Chance Fry
Encyclopedia
Chance Fry is a retired U.S. soccer forward
who began his career straight out of high school with the Seattle Sounders
of the North American Soccer League
. With the collapse of the NASL, he moved to indoor soccer as well as U.S. minor leagues. Since retiring from playing, Fry has become a college soccer coach. He also earned five caps with the U.S. national team
in 1984 and was the 1990 American Professional Soccer League leading goal scorer.
, had a long career as a U.S. soccer player. Fry attended and played boys soccer at Sammamish High School
in Bellevue where he was a Parade Magazine High School All American and All Conference his senior year.
selected Fry out of high school with the first pick of the 1983 North American Soccer League
draft. He played for the Sounders during their last year in existence, 1983, scoring four goals and assisting on three more. Because he was from the local area, he lived with his parents while playing for the Sounders. In October 1983, the Tulsa Roughnecks
selected Fry in the dispersal draft. He played for the Roughnecks during the 1983-1984 NASL indoor season. He continued to mature as a player, seeing time in 22 games, scoring 8 goals and assisting on 4 more during the 1984 outdoor season. At the end of the season, the Roughnecks and the NASL folded. In October 1984, Fry moved to the Chicago Sting
as the team prepared for the upcoming Major Indoor Soccer League
season, but the Sting sold his contract to the New York Cosmos
in November. As the Cosmos began to fail financially, they released Fry and several other players in March 1985. In the summer of 1986, he signed with the Milwaukee Wave
of the American Indoor Soccer Association, but was traded to the expansion Fort Wayne Flames
. In 1986, Fry was with the San Jose Earthquakes
in the Western Soccer Alliance (WSA). While the Earthquakes finished sixth out of seven teams, Fry had an excellent year, scoring 8 goals (second in the league). In 1987, Fry moved to the Seattle Storm
. This year he finally experienced some team success as the Storm finished second in the league, falling to the Earthquakes in the wild card game. In 1988, Fry remained with the Storm, helping it to the WSA championship, scoring an unassisted goal in Seattle's 5-0 destruction of the Earthquakes. Fry ended the season 8th on the points list with 3 goals and 3 assists. In 1989, Fry continued to produce for the Storm, finishing fifth in the league's points chart with 20 off 8 goals and 4 assists. In 1990, the Western Soccer League
merged with the American Soccer League
to form the American Professional Soccer League
. Fry dominated the new league, scoring a league high 17 goals, assisting on 5 more and topping the APSL points list with 39. The team, however, did not do as well. It finished with a 10-10 record and folded at the end of the season. Fry remained in the APSL, but moved to the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
for the 1991 season. While Fry did not produce as many points for the Blackhawks as he did for the Storm, (6 goals, 2 assists and 14 points), the team still won the 1991 APSL championship. In 1994, Fry returned to the second version of the Seattle Sounders
of the APSL. That year, he scored 11 goals in 18 games and was selected as a 1st Team All Star. He would play with the team through the 1997 season.
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who began his career straight out of high school with the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. With the collapse of the NASL, he moved to indoor soccer as well as U.S. minor leagues. Since retiring from playing, Fry has become a college soccer coach. He also earned five caps with the U.S. national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in 1984 and was the 1990 American Professional Soccer League leading goal scorer.
Youth
Chance Fry, a native of Bellevue, WashingtonBellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, had a long career as a U.S. soccer player. Fry attended and played boys soccer at Sammamish High School
Sammamish High School
Sammamish High School is a public secondary school in Bellevue, Washington, USA, serving students in grades 9–12. The school is part of the Bellevue School District, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. The school is known as the Totems, and the mascot is the...
in Bellevue where he was a Parade Magazine High School All American and All Conference his senior year.
Professional
In 1982, the Seattle SoundersSeattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
selected Fry out of high school with the first pick of the 1983 North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
draft. He played for the Sounders during their last year in existence, 1983, scoring four goals and assisting on three more. Because he was from the local area, he lived with his parents while playing for the Sounders. In October 1983, the Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
selected Fry in the dispersal draft. He played for the Roughnecks during the 1983-1984 NASL indoor season. He continued to mature as a player, seeing time in 22 games, scoring 8 goals and assisting on 4 more during the 1984 outdoor season. At the end of the season, the Roughnecks and the NASL folded. In October 1984, Fry moved to the Chicago Sting
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
as the team prepared for the upcoming Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
season, but the Sting sold his contract to the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
in November. As the Cosmos began to fail financially, they released Fry and several other players in March 1985. In the summer of 1986, he signed with the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the American Indoor Soccer Association, but was traded to the expansion Fort Wayne Flames
Fort Wayne Flames
The Fort Wayne Flames were an indoor soccer club based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that competed in the American Indoor Soccer Association, playing home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum from 1986-1989....
. In 1986, Fry was with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in the Western Soccer Alliance (WSA). While the Earthquakes finished sixth out of seven teams, Fry had an excellent year, scoring 8 goals (second in the league). In 1987, Fry moved to the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm (soccer)
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to...
. This year he finally experienced some team success as the Storm finished second in the league, falling to the Earthquakes in the wild card game. In 1988, Fry remained with the Storm, helping it to the WSA championship, scoring an unassisted goal in Seattle's 5-0 destruction of the Earthquakes. Fry ended the season 8th on the points list with 3 goals and 3 assists. In 1989, Fry continued to produce for the Storm, finishing fifth in the league's points chart with 20 off 8 goals and 4 assists. In 1990, the Western Soccer League
Western Soccer League
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance...
merged with the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
to form the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
. Fry dominated the new league, scoring a league high 17 goals, assisting on 5 more and topping the APSL points list with 39. The team, however, did not do as well. It finished with a 10-10 record and folded at the end of the season. Fry remained in the APSL, but moved to the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks was a professional soccer team which came into existence in 1989 as a team in the Western Soccer League . The Blackhawks spent time in the American Professional Soccer League and the United States Interregional Soccer League...
for the 1991 season. While Fry did not produce as many points for the Blackhawks as he did for the Storm, (6 goals, 2 assists and 14 points), the team still won the 1991 APSL championship. In 1994, Fry returned to the second version of the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (USL)
Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's...
of the APSL. That year, he scored 11 goals in 18 games and was selected as a 1st Team All Star. He would play with the team through the 1997 season.