Louisville Lightning
Encyclopedia
Louisville Lightning are an indoor soccer
team based in Louisville, Kentucky
. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League
in 2009
. They were confirmed as an expansion team in August of that year and began playing in November of the same year.
was looking to expand following the collapse of the Colorado Lightning
after the 2008-09 season
. Louisville
was awarded the team in August with the ownership group of Wayne Estopinal and Ted Nichols and the new team was aptly named the Lightning as well. The team joined the Eastern Division of the PASL with the 1790 Cincinnati Express, Detroit Waza
, and St. Louis Illusion
, moving the Texas Outlaws
from the Eastern Division to the Western Division.
Only three months later, the Lightning opened the season at home against the 1790 Cincinnati Express, losing a tight match 6-5. The following week, Louisville notched their first-ever victory against the Detroit Waza 8-3, kicking off what was to be a highly successful inaugural year. The team evened out to 4-4 by mid-January, before throwing together a 5-game winning streak, including crushing the St. Louis Illusion
8-1, Detroit Waza
15-6, and Ohio Vortex
14-8 in consecutive home games. Despite ending the year with two wins against division-leading Cincinnati and Detroit, the Lightning finished one game out of playoff contention at 11-5 to the 12-4 1790 Cincinnati Express.
In addition to the regular season, the Lightning made their way through the first two rounds of the US Open Cup, defeating the West Virginia Quantum Force 22-1 and Ohio Vortex
18-4. Close wins over the Detroit Waza
7-6 and 1790 Cincinnati Express 8-5 put the new team in the championship game against the veteran San Diego Sockers to be played in Louisville in April 2010. San Diego started off early and defeated Louisville 11-7, earning their first Open Cup championship in the second year of the tournament.
There was a silver lining in the season for Louisville, as the team received several honors at the end of the year. First-year coach Scott Budnick won Coach of the Year for his accomplishments. F Safet Kovacevic was honored by being named All-League First Team, while D Jonathan Kincheloe was named to the Second Team.
In January 2010, the Lightning signed Louisville native John Michael Hayden
, formerly of the MLS
Houston Dynamo
. Michael never participated in a match for the main squad, but had multiple reserve call-ups. He made his debut against the Ohio Vortex on January 2, scoring two goals in the 11-9 win. He re-signed with the team in September 2010. The deal opened the door for more professional talent to put on the Lightning uniform. Later that year, the team signed Othaniel Yanez
and Thabiso Khumalo
, becoming the first PASL team to have three former MLS players on its roster at the same time.
The new season also brought changes outside the lines. First-year coach Scott Budnick stepped down, and co-owner Ted Nichols took his spot. The year started off terribly poor, going 1-5 in PASL play with the sole win a 13-7 victory in Tijuana. The newly renamed Cincinnati Kings edged Louisville in the season opener 6-5, followed by another home heartbreaker 6-4 to Detroit. After beating Tijuana, the Lightning faced off with San Diego in a rematch of the US Open Cup final the previous year, except this time in San Diego. The outcome was a familiar one, losing 11-5. After an easy victory in the US Open Cup over the Evansville Crush 25-3, Louisville welcomed San Diego to Louisville again, losing 10-7, followed by a losing trip to Cincinnati 11-9.
Following another easy US Open Cup victory over A.A.F.C. (following that team’s impressive upset of the Detroit Waza in the first round) 23-5, Louisville sacked Detroit on the road 10-4, followed by yet another loss to Cincinnati 10-7. Standing at 2-6, Louisville made a comeback. They rolled off four straight victories, three against the Ohio Vortex (8-3, 14-7, 11-4), and another against Detroit (8-7). After two close losses against Detroit (10-9) and the Illinois Piasa
(11-8), the Lightning finished strong with a 13-6 drubbing of Ohio, followed by the team’s first-ever victory in Cincinnati 9-4, the Kings' first-ever home loss.
