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Rockford Thunder - American Indoor Soccer League

2006-2007 Rockford Thunder

2006-07 Thunder STATS

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AISL Announces Theme For 2007-08 Campaign!

(Cleveland, OH-July 21, 2007) The American Indoor Soccer League announced this morning that the marketing "theme" for the league's 2007-08 season is "Headed for the Future!".

Rich Paschette, the AISL's director of media relations and marketing, developed the theme and associated graphics.

"When Paul and I discussed the idea of a theme for this season, I wanted to develop something that was upbeat, positive, and showed the direction that the AISL was going,” said Paschette. "After giving it some thought, 'Headed for the Future' just seemed like a natural. It shows the fans, marketing partners, and potential franchise owners that the AISL is 'on the move and going places' for this season and for many years to come."

The fifth season logo will appear on all AISL promotional materials, and potentially on league merchandise and at signage in the individual arenas.

The American Indoor Soccer League, featuring teams in Cincinnati, Rockford, IL, Springfield, MA, Tulsa, and Waukegan, IL, will be starting it's fifth anniversary season this November. The full schedule will be released in early August. The league has offices in West Springfield, MA (Administrative) and Cleveland, OH (Media Relations). For more information on the AISL, contact commissioner Paul Lapointe at (413) 569-0088 or director of media relations Rich Paschette at (216) 741-4144. Information on the league can also be found on the AISL's official website, www.aisl.org.

Thunder's Radoncic Selected in MISL Supplemental Player Draft

(Cleveland, OH-July 12, 2007) In this afternoon’s Major Indoor Soccer League’s Supplemental Player Draft, two current and one former American Indoor Soccer League players were selected amongst the 141 total players drafted in the seventeen round affair.

The Chicago Storm selected the Rockford Thunder's Bato Radoncic, the AISL’s 2007 Most Valuable Player in the 11th round (98th overall pick).

The Orlando Sharks, drafted Connally Edozien, who played for the Cincinnati Excite during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, with the first selection in the draft. Edozien is currently playing for the Carolina Railhawks of the United Soccer League’s Division One.

Forward Mike McGinlay, who had two strong seasons with the Excite, was selected in the tenth round (89th pick overall) by the Chicago Storm.

In addition, the Philadelphia Kixx selected Dayton O’Brien, the first player signed last season by the ill-fated Memphis MOJO, with their second round selection.

The American Indoor Soccer League, which will feature teams in Cincinnati, Rockford, IL, Springfield, MA, Tulsa, and Waukegan, IL, will be starting it’s fifth anniversary season this November. The full schedule will be released in early August. The league has offices in West Springfield, MA (Administrative) and Cleveland, OH (Media Relations). For more information on the AISL, contact commissioner Paul Lapointe at (413) 569-0088 or director of media relations Rich Paschette at (216) 741-4144. Information on the league can also be found on the AISL's official website, www.aisl.org

Tulsa Revolution Welcomed as AISL’s Newest Team

(Cleveland, OH-April 26, 2007) American Indoor Soccer League commissioner Paul Lapointe officially welcomed the league's newest franchise, the Tulsa Revolution, to the fifth-year league this morning.

"We are thrilled to welcome the city of Tulsa and the Revolution to the AISL," said Lapointe. "Tulsa is a city with a long soccer heritage in the professional game, and has the potential to become a cornerstone in our league."

The Revolution will play a partial schedule for the 2007-08 season, but will join the league full-time for the 2008-09 campaign.

The Revolution is the brainchild of local soccer enthusiast Adam Mellor. A native of Wales, Mellor, who at 23 will be the AISL's youngest owner, has had a great passion for the game since he was a child.

"It has always been a dream of mine to play for a professional team until I was struck with injury," Mellor said. "I never thought actually owning a team would ever be a goal I could reach but I proved myself wrong. I've always had a strong passion for the game and will be a part of it forever. I want to bring the team to Tulsa mainly because this is my home. Although soccer is a growing sport here, it is still a small one. I would like to create a spark in the community giving them something to talk about and be excited about, and to give players a dream that they someday could fulfill."

The Revolution, who will sport team colors of denim blue, steel silver, and black, will play their home games at Soccer City Tulsa, located at 5817 South 118th East Ave in Tulsa. Soccer City features two 180' x 80' indoor soccer fields featuring a MaxPlay artificial surface and clear Plexiglas dasher boards. As part of its recent renovations, Soccer City also has a completely new concession area and two viewing levels for spectators.

Tulsa has a long history in professional soccer. In 1978, the legendary Tulsa Roughnecks began a six season run in the North American Soccer League. Some of the players who made their mark for the Roughnecks both outdoors and indoors include Iraj Danaifard, Alan Woodward, Billy Caskey, Barry “the Boomer” Wallace, and Victor Moreland. After the Roughnecks folded, the Tulsa Stampede and the Tulsa Tornados would play for one year in the short-lived United Soccer League (no relation to the current multi-division United Soccer League). After the USL ceased operations in 1985, it would be several years before a professional team would come back to central Oklahoma. In 1989, the Tulsa Renegades would join the Southwest Indoor Soccer League, which is the direct ancestor to the current United Soccer League.

