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Seattle SeaDogs
Full nameSeattle SeaDogs
Founded1993
Dissolved1997
StadiumSeattle Center Arena
KeyArena
Seattle, Washington
Capacity4,055 (Seattle Center)
14,545 (KeyArena)
ManagerFernando Clavijo (1994–1997)
LeagueContinental Indoor Soccer League
1997League: 1st
Playoffs: Champions

The Seattle SeaDogs were an indoor soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, United States. They played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) from 1995 to 1997 with home games at Mercer Arena and KeyArena. The team were owned by the Ackerley Group, who also operated the Seattle SuperSonics, and were announced in 1993 amid a wave of new professional soccer teams in the Seattle metropolitan area.

The SeaDogs, coached by Fernando Clavijo, had poor attendance during the first two seasons and failed to reach the playoffs, finishing in 1996 as the worst team in the CISL. The team then amassed the best regular season record in the league during the 1997 season and went undefeated during the playoffs to win their first CISL Championship. The league folded at the end of the season and the SeaDogs were dissolved.

History

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First seasons

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On November 16, 1993, the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) awarded an expansion franchise to the Ackerley Group, owner of the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association.[1] The region previously had other indoor teams, including the Tacoma Stars of the defunct Major Indoor Soccer League; a CISL bid for a Tacoma team had failed to garner support.[2] The team's name, the SeaDogs, was announced in November 1994 alongside the unveiling of head coach Fernando Clavijo, a member of the United States national team who played in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[3] The team's mascot, a purple dog named "Salty", was named in a later fan contest.[4] The SeaDogs were among several professional soccer teams in the Seattle area that had begun to play in the mid-1990s, including the outdoor Seattle Sounders and Everett BigFoot.[5]

The SeaDogs held an open scrimmage prior to the regular season at their temporary home, Seattle Center Arena, that drew 98 spectators.[6] The team made their debut on June 23, 1995, where they defeated the San Jose Grizzlies 6–5 in sudden-death overtime in front of 3,529 spectators in Seattle.[7] They had poor attendance, with an average crowd of under 2,000 by early August, blamed in part due to competition from other professional soccer teams in the area.[8] The SeaDogs finished their inaugural season with a 12–16 record and missed the playoffs; during the offseason, they lost top scorer Jean Harbor to the Colorado Rapids and key forward Michael Collins to the Sacramento Knights.[9] Harbor later returned to the team on loan from the Rapids.[10]

The team moved to KeyArena for the 1996 season and had an average attendance of 3,812—ninth of eleven teams in the CISL and 26 percent of the arena's capacity.[11] The SeaDogs and Sounders, who played at nearby Memorial Stadium, had scheduled overlapping games on several nights that affected attendance figures for both teams.[8] The SeaDogs finished last in the Western Division with a 10–18 record and a league-low 143 goals scored, but the team earned a franchise-record 11–5 victory against the Detroit Neon in their final match of the season.[12] New signing Juan de la O won the CISL Goalkeeper of the Year Award for his performances, which included a league-low 148 goals allowed.[13] Seattle made several acquisitions late in the season and into the offseason, including John Olu-Molomo in a trade from the San Diego Sockers and ex-Sounders players Bill Crook and Dick McCormick.[10][14]

Championship and folding

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The SeaDogs began their 1997 season with a franchise-best seven consecutive wins, including five road games to open the year; Harbor led the team in scoring, followed by Olu-Molomo prior to an injury to his right shoulder.[15][16] They then lost several matches and dropped from the top of the Western Division standings but regained first place in late August with a 14–5 record.[17] The SeaDogs finished the regular season with 21 wins and 7 losses—the best record in the league—and set several team records. They also drew an average of 2,769 spectators at KeyArena.[18]

The team were seeded in the Western semifinals against the fourth-place Portland Pride, who hosted the first leg and held to a 2–2 draw at halftime; the SeaDogs scored six goals in the second half to win 8–2.[19] Seattle completed a two-game sweep of Portland with a 6–5 victory at KeyArena with two last-minute goals to avoid a deciding mini-game round.[20] The SeaDogs then opened the Western Final against the Sacramento Knights with a 6–2 away victory and played the following night at KeyArena.[21] The Knights had a 2–0 lead at halftime, but four goals from the hosts gave Seattle a 4–3 victory and a berth in the CISL Championship against the Houston Hotshots, the 1996 runners-up.[22][23]

