Wednesday, May 13, 2009
  

TAMPA, FL - The Great Lakes Division is one of the most competitive divisions across the 67 team Premier Development League. Featuring perennial PDL powers the Michigan Bucks and Chicago Fire, as well as more recent upstarts Cleveland Internationals, Kalamazoo Outrage and Toronto Lynx, the nine team Great Lakes Division promises to be even more competitive in 2009. The following is the last of three installments previewing the Great Lakes Division:

A longtime PDL powerhouse, the Michigan Bucks qualified for their eighth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, clinched their seventh division title and went on to win the 2008 Regular Season Championship (13-1-2, 41 pts.) before suffering a second round playoff loss to the expansion Kalamazoo Outrage. The team returns a strong contingent of players in 2009 despite having defender Mike Holody and striker Doug DeMartin drafted by the Colorado Rapids and Kansas City Wizards respectively. Midfielder Ty Shipalane also signed with USL Second Division side Harrisburg City Islanders in April.

Among those coming back are past PDL All-League selections Nate Jafta and Kenny Uzoigwe who will be complimented by University of Michigan attackers Jake Stacy and Mauro Fuzetti. The central midfield will be run by veteran Bucks Piotr Nowak (Oakland) and Zac Scaffidi (Michigan State), with Dave Hertel (Michigan State) joining returning professional players Kevin Taylor (Minnesota Thunder, Rochester Rhinos) and Stephen Herdsman (Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew) on the backline. Former Real Salt Lake midfielder Kevin Reiman will provide an offensive spark in midfield. 2006 PDL Championship MVP Steve Clark also returns for a fourth season with the PDL’s flagship franchise after completing his college eligibility at Oakland. Bucks Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald enters his fourth year at the helm, needing 13 victories to surpass Steve Burns on the club’s all-time wins list. The Bucks open up the 2009 PDL campaign when they host the Kalamazoo Outrage on Saturday, May 16, at 7:30 PM.

Quotable: “We have a solid mix of new and returning players. Our team starts every season with a huge target on our backs and our goals are always to qualify for the US Open Cup and win the Premier Development League. We’re looking for our guys with professional experience to guide our younger players in achieving those same standards in 2009.” – Bucks Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald

The Toronto Lynx made their first PDL playoff appearance in 2008 and return a number of key players to the team this season. While he planned on having defender Erik DiLorenzo, Head Coach Duncan Wilde will be without the club’s captain this season after he recently tore his ACL. Taylor McNamara (University of Albany) will wear the captain’s armband in 2009 and can be plugged in anywhere in midfield or either side of defense. Also returning is striker Daniel Revivo, last season’s team leading scorer, Wilde will look for the Winthrop University striker to add to his nine goals and three assists from 2008. Jean Tshimpaka (James Madison) and newcomer Michael Luk (Winthrop) will shore up the Lynx midfield. Goalkeeper Nils Binstock (Iona College) will once again backstop the Lynx with former Super-20 defenders Adrian Butters (Medaille College) and Dane Roberts (Furman) filling out the backline. Toronto will take part in the innaugural Victoria Challenge Cup playing other Ontario based clubs the Ottawa Fury and Thunder Bay Chill from May 13-15. The Lynx will open up the PDL season Saturday, May 30, away to Chicago at 8:00 PM.

Quotable: "When it comes to development, we’re proud to be one of the role model clubs in the USL. Nearly all of our PDL players have come through the Lynx system and making the playoffs out of the Great Lakes for the first time last year shows our improvement. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and can’t wait to build upon last season." - Head Coach Duncan Wilde

The Fort Wayne Fever bring back a strong contingent of players with another year of college experience for 2009. Leading the way on the back line are longtime Fever defenders Bonivenger Misiko and Trevlor Peaslee (IPFW). While the team has lost 2008 leading scorer Gary Boughton to the Austin Aztex U-23’s, Fever Head Coach Bobby Poursanidis will look to PJ Wilson (New Mexico), Jacob Capito (Butler) and Justin Bigelow (Bradley) to fill the offensive void. Fort Wayne will open up the 2009 season tonight, hosting in-state rivals the Indiana Invaders at 8:00 PM.