The head coach for the Revolution will be named within a few weeks.

With the addition of the Revolution, the AISL now has six teams set for the 2007-08 season: the Cincinnati Excite, the 2007 AISL champion (Springfield) Massachusetts Twisters, the (Long Island) New York Hampton Surf, the (Waukegan, IL) Northern Illinois Rebels, and the Rockford Thunder. The league is also currently in negotiations with a group that is interested in bringing a team to Akron, OH for the 2008-09 season.

AISL Welcomes New Illinois Club

American Indoor Soccer League commissioner Paul Lapointe announced this morning that the league has entered into a preliminary agreement with an ownership group which will place an expansion franchise into Waukegan, IL for the 2007-08 season.

The new team, which will be called the Northern Illinois Rebels, will be officially unveiled to the media at a press conference scheduled for May 4th at a site to be announced.

"This is a big day for the AISL as a whole," said Lapointe. "This is the first step in our goal to create a more regionally-based model for the league. I have no doubt that the new Northern Illinois Rebels will develop a fierce rivalry with both the Cincinnati Excite and their in-state rivals, the Rockford Thunder."

A four-person management group will own the Rebels: Luther Wade, Sharon Ruiz, Fernando Bahena, and Gildardo Lazarit. All four have extensive backgrounds in the sport and in the community.

The Rebels, who will be wearing red, white, and blue uniforms, are tentatively scheduled to play their home games at the Lake County Sports Center in Waukegan. The facility, which is located at 351 Oakwood Ave, houses three soccer fields, as well as a health club, basketball courts, as well as a full-service dining area and bar. The main field where the Rebels will play is a full sized 200’ x 85’ pitch that seats approximately 1,500.

The Rebels have three players under contract for the 2007-08 season: forward Dule Radovanovic, who played in Europe and with the MISL's Kansas City Comets, forward Jose Gavilanes, a former All-American from Robert Morris College, and goalkeeper Alex Flores, who played in the first division in Honduras with Pumas and Motagua.

The Rebels office is located at 920 East Washington, Waukegan, IL 60085-5427. The team’s telephone number is (708) 539-4065. The team’s website and e-mail addresses will be announced shortly.

With the addition of the Northern Illinois Rebels, the AISL now has five teams set for the 2007-08 season: the Cincinnati Excite, the 2007 AISL champion (Springfield) Massachusetts Twisters, the (Long Island) New York Hampton Surf, and the Rockford Thunder. The league has also been in negotiations with a group that is interested in bringing a team to Tulsa, OK for the 2008-09 season. Information on that club will be released in May.

Thunder's Bato Radoncic Named AISL Most Valuable Player

(Cleveland, OH-April 2, 2007) This afternoon, the American Indoor Soccer League named the league’s leading scorer, Bato Radoncic of the Rockford Thunder, as the 2006-07 AISL Most Valuable Player.

The native of Berane, Montenegro led the AISL in scoring during the regular season with 25 goals and 23 assists, good for 48 total points. He also led the league in one-point goals (25), assists (23), and restart goals (3).

"Choosing Bato as the league’s MVP was pretty much a no-brainer," said league director of media relations Rich Paschette. "His numbers speak for themselves. He has not only a natural nose for the goal, but also has the innate ability to find his teammates with a pass at the right time. He’s a class player, and one who the Thunder can build a team around for many years to come."

The Thunder capped off a solid 8-4 season with a berth in the AISL Championship Game, where they fell to the Massachusetts Twisters 11-5. In that game, Radoncic led the Thunder with two goals.

Twisters Fulfill "Worst to First"

Take AISL Title 11-5 Over Rockford

The Massachusetts Twisters finished their tenth anniversary season in fine fashion tonight as they defeated the Rockford Thunder 11-5, earning them their first American Indoor Soccer League championship in front of a crowd of 1695 at the Eastern States Coliseum.

"I can’t begin to describe how happy I am right now," said Twisters player/coach Eric DaCosta after the game. "We assembled a great bunch of guys this season, and we repaid the faith that Paul (Twisters owner Lapointe) had in us, and, considering where we were last season, this is just the greatest."

The Twisters went from a 0-4 record in 2005-06, and after a wholesale roster change, went 8-5 this season, finishing with a two standings point edge over the Thunder, who finished at 8-4.

In the first quarter, the two clubs swapped goals with Radu Giurgiu opening the scoring for the Thunder. His goal would be followed by tallies by Jeff Deren for the Twisters, George Fleps for the Thunder, and Kyle Texiera for the Twisters.

