1996 USISL Pro League

The 1996 USISL Professional League was the second highest of the three outdoor men's leagues run by the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues during the summer of 1996.

This season, the USISL introduced several changes. First, the league added a third, higher league above the professional league. Consequently, several 1995 Pro League teams moved up and did not compete in the 1996 Pro League. Second, the USISL aligned its rules with the newly created Major Soccer League. In previous seasons, the USISL had used 60 minute halves and a shootout for every foul committed after the seventh foul of each half. Both of these were gone for the 1996 season. The USISL also changed its regular season points system to match MLS. This meant each win was worth 3 points and each shootout win was worth 1 point.^[1] The average pay for Pro League players was $200 per week. The regular season began in mid-April 1996.

Prime Network provided live broadcast of the USISL All Star Game and delayed broadcast of the Pro League championship game.^[2]

The USISL held its All Star Game on July 17 in Blaine, Minnesota. The game pitted the USISL Select League All Stars against a team composed of USISL Professional League and USISL Premier League players. The league coaches voted to select the players.^[3] Players from the USISL Professional League included Goalkeeper Randy DeDini of the Chico Rooks, Defenders Paul Edwards (North Jersey Imperials) and Guy Norcott (Charleston Battery); Midfielders Craig Beeson (Everett BigFoot) and Pat O'Kelly (Central Jersey); Forwards Victor Medina (D/FW Toros) and Jon Payne (Charlotte Eagles).

• Regulation win = 3 points
• Shootout win (SW) = 1 points
• Loss = 0 points

The Mobile Revelers made the playoffs despite having only eleven points. This happened because the South Atlantic Conference had four guaranteed play-off spots. The Charleston Battery received a bye into the playoffs as host of the championship final. Therefore, the league went to the Revelers as the next South Atlantic Conference team in line.

• North Jersey Imperials 3-1 Rhode Island Stingrays
• Charlotte Eagles 1-0 Mobile Revelers (forfeit)
• Wilmington Hammerheads 3-1 Washington Mustangs
• D/FW Toros 1-0 (SO) Houston Hurricanes
• Tulsa Roughnecks 3-2 (SO) Rockford Raptors
• Chico Rooks 3-0 Valley Golden Eagles
• Everete BigFoot 2-1 Hawaii Tsunami

August 10, 1996

7:30PM

Central Jersey Riptide (NJ)	2-1	Reading Rage (PA)
Pat O'Kelly 3:16' Pete Schneiders 74'		25' Matt Woolley  43'  Eric Puls   Archie Moylan

Raritan High School, Hazlet, New Jersey

August 17, 1996
7:30 PM EST

Central Jersey Riptide (NJ)	2-2 OT	North Jersey Imperials (NJ)
Ozrek Crowley	Report	DeLuca (PK) Lucey
Penalties
	2-3

Raritan High School, Hazlet, New Jersey

Attendance: 2,004 or 1,500

• North Jersey Imperials advanced to Sizzlin' Six finals.

• Wilmington Hammerheads advanced to the Sizzlin' Six finals.

August 16, 1996

Tulsa Roughnecks (OK)	1-3	DFW Toros (TX)
Virgil Stevens 56:13'	Report	8' Berti Generes 9:30' Victor Medina Jimmy Glenn 64'

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Attendance: 704

• Originally planned for August 17, the second game was postponed until Sunday morning, August 18, because of heavy rainfall and flooding which rendered the playing field unusable on Saturday.

• D/FW Toros advanced to the Sizzlin' Six finals.

August 17, 1996

Chico Rooks (CA)	0-0	Everett BigFoot (WA)
Penalties
Manny Ugbah Dean Freeman	2-1

Chico State Stadium, Chico, California

Attendance: 1,056

• Chico Rooks advanced to Sizzlin' Six finals.

The Sizzlin’ Six Tournament was a six-team, two group, round robin tournament. Each of the four conference champions entered the tournament, along with national finals host Charleston Battery and the Charlotte Eagles who had the best regular-season record among the conference runners-up.

Each team received 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie and 1 bonus point for each game in which they scored three or more goals. The top two teams in each group with the most points advanced to the semifinals in Charleston, South Carolina.

August 20, 1996
8:00 PM EST

Chico Rooks (CA)	2-1 OT	DFW Toros (TX)
Dean Freeman 27' Mauricio De Melo 120'		8' Edgar Hernandez Baltazar Ascensio Jose Bazan

Stoney Field, Charleston, South Carolina

Attendance: 320

August 21, 1996
8:00 PM EST

Charleston Battery (SC)	2-1	Chico Rooks (CA)
Patrick Olalere 12' Files 82'		45' Juan Lojas

Stoney Field, Charleston, South Carolina

Attendance: 1,539

August 20, 1996
8:00 PM EST

Charlotte Eagles (NC)	6-2	North Jersey Imperials (NJ)
Keith Dakin 11' 24' 46' Jeremy Sorzano 36' Philibert Jones 50' Donovan Francis 59'		12' David Price 30' Gerry Lucey

Laney Field, Wilmington, North Carolina

Attendance: 236

August 21, 1996
8:00 PM EST

Wilmington Hammerheads (NC)	0-1	Charlotte Eagles (NC)
		33' Keith Dakin

Laney Field, Wilmington, North Carolina

Attendance: 1,250

Rank	Scorer	Club	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Philibert Jones	Charlotte Eagles	18	20	45
2	Patrick Olalere	Charleston Battery	20	5	45
3	Craig Beeson	Everette BigFoot	17	2	36
4	Jon Payne	Charlotte Eagles	14	8	36
5	Carlos Rocha	Rhode Island Stingrays	14	3	33
6	Robert DeLuca	North Jersey Imperials	14	3	31
7	Pat O'Kelly	North Jersey Imperials	12	6	30

• MVP: Craig Beeson
• Points leader: Patrick Olalere
• Defender of the Year: Guy Norcott
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Chris Carmiento
• Rookie of the Year: Juan Sastoque
• Coach of the Year: Nuno Piteira
• Organization of the Year: Reading Rage

All-League:

• Goalkeeper: Randy Dedini
• Defenders: Guy Norcott, Tom Finley, Desmond Armstrong
• Midfielders: David Price, Pat O'Kelly, Carlos Rocha
• Forward: Craig Beeson, Patrick Olalere, Jimmy Wright, Philibert Jones

^[4]

• United Soccer Leagues (RSSSF)
• The Year in American Soccer - 1996