The victory over Cincinnati also came with some added drama. After the victory over A.A.F.C. in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, Louisville and Cincinnati were slated to play in the semifinals. Normally, when two PASL teams match up against each other in the tournament and they have a future game within an acceptable time frame, that game would count as both a PASL regular season game and the US Open Cup game in order to avoid unnecessary costs. However, Cincinnati claimed to already be selling tickets for a separate game to count as the Cup game. While Louisville was willing to play in a separate game, it pushed strongly for the March 4 matchup to count as both. After deliberation, the PASL decided that Louisville should forfeit the match instead of deciding the outcome on the field. The victory over Cincinnati would have resulted in Louisville facing off with San Diego in the US Open Cup finals for the second straight year, but instead San Diego defeated Cincinnati 13-6.
semifinals and a PASL regular season game, Louisville defeated Cincinnati for the first time 8-5 at home, earning the right to meet San Diego in the finals.
The following year, Cincinnati and Louisville would meet another four times with similar results. Cincinnati took the season opener 6-5 yet again in Louisville, before winning at home 11-9 and again in Louisville 10-7. However, the largest margin of victory came in a controversial game to end the 2010-11 season. The two teams were slated to play each other again in the US Open Cup semifinals to face San Diego, but following miscommunication between the teams the PASL determined that Louisville would forfeit the semifinal matchup, even though the game could have once again served as both the semifinal game and a PASL regular season game. A fire was lit under the Lightning players, and they left the victor 9-4.
, hosted by Louisville. The Sockers scored three quick goals to start off the match and despite an even matchup the rest of the way, won 11-7 to clinch their first Open Cup.
The 2010-11 season pitted the teams against each other twice. On a west coast swing, Louisville visited San Diego one day after defeating Tijuana, but were not able to enjoy another victory. San Diego controlled the game from the start, winning 11-5. Two weeks later, San Diego took a trip to the Midwest and found themselves in Louisville once again. While the closest result of the three, the Sockers found themselves on top once again 10-7. Had the aforementioned game in Lightning-Kings game counted as the semifinal match for the 2010-11 US Open Cup, the two teams would have found themselves playing for the third time that year, and the second consecutive year in the Open Cup finals.
The official capacity of MVSC for Lightning games is 1,500 fans, but the Lightning have surpassed that mark during a record crowd of 1,547 hosting Cincinnati near the end of the 2009-10 season.
, and Detroit Waza
.
Ted Nichols and Scott Budnick return for the Louisville Lightning's third season as duel threat of head coaches. It was announced on Sept. 2, 2011, only a couple months before the start of the season on November 4th. Lightning owner, Wayne Estopinal, had this to say about the coaching change, "Having Scott Budnick and Ted Nichols to lead the third campaign of our already entertaining and competitive professional team is perfect. We expect an exciting brand of soccer this year, one that the Louisville soccer community will support and cheer on to a PASL Championship.”
Nichols had this to say about his new Associate Head Coach, "I am very excited and looking forward to working with Scott. He was someone I could rely on last year after the games and was a great positive for me throughout the season. Our number one priority is to provide a top professional culture within the training sessions on a weekly basis. The rest should take care of itself.” Budnick continued on to talk about his counter part, "We will make every effort to improve on the club’s past success as we focus on this season’s journey,” states Budnick. “I would like to also thank the Lightning fans for their overwhelming support and look forward to seeing them again soon.”
, United States
that plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division
, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
. The team was created by Phil Rawlins, a board member of English
Premier League club Stoke City
, as part of an effort to eventually bring MLS to the city. Wayne Estopinal serves as part-owner of both the Lightning and Orlando City, hence their partnership.
The affiliation paid off early for Orlando City, as University of Louisville
standout Charlie Campbell
was signed to a 2-year contract in May 2011 thanks in small part to his connection with Estopinal. Campbell had previously been drafted by FC Dallas
in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft
, but was not offered a contract.
(PASL-Premier), the official developmental league for the Professional Arena Soccer League
(PASL-Pro). The team joined the Midwest Division, joining the Cincinnati Saints, Cincinnati Kings Reserves, Piasa FC
, FC Indiana, Paducah Wildcats, and Evansville Crush
.
The Lightning Reserves had a rough start to their inaugural 2010-11 season, going 1-5 with their sole victory against the winless Paducah Wildcats. However, they finished the season with two home victories against FC Indiana and Paducah to end the season 3-5, just behind Piasa FC
at 3-4-1.
