Kalamazoo Outrage
Encyclopedia
Kalamazoo Outrage was an American soccer team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan
, United States
. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League
(PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
. The franchise folded at the end of the 2010 season and left the league thereafter.
The team played its home games in the stadium on the campus of Loy Norrix High School
, where they had played since 2009. The team's colors were blue and white.
The team had a sister organization, the Kalamazoo Outrage Women
, who played in the women's USL W-League, and also fielded a team in the USL’s Super-20 League
, a league for players 17 to 20 years of age run under the United Soccer Leagues
umbrella.
Outrage were not affiliated with the Kalamazoo Kingdom
soccer club, which competed in the PDL for many years until 2006, although Outrage's original head coach, Stu Riddle
, was the head coach of Kingdom during its last competitive season.
and called themselves The Kalamazoo Outfit, or TKO for short. Since then, TKO has been used as an acronym for Technical Knock-Out
, and even The Killer Oranges, both of which are listed as being correct on the official TKO website.
On November 14, 2007, the club announced a player development deal with one of England's oldest soccer teams, Sheffield Wednesday, who have a history of working with American players (former USA international team player John Harkes
played successfully with the Owls in the 1990s, and current international Frank Simek
is their current first-choice right-back). The Owls further cemented their link with the Outrage on April 16, 2008, when the Wednesday Academy sent midfielder Scott Ellis to play with Outrage for the 2008 season, the player having impressed head coach Stu Riddle
during their educational trip to Wednesday's Middlewood Road training ground in early 2008.
On May 13, 2008 the Outrage took part in the Old Burdicks Challenge Cup, in which they defeated perennial PDL powerhouse Michigan Bucks
in their first ever official match. The match, which was dubbed the "Battle of Michigan", was settled on penalty kicks, with the Outrage emerging as 5-4 victors. The scores were locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes with former Plymouth Argyle
schoolboy Dan Bulley scoring the Outrage's first ever goal. Striker Chase Corricelli scored the winning penalty kick.
Outrage's first weeks in PDL competition were extremely positive: after tying 0-0 with West Virginia Chaos
in their opening game, they proceeded to win three of their next four matches, including a comprehensive 4-0 win over 9-man Indiana Invaders
, and a 3-2 victory on the return fixture against West Virginia. An unexpected 4-1 defeat at the hands of Cleveland Internationals
at the beginning of June notwithstanting, Outrage's impressive form continued through the middle of the summer; three back-to-back wins over Cincinnati Kings
, West Michigan Edge
and Fort Wayne Fever
kept them well in the hunt for the playoffs. A couple of stutters in the run-in, including two home defeats to Indiana and Michigan Bucks
, briefly raised the heart rate in Kalamazoo, but a playoff spot was secured following their 5-2 home victory against West Michigan Edge
, which featured a hat trick from midfielder Mark Briggs
. Outrage entered the playoffs having suffered a 2-1 final day defeat, again to Michigan, but impressively overcame Chicago Fire Premier
2-0 in the Divisional Round to take their place in the Central Conference tournament in Pontiac, Michigan
. Against the run of form, Kalamazoo dispatched hot favorites Michigan Bucks
3-1 in their semi final, following a late equalizer from Tom Oatley and two goals in extra time. Despite being beaten 4-0 by eventual national champions Thunder Bay Chill
in the Central Conference final, Kalamazoo's impressive debut season bodes well for the future. Mark Briggs
was the team's top scorer, with 6 goals. It is also worth nothing that Kalamazoo striker Troy Mellanson
played for the Antiguan
national team in two of its qualifying games for the 2010 World Cup against Cuba
on 17 June 2008, and 22 June 2008.
On September 1, 2010, Outrage announced that they were ceasing operations and would not compete in PDL or W League play in 2011.
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Eric Alexander
Terry Alvino
Mark Briggs
Scott Ellis Eric Loyd
Troy Mellanson
Stu Riddle
Jason Stenta
(2008) Mark Spooner (2009) Chris Adrian (2010–present)
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
(PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
. The franchise folded at the end of the 2010 season and left the league thereafter.
The team played its home games in the stadium on the campus of Loy Norrix High School
Loy Norrix High School
Loy Norrix High School is a high school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving students from grades nine through twelve. It is one of two high schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools district. The student body totals at approximately 1,400. The school is named for a former superintendent of...
, where they had played since 2009. The team's colors were blue and white.
