The season was a success both on and off the field as the Milwaukee Rampage played the role of Cinderella in claiming the championship. Success, however, was not limited to the field as more than one million (1,085,777) fans made their way through the A-League turnstiles (an average of 2,828 per game).

The Rochester Raging Rhinos experienced attendance figures that soared to a level higher than that of a few MLS teams. The average regular season attendance for the Rhinos was 10,677.

On the field, the Rampage, though they did not qualify for the playoffs until the final week of the regular season, put together an unbelievable championship run and claimed the 1997 A-League Championship by defeating the Carolina Dynamo 2-1 via a shootout tiebreaker at Uihlein Soccer Park in front of an all-time franchise stadium record crowd of 6,381.

The game remained scoreless until the 65th minute when Dan Stebbins knocked a 20-yard shot past Carolina goalkeeper Aidan Heaney after a brilliant pass from Travis Roy. It was Stebbins’ seventh goal of the playoffs.

The home crowd was silenced 15 minutes later when Brian Lofton got on the end of a long Heaney goal kick and fired a shot from 15 yards past Rampage goalkeeper Carmine Isacco.

After remaining locked up 1-1 through two 15-minute overtime periods, the game went to a shootout, and Isacco came through big-time for the Rampage. Isacco did not allow a goal during the NASL-style 35-yard run-and-shoot tiebreaker, and when Nicholas Igel netted Milwaukee’s third attempt, the Rampage were champions.

Isacco was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship game. The 27-year old native of Toronto made nine saves during regulation and overtime, plus two in the shootout.

Doug Miller of the Rochester Raging Rhinos was named the league’s Most Valuable Player for the season. Miller, who led the league in scoring with 51 points, also led the league in goals with 23.

Bob Lilley of the Hershey Wildcats proved to be a shining example for his fellow coaches as he was voted the 1997 Coach of the Year. Lilley joined Rampage coach Bob Gansler as coaches for the A-League/USISL Select Team in the 1998 Umbro Select All-Star Classic in Ft. Lauderdale.