The Reserves hit a high note during qualifying for the 2010-11 US Open Cup. Victories against the independent Rochester Rhinos (2-1) and UFC Eagles (5-1), followed by a close loss to the Evansville Crush (4-3), put the team at 2-1 and tied with Rochester in total points. However, the Lightning were one better in goal differential, and advanced to the final for a rematch against Evansville. At the end of regulation, the match was tied 6-6, but Evansville prevailed in overtime 7-6 to earn a matchup against the Louisville Lightning PASL-Pro team. In that game, the Lightning put an end to Evansville’s run 25-3.
The newly partnered team began with a bang, winning the Greater Louisville Soccer League’s Men’s Open Division in May 2011, with Beganovic earning the title of tournament MVP. Soon afterwards, the Juventus Lightning took part in the Jasmin Batanovic Memorial 6v6 Soccer Tournament, and fought off teams from around the region and as far away as Chicago to earn its second title in two tries. Success also came in the Louisville Latino Soccer League, opening their season with an undefeated 9-0-1 mark, good enough for first place.
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
team based in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League
Professional Arena Soccer League
The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA ....
in 2009
2009–10 PASL-Pro season
-Awards:-All-League First Team:-All-League Second Team:-External links:*...
. They were confirmed as an expansion team in August of that year and began playing in November of the same year.
History
In 2009, the PASLProfessional Arena Soccer League
The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA ....
was looking to expand following the collapse of the Colorado Lightning
Colorado Lightning
The Colorado Lightning are an American Arena indoor soccer team, founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League , the first division of arena soccer in North America....
after the 2008-09 season
2008–09 PASL-Pro Season
The 2008-09 Professional Arena Soccer League is the inaugural season for the league. The PASL-Pro is the largest indoor soccer league, hosting 21 teams spreading from Canada, the United States of America, and the Mexico...
. Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
was awarded the team in August with the ownership group of Wayne Estopinal and Ted Nichols and the new team was aptly named the Lightning as well. The team joined the Eastern Division of the PASL with the 1790 Cincinnati Express, Detroit Waza
Detroit Waza
The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season....
, and St. Louis Illusion
St. Louis Illusion
The St. Louis Illusion are an American Arena soccer team, founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League , the first division of arena soccer in North America.-Arena:...
, moving the Texas Outlaws
Texas Outlaws
-Current roster:-Year-by-year:-Arenas:* NYTEX Sports Centre 2008-2009* Arena Athletics 2009* TCG Arena 2009–present-Schedules/Results:-External links:* * *...
from the Eastern Division to the Western Division.
Only three months later, the Lightning opened the season at home against the 1790 Cincinnati Express, losing a tight match 6-5. The following week, Louisville notched their first-ever victory against the Detroit Waza 8-3, kicking off what was to be a highly successful inaugural year. The team evened out to 4-4 by mid-January, before throwing together a 5-game winning streak, including crushing the St. Louis Illusion
St. Louis Illusion
The St. Louis Illusion are an American Arena soccer team, founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League , the first division of arena soccer in North America.-Arena:...
8-1, Detroit Waza
Detroit Waza
The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season....
15-6, and Ohio Vortex
Ohio Vortex
Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan...
14-8 in consecutive home games. Despite ending the year with two wins against division-leading Cincinnati and Detroit, the Lightning finished one game out of playoff contention at 11-5 to the 12-4 1790 Cincinnati Express.
In addition to the regular season, the Lightning made their way through the first two rounds of the US Open Cup, defeating the West Virginia Quantum Force 22-1 and Ohio Vortex
Ohio Vortex
Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan...
18-4. Close wins over the Detroit Waza
Detroit Waza
The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season....
7-6 and 1790 Cincinnati Express 8-5 put the new team in the championship game against the veteran San Diego Sockers to be played in Louisville in April 2010. San Diego started off early and defeated Louisville 11-7, earning their first Open Cup championship in the second year of the tournament.
There was a silver lining in the season for Louisville, as the team received several honors at the end of the year. First-year coach Scott Budnick won Coach of the Year for his accomplishments. F Safet Kovacevic was honored by being named All-League First Team, while D Jonathan Kincheloe was named to the Second Team.
In January 2010, the Lightning signed Louisville native John Michael Hayden
John Michael Hayden
John Michael Hayden is an American soccer player, currently playing for semi-professional indoor soccer team, the Louisville Lightning.-Youth and College:...
