Austin vs. New Hampshire
Date: Sept. 12 in Austin, Texas at 8:00 p.m. (CT)
AUSTIN LONE STARS (seeded No. 1) 1998 Record: 13-5.
Division (Finish): South Central (First).
Leading Scorer: Gabe Jones (28 points).
Head Coach: John Fitzsimons. The Austin Lone Stars entered the 1998 season looking to build off a successful 1997 inaugural season in which they finished 15-11 overall and 12-6 in regular-season play. This year, the team advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup for the second straight year. The Lone Stars are led by leading scorer Gabe Jones, who also led the league in assists this season. Jones is assisted in the attack by Ben Crawley, who has MLS experience and three NCAA national championships. The midfield is powered by Bryan Pearce and Kerwin Johnson, while the back is anchored by Dennis Bryan and goalkeeper Robert Weaver.
NEW HAMPSHIRE PHANTOMS (No. 4) 1998 Record: 12-6
Division (Finish): Northeast (Second).
Leading Scorer: Marcelo Tapia (22 points).
Head Coach: Suleyman Doenmez. The Phantoms are making their second straight appearance in the D3 Pro League National Championship. New Hampshire began the 1998 season on the right foot with three U.S. Open Cup qualifying wins and seven straight regular-season wins, but mid-season injuries would soon take their toll as the New Hampshire would drop six of their next nine games. The club quickly regrouped and has won eleven straight heading into this weekend. Highlights of the season include three wins over A-League teams and two wins over division-rival Western Mass. The Phantoms have relied on their defense and the capable presence of goalkeeper Jeremey Bailey, whose goals-against average is sixth best in the league.
Chicago vs. Orlando
Date: Sept. 12 in Austin, Texas at 5:30 p.m. (CT)
CHICAGO STINGERS (No. 2) 1998 Record: 13-5.
Division (Finish): North Central (Second).
Leading Scorer: Joe Carver (23 points).
Head Coach: Bret Hall. The Chicago Stingers like challenges, and the 1998 season has provided plenty of them. After a preseason that included games against four MLS opponents, the Stingers found themselves prepared for the season that laid ahead. Chicago finished the regular-season with a 13-5 record and placed second in the North Central Division, but the Stingers, won the division tournament and find themselves competing for the national championship this weekend. The Stingers had another great run in the U.S. Open Cup, defeating their first-round amateur opponent and downing the A-League’s Hershey Wildcats before falling to the rival Chicago Fire of MLS in the third round. The Stingers defense tied for best in the league in 1998, allowing only 16 goals during the regular-season.
ORLANDO NIGHTHAWKS (No. 3) 1998 Record: 12-6.
Division (Finish): Southeast (Second).
Leading Scorer: Jose De Oliveira (20 points).
Head Coach: Steve Lowde-Richards. The Orlando Nighthawks are a first-year franchise in the D3 Pro League after a new owner purchased the team and relocated it from Daytona Beach, Fla. to Orlando. The club had the misfortune of experiencing the passing of General Manager Azi Khan on July 25. Khan was a major architect of the Nighthawks and was a notable soccer figure in the Central Florida area. Khan was 46. Head Coach Steve Lowde-Richards, who is also the acting GM, guided the Nighthawks to a 12-6 record and second place in the Southeast Division. The club also knocked off the defending A-League champions, the Milwaukee Rampage, in the second round of this season’s U.S. Open Cup. The Nighthawks were finally knocked out of the tournament by the Miami Fusion of MLS. Orlando is on a seven-game winning streak heading into championship weekend.
