal, and a 10-9 victory for the home side.

After having swept the Wave, the Drillers were headed for St. Louis to face the Ambush in the second round for another best-of-three series. In game one, April 12th, 1997, the Drillers had the heavily favoured Ambush on the ropes, but with 1:51 remaining in the game, Joe Reiniger hammered home a three-point goal and handing a heartbreaking 19-18 loss to the Drillers.

After sharing a quick flight back to Edmonton, the teams squared off again the next day, April 13th at the Edmonton Coliseum. This game was witnessed by a record 9,879 people, and the young Drillers were not to be denied, posting a convincing 19-9 victory. This set up a winner take all showdown back in St. Louis three days later.

Game three was played on April 16th, at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, and again the Drillers gave a valiant effort, and were within a goal of tying the match until midnight finally struck, and Steve Kuntz sealed their fate with an empty net goal with just seven seconds to play, final score St. Louis 16, Edmonton 11. The Savvis Center (formerly Kiel Center) is an arena located in the city of St. ...

Aftermath

While the club was eliminated in the second round, their unexpected success was noticed, and coach Ross Ongaro was awarded the NPSL’s Coach of the Year award, and the teams scoring leader, Carmen D’Onofrio, finished runner up for the leagues Rookie of the Year award. D’Onofrio, as well as Shayne Campbell and Martin Dugas were also honoured with selections of the NPSL’s All-Rookie Teams.

Up until their elimination, this was the acme of the franchise, with them garnering unprecedented media coverage and drawing by far their largest crowds during their run. When earlier in the season one would be hard pressed to find more than a brief mention of the previous nights results, suddenly they were getting major linage in the major daily papers, nightly features on the TV news, and players making the rounds on local radio shows.

The late season run also was very beneficial to the teams bottom line, the team started the year with only 123 season-ticket holders were on track to lose $500,000 that season, they managed to lessen that to $300,000. Their average attendance was 7,200, but that number was largely made up of complementary tickets. Their late season run though included three consecutive 9,000+ crowds of which all were paid tickets, and thus ownership was highly optimistic heading into their second season. As it turns out, this was actually the clubs most successful season financially, that is to say it's the least money they lost in one season.

Year-by-year

External links

• Edmonton Drillers Archive