, formerly of the MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
. Michael never participated in a match for the main squad, but had multiple reserve call-ups. He made his debut against the Ohio Vortex on January 2, scoring two goals in the 11-9 win. He re-signed with the team in September 2010. The deal opened the door for more professional talent to put on the Lightning uniform. Later that year, the team signed Othaniel Yanez
Othaniel Yanez
Othaniel Yanez is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Yanez averaged 8 goals and 4.5 assists during his final two years at Moreno Valley High School and helped lead his U-17 Pateadores Soccer Club to its first ever National Championship during that period.He played college soccer at the...
and Thabiso Khumalo
Thabiso Khumalo
Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo is a South African footballer currently playing for Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Professional Division.-Early Life and College:...
, becoming the first PASL team to have three former MLS players on its roster at the same time.
The new season also brought changes outside the lines. First-year coach Scott Budnick stepped down, and co-owner Ted Nichols took his spot. The year started off terribly poor, going 1-5 in PASL play with the sole win a 13-7 victory in Tijuana. The newly renamed Cincinnati Kings edged Louisville in the season opener 6-5, followed by another home heartbreaker 6-4 to Detroit. After beating Tijuana, the Lightning faced off with San Diego in a rematch of the US Open Cup final the previous year, except this time in San Diego. The outcome was a familiar one, losing 11-5. After an easy victory in the US Open Cup over the Evansville Crush 25-3, Louisville welcomed San Diego to Louisville again, losing 10-7, followed by a losing trip to Cincinnati 11-9.
Following another easy US Open Cup victory over A.A.F.C. (following that team’s impressive upset of the Detroit Waza in the first round) 23-5, Louisville sacked Detroit on the road 10-4, followed by yet another loss to Cincinnati 10-7. Standing at 2-6, Louisville made a comeback. They rolled off four straight victories, three against the Ohio Vortex (8-3, 14-7, 11-4), and another against Detroit (8-7). After two close losses against Detroit (10-9) and the Illinois Piasa
Piasa FC
Piasa F.C. is an American Arena soccer team, founded in 2006.The team is a charter member of the Premier Arena Soccer League , the second division of arena soccer in North America....
(11-8), the Lightning finished strong with a 13-6 drubbing of Ohio, followed by the team’s first-ever victory in Cincinnati 9-4, the Kings' first-ever home loss.
The victory over Cincinnati also came with some added drama. After the victory over A.A.F.C. in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, Louisville and Cincinnati were slated to play in the semifinals. Normally, when two PASL teams match up against each other in the tournament and they have a future game within an acceptable time frame, that game would count as both a PASL regular season game and the US Open Cup game in order to avoid unnecessary costs. However, Cincinnati claimed to already be selling tickets for a separate game to count as the Cup game. While Louisville was willing to play in a separate game, it pushed strongly for the March 4 matchup to count as both. After deliberation, the PASL decided that Louisville should forfeit the match instead of deciding the outcome on the field. The victory over Cincinnati would have resulted in Louisville facing off with San Diego in the US Open Cup finals for the second straight year, but instead San Diego defeated Cincinnati 13-6.
Thunder Zone
The Thunder Zone was created for the most passionate Lightning fans in the inaugural 2009-10 season. Seated directly behind the east goal, these fans are responsible for creating one of the loudest atmospheres in the PASL. Notable members of the Thunder Zone include the Lightning Shock Squad, dressed in yellow and black full body suits, and the masked Dr. Boltenstein.Kids’ Zone
Thanks to the dual-field setup at Mockingbird Valley Soccer Club, the Lightning home venue, children at the game are able to play on the second field if not watching the game. They can play soccer themselves or on inflatables while being monitored by Lightning and Mockingbird staff. Kids can also become official members of the Louisville Lightning Kids’ Club, which allows for autograph sessions for Lightning players, team posters and schedule cards, and the ability to rent out party rooms during games among other features.Cincinnati Kings
Though still a young team, the Lightning have created an intense rivalry with the Cincinnati Kings through multiple interdivisional games. Louisville’s inaugural game was a loss to Cincinnati (then the 1790 Cincinnati Express) 6-5 at home, which was followed by two more close losses (9-8 and 7-6) in Cincinnati. However, in a game serving as both the US Open Cup2009–10 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer
The 2009-10 Arena Open Cup is the second edition of an open knockout style tournament for Arena/Indoor Soccer. Currently teams from the PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier participate in the Tournament.-US Arena Open Cup Bracket:-Qualifying:...
semifinals and a PASL regular season game, Louisville defeated Cincinnati for the first time 8-5 at home, earning the right to meet San Diego in the finals.
