2007–08 Tulsa Revolution season

The 2007–08 Tulsa Revolution season was the first season of the Tulsa Revolution professional indoor soccer club. The Revolution, a short-season expansion team in the final year of the American Indoor Soccer League, played their home games at SoccerCity Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1] They amassed only a 2–5 record but drew well at the box office, falling dormant only after the league folded in late 2008.

Tulsa Revolution

2007–08 AISL season
OwnerAdam Mellor
Head CoachKerry Shubert
ArenaSoccerCity Tulsa
5817 S. 118th East Ave
Tulsa, Oklahoma

History

The team was led by owner Adam Mellor, head coach Kerry Shubert, and assistant coach Tama Aondofar.[2][3]

The Revolution played 7 games of an abbreviated 8-game schedule, winning 2 and losing 5.[4] (The game at Rockford was cancelled.) These matches counted in the league's rankings but left the team ineligible for post-season play.[5] The first goal in Revolution history was scored by Michael Poneys.[6]

The Revolution made XanGo energy drink the team's official beverage for the 2007–08 season.[7]

Roster moves

The Revolution's initial 22-man roster included players from Bolivia, Brazil, Laos, Liberia, Nigeria, Zaire, and across the Tulsa area. The prime goalkeeper was indoor veteran Sonny Dalesandro.[8] Dalesandro persevered through a broken toe during the team's third game, a 7-6 win against Massachusetts, but missed the remainder of the season.[8]

Other initial players included Dave Leung from Jamaica plus Christopher Justice and Garba Lawal, both natives of Nigeria with international match play experience. Lawal was part of the gold medal-winning Nigerian team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.[7]

In mid-January, the team released defender Tou Yer Yang and signed forwards Dominique Nayaga and Todd Goddard[9] During the January 26th game against the Massachusetts Twisters, Kerry Shubert drew a red card penalty and a one-game disciplinary suspension.[8] Late in the season, the team signed forward Todd Goddard, a native of Tulsa and a former member of the University of Tulsa's men's soccer team.[10]

Schedule

  Win   Tie   Loss   No Game

Regular season
Game Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location[11]
Final Score Record
1 Saturday January 5 7:30pm Cincinnati Excite L 4–5[12] 0–1 SoccerCity Tulsa[13]
2 Saturday January 12 7:30pm Rockford Rampage L 5–7[9] 0–2 SoccerCity Tulsa
3 Saturday January 26 7:30pm at Massachusetts Twisters W 7–6[8] 1–2[14] Eastern States Coliseum[15]
4 Saturday February 2 7:30pm Massachusetts Twisters L 7–14[16] 1–3 SoccerCity Tulsa[17]
5 Saturday February 9 7:30pm at Northern Illinois Rebels L 2–4[18] 1–4 Lake County Sports Center[19]
6 Sunday February 10 1:00pm at Rockford Rampage CANCELLED Victory Sports Arena
7 Saturday February 16 7:30pm at Cincinnati Excite L 8–10[20] 1–5 Game Time Training Center
8 Sunday February 24 2:00pm Northern Illinois Rebels W 11–9[4] 2–5 SoccerCity Tulsa[21]

Awards and honors

For his work with youth soccer, head coach Kerry Shubert was named 2008 "Competitive Girl's Coach of the Year" by the Oklahoma Soccer Association.[22] Shubert had also been the OSA's 2007 Coach of the Year.[3]

Aftermath

The new team struggled on the field, winning just 2 games versus 5 losses.[4] However, the team drew well, nearly 700 fans per game,[16] and prepared to move to the Expo Square Pavilion for a 2008–09 season that was not to be.[1] The Cincinnati Excite opted to sit out the 2008–09 season, the Rockford Rampage moved to the new National Indoor Soccer League, and the Massachusetts Twisters were put up for sale then followed Rockford to the NISL.[23] With only the Revolution and the Northern Illinois Rebels remaining, the league folded in September 2008. The Revolution would lie dormant until winning an expansion franchise to join the Professional Arena Soccer League for its 2013–14 season.[24][25]

References
  1. Davis, Dwayne (January 23, 2008). "A Little Love for the S.N.I.T.P.A.T (Which means "Sports Nobody in Tulsa Pays Attention To")". Urban Tulsa Weekly. Tulsa, OK. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  2. Hibdon, Glenn (July 29, 2007). "Pro soccer: Soccer comes to Tulsa". Tulsa World. Tulsa, OK: World Publishing Company. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  3. "Tulsa Revolution Begins Indoor Season" (PDF). Smoke Signals. Vol. 23, no. 1. Oklahoma Soccer Association. January–February 2008. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  4. Paschette, Rich (March 9, 2008). "Let the Showdown Commence-Final Playoff Berth to be Settled This Saturday Night". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  5. "Waukegan-based team to debut Saturday". Lake County News-Sun. Waukegan, IL. November 7, 2007. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  6. Paschette, Rich (January 8, 2008). "AISL Has Wild Weekend! Rampage Streaks On, Tulsa Opens Strong, and Rebels Win Big!". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  7. Paschette, Rich (January 2, 2008). "AISL Revolution To Hit Tulsa This Saturday Night!". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  8. Paschette, Rich (January 31, 2008). "Rockford Moves One Step Closer To Title-Revs Win First!". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  9. Paschette, Rich (January 22, 2008). "AISL Teams Heading Down Home Stretch-Can Anyone Stop Rockford?". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  10. "Outside the Lines" (PDF). Smoke Signals. Vol. 23, no. 2. Oklahoma Soccer Association. March–April 2008. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  11. "AISL 2007 - 2008 Season Schedule". American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  12. "Soccer Update". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, OH. January 10, 2008. p. C2. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  13. "Livin' on Tulsa Time". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, OH. December 21, 2007. p. B2. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  14. "Soccer Update". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, OH. January 31, 2008. p. B2. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  15. "Indoor: Twisters Drop Heartbreaker". Soccer New England. January 27, 2008. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  16. Paschette, Rich (February 7, 2008). "Rampage Clinch AISL Regular Season Title!". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  17. "Indoor: Twisters End Skid". Soccer New England. February 3, 2008. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  18. Paschette, Rich (February 14, 2008). "Everyone's Still in the Race to Rockford as Season Winds Down!". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  19. "Rebels face Tulsa tonight AISL". Lake County News-Sun. Waukegan, IL. February 9, 2008. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  20. Paschette, Rich (February 20, 2008). "The "Road to Rockford" is Still In Sight For Excite, Twisters, Rebels". Off the Wall. American Indoor Soccer League. Archived from the original (DOC) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  21. Sullivan, Katie (February 20, 2008). "7+1: Helping recharge your social life every week". Urban Tulsa Weekly. Tulsa, OK. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  22. "Tulsa Revolution Completes Exhibition Season" (PDF). Smoke Signals. Vol. 23, no. 2. Oklahoma Soccer Association. March–April 2008. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  23. Krieger, Dan (September 29, 2008). "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". Our Sports Central. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  24. "Tulsa Revolution Granted PASL Membership for 2013/14". Our Sports Central. July 10, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  25. Ferguson, John D. (January 16, 2013). "Pro indoor soccer returning to Tulsa". Tulsa World. Tulsa, OK: World Publishing Company. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
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