There are two storylines that have come to be a tradition in the PDL, the chase for an unbeaten season and the playoff unpredictability that makes victims out of the top seeds.

Unbeaten records are a rarity in USL, but the Cape Cod Crusaders (14-0-2) and regular season champion Cape Cod Crusaders (14-0-2) joined a group of five other clubs to accomplish the feat in the PDL. Both, however, suffered the same fate as many of the top seeds had over the previous seven years. Only five teams in the top four had advanced to a final from 1999-2005.

Carolina was stunned 1-0 by Bradenton in overtime of their opening playoff match while the Crusaders were able to stave off elimination for one round before falling 2-1 to Westchester in the conference final.

The top four seeds failed to advance to the league semifinals, opening the door for the fifth-seeded Laredo Heat, ninth-seeded Orange County Blue Star, 11th-seeded Westchester and 13-seeded Michigan Bucks.

Laredo rallied from 2-0 down to defeat the Flames 3-2 in their semifinal and the Bucks, who had knocked off the third and fourth seeds in their conference playoffs dispatched of 2004 semifinalist Orange County by a 2-0 scoreline.

The second-year Heat hosted the veteran Bucks, who boasted an outstanding record of regular season and US Open Cup success over the previous 10 seasons, but were missing the elusive championship. Ironically, they would become the lowest seed to ever claim the championship, downing Laredo 2-1 on a pair of goals in the first nine minutes on a windy night in front of nearly 7,000.