The following year, Cincinnati and Louisville would meet another four times with similar results. Cincinnati took the season opener 6-5 yet again in Louisville, before winning at home 11-9 and again in Louisville 10-7. However, the largest margin of victory came in a controversial game to end the 2010-11 season. The two teams were slated to play each other again in the US Open Cup semifinals to face San Diego, but following miscommunication between the teams the PASL determined that Louisville would forfeit the semifinal matchup, even though the game could have once again served as both the semifinal game and a PASL regular season game. A fire was lit under the Lightning players, and they left the victor 9-4.
San Diego Sockers
Despite the distance between the two cities, the Lightning and San Diego Sockers have played several heated matchups, with San Diego the victor in all three games. The first time the teams met was in the final of the 2009-10 US Open Cup2009–10 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer
The 2009-10 Arena Open Cup is the second edition of an open knockout style tournament for Arena/Indoor Soccer. Currently teams from the PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier participate in the Tournament.-US Arena Open Cup Bracket:-Qualifying:...
, hosted by Louisville. The Sockers scored three quick goals to start off the match and despite an even matchup the rest of the way, won 11-7 to clinch their first Open Cup.
The 2010-11 season pitted the teams against each other twice. On a west coast swing, Louisville visited San Diego one day after defeating Tijuana, but were not able to enjoy another victory. San Diego controlled the game from the start, winning 11-5. Two weeks later, San Diego took a trip to the Midwest and found themselves in Louisville once again. While the closest result of the three, the Sockers found themselves on top once again 10-7. Had the aforementioned game in Lightning-Kings game counted as the semifinal match for the 2010-11 US Open Cup, the two teams would have found themselves playing for the third time that year, and the second consecutive year in the Open Cup finals.
Arena
Mockingbird Valley Soccer Club has hosted Lightning home games since the team’s inception in 2009. The facility, located just minutes from downtown Louisville, has a two-field setup, with the Lightning playing its games on the newer Field #2, built with permanent seating around the side. For the 2010-11 season, new permanent seating was added to accommodate the growing popularity of the team. The facility also features a VIP viewing area above the action as well as two party rooms that can be rented out every game.The official capacity of MVSC for Lightning games is 1,500 fans, but the Lightning have surpassed that mark during a record crowd of 1,547 hosting Cincinnati near the end of the 2009-10 season.
Year-By-Year
| Year | League | Record | GS | GA | Finish | Playoff | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 2009–10 PASL-Pro season -Awards:-All-League First Team:-All-League Second Team:-External links:*... |
PASL-Pro Professional Arena Soccer League The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA .... |
11-5 | 157 | 111 | 2nd Eastern | DNQ | 971 |
| 2010-11 | PASL-Pro Professional Arena Soccer League The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA .... |
8-8 | 140 | 117 | 2nd Eastern | DNQ | 1,026 |
| 2011-12 2011–12 PASL-Pro season March 2-4, 2012Wild Card Round Fri. March 9, 2012 SemifinalsSemifinal A -Semifinal B -Sat. March 10, 2012 Finals-Awards:-All-League First Team:-All-League Second Team:-External links:*... |
PASL-Pro Professional Arena Soccer League The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA .... |
0-0 | 000 | 000 | XX Eastern | XXX | 0,000 |
US Open Cup Results
| Year | Round | Final Game | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 2009–10 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer The 2009-10 Arena Open Cup is the second edition of an open knockout style tournament for Arena/Indoor Soccer. Currently teams from the PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier participate in the Tournament.-US Arena Open Cup Bracket:-Qualifying:... |
Finals | L 11-7 to San Diego Sockers | 62 | 27 | +35 |
| 2010-11 | Semifinals | L 3-0 to Cincinnati Kings | 48 | 11 | +37 |
2010-11 schedule
Lightning played 17 games in their second season as members of the Eastern Division which also includes the Cincinnati Kings, Ohio VortexOhio Vortex
Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan...
, and Detroit Waza
Detroit Waza
The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season....