The team had a sister organization, the Kalamazoo Outrage Women
Kalamazoo Outrage (W-League)
Kalamazoo Outrage was an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2007. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada...
, who played in the women's USL W-League, and also fielded a team in the USL’s Super-20 League
Super-20 League
The United Soccer Leagues Super-20 League is an American-Canadian soccer league for players 17 to 20 years of age. Introduced in 2006 it took the place of the U-19 age bracket in the Super Y-League....
, a league for players 17 to 20 years of age run under the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
umbrella.
Outrage were not affiliated with the Kalamazoo Kingdom
Kalamazoo Kingdom
Kalamazoo Kingdom were an American soccer team, founded in 1996. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Kingdom folded their...
soccer club, which competed in the PDL for many years until 2006, although Outrage's original head coach, Stu Riddle
Stu Riddle
Stu Riddle is a New Zealand football player.- Playing career :Less than a year after leaving high school at Wellington's Scots College, Riddle shot to prominence after a high-scoring debut season with Wellington United in the New Zealand Superclub competition.At the age of 19 Riddle was the...
, was the head coach of Kingdom during its last competitive season.
History
Kalamazoo Outrage's entry into the PDL was announced in late 2007, just as that season's competition was ending. The club is part of the larger Kalamazoo TKO organization, which has runs men, women's and junior teams in the greater Kalamazoo area for many years. The acronym TKO apparently has no official meaning - it was first coined by a former coach, Paul Wolpert, when he was 11 years old and was part of a group of local Michigan AYSO players who participated in the Adidas Dominos Pizza Soccer Tournament in Lansing, MichiganLansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
and called themselves The Kalamazoo Outfit, or TKO for short. Since then, TKO has been used as an acronym for Technical Knock-Out
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
, and even The Killer Oranges, both of which are listed as being correct on the official TKO website.
On November 14, 2007, the club announced a player development deal with one of England's oldest soccer teams, Sheffield Wednesday, who have a history of working with American players (former USA international team player John Harkes
John Harkes
John Harkes is an American former soccer player. Harkes was the first American ever to play in the English Premier League, and the second American to score at Wembley Stadium. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He appeared in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, and won two MLS Cup...
played successfully with the Owls in the 1990s, and current international Frank Simek
Frank Simek
Franklin Michael "Frank" Simek is an American soccer player who plays for English League One side Carlisle United.-Playing career:Born in St...
is their current first-choice right-back). The Owls further cemented their link with the Outrage on April 16, 2008, when the Wednesday Academy sent midfielder Scott Ellis to play with Outrage for the 2008 season, the player having impressed head coach Stu Riddle
Stu Riddle
Stu Riddle is a New Zealand football player.- Playing career :Less than a year after leaving high school at Wellington's Scots College, Riddle shot to prominence after a high-scoring debut season with Wellington United in the New Zealand Superclub competition.At the age of 19 Riddle was the...
during their educational trip to Wednesday's Middlewood Road training ground in early 2008.
On May 13, 2008 the Outrage took part in the Old Burdicks Challenge Cup, in which they defeated perennial PDL powerhouse Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks is an American soccer team based in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
in their first ever official match. The match, which was dubbed the "Battle of Michigan", was settled on penalty kicks, with the Outrage emerging as 5-4 victors. The scores were locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes with former Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
schoolboy Dan Bulley scoring the Outrage's first ever goal. Striker Chase Corricelli scored the winning penalty kick.
Outrage's first weeks in PDL competition were extremely positive: after tying 0-0 with West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
in their opening game, they proceeded to win three of their next four matches, including a comprehensive 4-0 win over 9-man Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders is an American soccer team based in South Bend, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
, and a 3-2 victory on the return fixture against West Virginia. An unexpected 4-1 defeat at the hands of Cleveland Internationals
Cleveland Internationals
Cleveland Internationals was an American soccer team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2004, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference...
at the beginning of June notwithstanting, Outrage's impressive form continued through the middle of the summer; three back-to-back wins over Cincinnati Kings
Cincinnati Kings
Cincinnati Kings is an American soccer team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
, West Michigan Edge
West Michigan Edge
West Michigan Edge was an American soccer team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team played...
and Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever was an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
kept them well in the hunt for the playoffs. A couple of stutters in the run-in, including two home defeats to Indiana and Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks is an American soccer team based in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
, briefly raised the heart rate in Kalamazoo, but a playoff spot was secured following their 5-2 home victory against West Michigan Edge
West Michigan Edge
West Michigan Edge was an American soccer team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team played...