The Twisters owned the second frame, as goals from Jeff Deren, Pedro Navarro, and Alex Martinucci gave the home team a 5-2 lead at the half. The second quarter also took a physical slant, as Twister forward Brent Dillard received a red card for a head butt. Rockford’s Radu Giurgiu also received a yellow card during the quarter.

The Thunder narrowed the gap to 6-4 in the third, as AISL leading scorer Bato Radoncic and Roberto Gallo each lit the lamp. Everson Maciel, the Twisters leading scorer in the regular season got his first of the evening in the third.

The Twisters blew the game open in the fourth, as two goals each from Martinucci and Maciel, and another from Texiera iced the win. Bato Radoncic scored in the fourth for the Thunder.

Paul DelloStritto took the win in goal for the Twisters, and Dimitri Meletis will be creditied with the loss.

AISL Announces 2006-07 All-League Select Teams

Thunder's Rigas and Radonic Named To First Team

Thunder's Meletis and Pylpczak Named To Second Team

(Cleveland, OH-March 26, 2007) This afternoon, American Indoor Soccer League director of media relations Rich Paschette announced the league’s first and second All-AISL teams for the 2006-07 season.

"There were so many class players in the league this year, it was hard to make a decision without leaving someone high and dry," Paschette said. "I made what I thought was the best selections while keeping an even balance amongst the teams. Fortunately, I had the added input of Mike Sanders and Nate Covert, whose assistance has been invaluable to me all season."

AISL All-League First Team

GK-Paul DelloStritto (MAS)
DEF-Craig Rhodis (CIN)
DEF-Eric DaCosta (MAS)
MF-Mike Rigas (RCK)
FWD-Everson Maciel (MAS)
FWD-Bato Radoncic (RCK)

AISL All-League Second Team

GK-Dimitri Meletis (RCK)
DEF-Sam Fiore (CIN)
DEF-Jaro Pylpczak (RCK)
MF-Shawn Rockey (CIN)
FWD-Jeff Deren (MAS)
FWD-Matt Brienes (CIN)

Each of the "full season AISL teams contributed four players.

"It was really hard not being able to select at least one player from the New York Hampton Surf," said Paschette. "But, unfortunately, there was no real way I could leave any of the above players off the list."

The 2006-07 American Indoor Soccer League Coach of the Year award will be announced this Friday afternoon, and the league's Most Valuable Player will be announced next Monday.

Exhibition Game at the ISC - March 24

Rockford Thunder 11 Liga Hispana de Rockfod (All Stars) 4

Zlatko Zebic led the scoring for the Thunder with three one-point goals and two assists. AISL leading scorer Bato Radoncic had two one-point goals and one assist, and captain Mike Rigas had one one-point goal and two assists.

3rd Fat Wallet Rockford Thunder Jersey Giveaway Winner

Pictured - Dean Senglaub and Thunder co-owner Michael O'Flaherty

The 3rd Winner of the Fat Wallet (www.fatwallet.com) Jersey Giveaway for March 19 is Dean Senglaub.

Dimitri Meletis Named Player of the Week

March 13, 2007 - One of the nicest surprises in the AISL this season has been the play of Rockford Thunder ‘keeper Dimitri Meletis. The acrobatic native of Chicago has backstopped the Thunder to seven of their eight wins this season.

Meletis had another solid effort in goal last Saturday night against the Excite. He faced 51 shots, and made 15 saves, and, more importantly, allowed just four goals in the Thunder’s win.

His efforts in the Thunder’s victory earned him this week’s AISL Player of the Week award.

Thunder Nip Cincinnati 5-4 on 2 4th Qtr goals

Rockford Register-Star Story

Cop scores the game winning goal

(Rockford, Illinois - 3-10-07) 3-3 at half, 4-3 after 3rd Qtr

Winning goal by Ante Cop with the assist going to George Fleps

Five different Thunder (8-4) players scored this evening: Mike Rigas, Steve Reuter, Milos Bajic, Zlatko Zebic, and Ante Cop. Cop scored the game winner at 5:21 of the fourth quarter.

"We had Ante playing on the back line in the first half, but when he moved up into the offense, things really started to click for us," said Thunder coach Jeff Kraft after the game.

Kurt Fischer scored twice for the Excite, and Jeff Henderson and Julio Falconi each added a goal in the losing effort.

Dimitri Meletis got the win in goal in a sterling effort for the Thunder. Jay Schneider took the loss for the Excite.

Thunder qualify for AISL Championship game on 3-31-07 at a site to be determined...

L-R - Tori Miller and Olivia Zaluckja

Tori Miller and Olivia Zaluckja enjoy a Thunder win over the Cincinnati Excite on Feb 3 at the ISC. Tori also won a soccer ball from Rockford Bank and Trust and a hat from Fat Wallet. After every Thunder goal a lucky fan can win one of the Rockford Bank and Trust balls or something from Fat Wallet.