.
| Date | Level | Opponent | Location | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.12.2010 | PASL | Cincinnati Kings | Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
L 6-5 | 0-1 |
| 11.19.2010 | PASL | Detroit Waza Detroit Waza The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season.... |
Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
L 6-4 | 0-2 |
| 12.03.2010 | PASL | Revolucion Tijuana | Tijuana, Mexico Tijuana Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics... |
W 13-7 | 1-2 |
| 12.04.2010 | PASL | San Diego Sockers | Del Mar Del Mar, California Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located... |
L 11-5 | 1-3 |
| 12.10.2010 | US Open Cup | Evansville Crush Evansville Crush The Evansville Crush are an American indoor soccer team, founded in 2010. The indoor team is a member of the Premier Arena Soccer League , the development league for the Professional Arena Soccer League , and plays in the Midwest Conference against teams from Cincinnati, Ohio , Granite City,... |
Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
W 25-3 | Round of 16 (2-3, overall) |
| 12.17.2010 | PASL | San Diego Sockers | Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
L 10-7 | 1-4 (2-4, overall) |
| 1.01.2010 | PASL | Cincinnati Kings | Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's... |
L 11-9 | 1-5 (2-5, overall) |
| 1.07.2010 | US Open Cup | A.A.F.C. | Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
W 23-5 | Quarterfinals (3-5, overall) |
| 1.15.2010 | PASL | Detroit Waza Detroit Waza The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season.... |
Taylor Taylor, Michigan Taylor is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 63,131 at the 2010 census. Taylor was originally known as Taylor Township and residents of the township voted to incorporate as the City of Taylor in May 1968... |
W 10-4 | 2-5 (4-5, overall) |
| 1.22.2010 | PASL | Cincinnati Kings | Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
L 10-7 | 2-6 (4-6, overall) |
| 1.28.2010 | PASL | Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan... |
Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
W 8-3 | 3-6 (5-6, overall) |
| 2.04.2010 | PASL | Detroit Waza Detroit Waza The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season.... |
Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
W 8-7 | 4-6 (6-6, overall) |
| 2.05.2010 | PASL | Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan... |
Canton Canton, Ohio Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area... |
W 14-7 | 5-6 (7-6, overall) |
| 2.11.2010 | PASL | Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan... |
Canton Canton, Ohio Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area... |
W 11-4 | 6-6 (8-6, overall) |
| 2.12.2010 | PASL | Detroit Waza Detroit Waza The Detroit Waza are an American arena soccer team founded in 2008.The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League .They will play their home matches at the Taylor Sportsplex in Taylor, Michigan during the 2010-11 season.... |
Taylor Taylor, Michigan Taylor is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 63,131 at the 2010 census. Taylor was originally known as Taylor Township and residents of the township voted to incorporate as the City of Taylor in May 1968... |
L 10-9 | 6-7 (8-7, overall) |
| 2.19.2010 | PASL | Illinois Piasa Piasa FC Piasa F.C. is an American Arena soccer team, founded in 2006.The team is a charter member of the Premier Arena Soccer League , the second division of arena soccer in North America.... |
Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
L 11-8 | 6-8 (8-8, overall) |
| 2.25.2010 | PASL | Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan... |
Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
W 13-6 | 7-8 (9-8, overall) |
| 3.04.2010 | PASL | Cincinnati Kings | Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's... |
W 9-4 | 8-8 (10-8, overall) |
Head Coaches
Scott Budnick (2009-2010), overall record: 11-6 Ted Nichols (2010-2011), overall record: 10-8Ted Nichols and Scott Budnick return for the Louisville Lightning's third season as duel threat of head coaches. It was announced on Sept. 2, 2011, only a couple months before the start of the season on November 4th. Lightning owner, Wayne Estopinal, had this to say about the coaching change, "Having Scott Budnick and Ted Nichols to lead the third campaign of our already entertaining and competitive professional team is perfect. We expect an exciting brand of soccer this year, one that the Louisville soccer community will support and cheer on to a PASL Championship.”
Nichols had this to say about his new Associate Head Coach, "I am very excited and looking forward to working with Scott. He was someone I could rely on last year after the games and was a great positive for me throughout the season. Our number one priority is to provide a top professional culture within the training sessions on a weekly basis. The rest should take care of itself.” Budnick continued on to talk about his counter part, "We will make every effort to improve on the club’s past success as we focus on this season’s journey,” states Budnick. “I would like to also thank the Lightning fans for their overwhelming support and look forward to seeing them again soon.”