, which featured a hat trick from midfielder Mark Briggs
Mark Briggs
Mark Jonathan Briggs is an English professional footballer currently playing for Mosta in the Maltese First Division...
. Outrage entered the playoffs having suffered a 2-1 final day defeat, again to Michigan, but impressively overcame Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
2-0 in the Divisional Round to take their place in the Central Conference tournament in Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
. Against the run of form, Kalamazoo dispatched hot favorites Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks is an American soccer team based in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
3-1 in their semi final, following a late equalizer from Tom Oatley and two goals in extra time. Despite being beaten 4-0 by eventual national champions Thunder Bay Chill
Thunder Bay Chill
Thunder Bay Chill is a Canadian soccer team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2000, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American and Canadian soccer pyramids, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games...
in the Central Conference final, Kalamazoo's impressive debut season bodes well for the future. Mark Briggs
Mark Briggs
Mark Jonathan Briggs is an English professional footballer currently playing for Mosta in the Maltese First Division...
was the team's top scorer, with 6 goals. It is also worth nothing that Kalamazoo striker Troy Mellanson
Troy Mellanson
Troy Mellanson is an Antiguan and Barbudan footballer, who currently plays for Kalamazoo Outrage in the USL Premier Development League.-Club career:...
played for the Antiguan
Antigua and Barbuda national football team
The Antigua and Barbuda national football team is the national team of Antigua and Barbuda and is controlled by the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association. A member of CONCACAF. The team's best performance was in the 1998 Caribbean Cup where it placed 4th...
national team in two of its qualifying games for the 2010 World Cup against Cuba
Cuba national football team
The Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
on 17 June 2008, and 22 June 2008.
On September 1, 2010, Outrage announced that they were ceasing operations and would not compete in PDL or W League play in 2011.
Final roster
This list is a historical record of the final group of players on the last Outrage roster for their final game in August 2010. Source: http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/8969401.html#ROSTERNotable former players
- See also: All-time Kalamazoo Outrage rosterAll-time Kalamazoo Outrage rosterThis list comprises all players who have participated in at least one league match for Kalamazoo Outrage since the team's first season in the USL Premier Development League in 2008 until their last in 2010...
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Eric Alexander
Eric Alexander (soccer)
Eric Alexander is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
Terry Alvino
Terry Alvino
Terry Alvino is an American soccer player currently playing for Kalamazoo Outrage in the USL Premier Development League....
Mark Briggs
Mark Briggs
Mark Jonathan Briggs is an English professional footballer currently playing for Mosta in the Maltese First Division...
Scott Ellis Eric Loyd
Eric Loyd
Eric Loyd is a U.S. soccer defender who currently plays for USL Premier Development League side Kalamazoo Outrage.-High school and college:...
Troy Mellanson
Troy Mellanson
Troy Mellanson is an Antiguan and Barbudan footballer, who currently plays for Kalamazoo Outrage in the USL Premier Development League.-Club career:...
Stu Riddle
Stu Riddle
Stu Riddle is a New Zealand football player.- Playing career :Less than a year after leaving high school at Wellington's Scots College, Riddle shot to prominence after a high-scoring debut season with Wellington United in the New Zealand Superclub competition.At the age of 19 Riddle was the...
Jason Stenta
Jason Stenta
Jason Stenta is an American soccer player who last played for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Second Division.-College and Amateur:...
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Midwest | Conference Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2009 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Great Lakes | Divisional Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2010 | 4 | USL PDL | 8th, Great Lakes | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
Head coaches
Stu RiddleStu Riddle
Stu Riddle is a New Zealand football player.- Playing career :Less than a year after leaving high school at Wellington's Scots College, Riddle shot to prominence after a high-scoring debut season with Wellington United in the New Zealand Superclub competition.At the age of 19 Riddle was the...
(2008) Mark Spooner (2009) Chris Adrian (2010–present)
Stadia
- Mayors Riverfront Stadium; Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, MichiganThe area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
(2008) - Stadium at Loy Norrix High SchoolLoy Norrix High SchoolLoy Norrix High School is a high school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving students from grades nine through twelve. It is one of two high schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools district. The student body totals at approximately 1,400. The school is named for a former superintendent of...
; Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, MichiganThe area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
(2009–present)
Average attendance
Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html- 2008: 371
- 2009: 221
- 2010: 158