Current Player Roster
Historical Roster
Orlando City S.C.
In 2011, Louisville became affiliated with Orlando City S.C., a professional soccer team based in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division
USL Pro
The USL Professional Division, commonly known as USL Pro , is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011....
, the third 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 team was created by Phil Rawlins, a board member of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Premier League club Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, as part of an effort to eventually bring MLS to the city. Wayne Estopinal serves as part-owner of both the Lightning and Orlando City, hence their partnership.
The affiliation paid off early for Orlando City, as University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
standout Charlie Campbell
Charlie Campbell
Charlie Campbell is an American soccer player who currently plays for Orlando City in the USL Professional Division.-College and Amateur:...
was signed to a 2-year contract in May 2011 thanks in small part to his connection with Estopinal. Campbell had previously been drafted by FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft
2011 MLS SuperDraft
The 2011 MLS SuperDraft was the twelfth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 13, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, during the 2011 NSCAA Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2011 SuperDraft consisted of three rounds with eighteen selections each, for...
, but was not offered a contract.
Louisville Lightning Reserves
The Louisville Lightning Reserves were created in fall 2010 in order to begin play in the Premier Arena Soccer LeaguePremier Arena Soccer League
The Premier Arena Soccer League is an Indoor Soccer league with amateur and semi-professional teams. PASL-Premier currently has 38 teams in 6 divisions across the USA and Mexico. PASL-Premier is the official developmental league of the Professional Arena Soccer League .Teams play in regional...
(PASL-Premier), the official developmental league for the Professional Arena Soccer League
Professional Arena Soccer League
The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA ....
(PASL-Pro). The team joined the Midwest Division, joining the Cincinnati Saints, Cincinnati Kings Reserves, Piasa FC
Piasa FC
Piasa F.C. is an American Arena soccer team, founded in 2006.The team is a charter member of the Premier Arena Soccer League , the second division of arena soccer in North America....
, FC Indiana, Paducah Wildcats, and Evansville Crush
Evansville Crush
The Evansville Crush are an American indoor soccer team, founded in 2010. The indoor team is a member of the Premier Arena Soccer League , the development league for the Professional Arena Soccer League , and plays in the Midwest Conference against teams from Cincinnati, Ohio , Granite City,...
.
The Lightning Reserves had a rough start to their inaugural 2010-11 season, going 1-5 with their sole victory against the winless Paducah Wildcats. However, they finished the season with two home victories against FC Indiana and Paducah to end the season 3-5, just behind Piasa FC
Piasa FC
Piasa F.C. is an American Arena soccer team, founded in 2006.The team is a charter member of the Premier Arena Soccer League , the second division of arena soccer in North America....
at 3-4-1.
The Reserves hit a high note during qualifying for the 2010-11 US Open Cup. Victories against the independent Rochester Rhinos (2-1) and UFC Eagles (5-1), followed by a close loss to the Evansville Crush (4-3), put the team at 2-1 and tied with Rochester in total points. However, the Lightning were one better in goal differential, and advanced to the final for a rematch against Evansville. At the end of regulation, the match was tied 6-6, but Evansville prevailed in overtime 7-6 to earn a matchup against the Louisville Lightning PASL-Pro team. In that game, the Lightning put an end to Evansville’s run 25-3.
Juventus Lightning
The Juventus Lightning were created in spring 2011 as a partnership between the Louisville Lightning, Juventus Louisville Soccer, and America in order to expand opportunities for the multicultural community of Louisville to participate in and develop the highest level of amateur soccer in Kentucky. Previously, four members of the Lightning roster had been featured on the Juventus team: Jerry Chavez, Mariano Gonzalez, Safet Kovacevic, and Aziz Beganovic. Several members of the Louisville Lightning Reserves were featured for the team, which participates in the Louisville Latino Soccer League.The newly partnered team began with a bang, winning the Greater Louisville Soccer League’s Men’s Open Division in May 2011, with Beganovic earning the title of tournament MVP. Soon afterwards, the Juventus Lightning took part in the Jasmin Batanovic Memorial 6v6 Soccer Tournament, and fought off teams from around the region and as far away as Chicago to earn its second title in two tries. Success also came in the Louisville Latino Soccer League, opening their season with an undefeated 9-0-1 mark, good enough for first place.