The SeaDogs conceded four goals in the first two quarters of the championship's first game at KeyArena, played in front of 6,530, but rallied with three goals before halftime.[23] An additional two goals from the hosts forced a sudden death overtime period, during which Olu-Molomo scored within two minutes to win the game 6–5 for Seattle.[24] The SeaDogs clinched their first CISL Championship with a 7–1 win at The Summit in Houston the following night with two goals from McCormick.[25] The title finished a "worst-to-first" turnaround for the SeaDogs, who had the league's worst record in 1996 and were undefeated in the playoffs—a league first.[25][26] Juan de la O was named the championship's most valuable player, having made 15 saves in the second game.[27]

The CISL folded following the departure of several teams at the end of the 1997 season; Seattle was one of three teams to commit to returning in 1998.[28][29] Several teams moved to other indoor soccer leagues, but the SeaDogs elected to remain independent as its ownership explored various options.[30] In June 1998, Clavijo accepted an offer to become head coach of the Florida ThunderCats of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL).[31]

Arena

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KeyArena, the home venue of the Seattle SeaDogs from 1996 to 1997

The SeaDogs signed a three-year lease agreement with the Seattle city government to use two public facilities: Seattle Center Arena (now known as Mercer Arena) in 1995 and KeyArena from 1996 to 1997. Both arenas were located on the grounds of the Seattle Center; due to the ongoing redevelopment of Seattle Center Coliseum, its successor KeyArena was unavailable for the opening season.[32] Seattle Center Arena had 4,055 seats,[7] while KeyArena had a capacity of 14,545 seats.[33]

Ownership and management

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Like several other teams in the CISL, the SeaDogs shared ownership with a National Basketball Association team in the same market.[6] The Ackerley Group, headed by media magnate Barry Ackerley, owned the SeaDogs and the SuperSonics.[34][35] The teams were overseen by Full House Sports and Entertainment, a marketing subsidiary of the group.[11] Home SeaDogs matches were broadcast on radio station KJR AM, also owned by the Ackerley Group, with play-by-play commentary by John Lynch.[8][36]

Fernando Clavijo was head coach of the SeaDogs in all three of their seasons. Brian Schmetzer was an assistant coach and player; he later took over the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division and their Major League Soccer incarnation.[37][38]

Year-by-year

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Seattle SeaDogs seasons
Year Record Regular season Playoffs Avg. attendance
1995 12–16 4th, Western Did not qualify 2,341
1996 11–17 4th, Western Did not qualify 3,812
1997 21–7 1st, Western Champions 2,769
Total 44–40  —  — 2,974

Honors

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CISL Championship

CISL Goalkeeper of the Year

CISL Coach of the Year

CISL Championship Series MVP

All-CISL First Team

CISL All Star Game MVP

Players

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The SeaDogs primarily used American players, including several who had played for the Sounders and the indoor Tacoma Stars. Among them were player–coach Brian Schmetzer, top goalscorer Jean Harbor, and forward John Olu-Molomo.[10] Goalkeeper Juan de la O was named CISL Goalkeeper of the Year in 1996 and 1997.[39]

1997 roster

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As of June 1997[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
0 GK Mexico MEX Juan de la O
1 GK United States USA Nat Gonazlez
2 DF United States USA Todd Woodhouse
3 MF United States USA Tom Bialek
4 MF United States USA Todd Stauber
5 DF United States USA Seth Spidahl
6 DF United States USA Dave Mattson
7 MF United States USA Dick McCormick
8 DF/MF Spain ESP Camilo Casal
9 MF United States USA Bruce Broughton
10 FW United States USA John Olu-Molomo
11 MF/FW United States USA Shane Decker
No. Pos. Nation Player
12 DF United States USA John Purtteman
13 MF/FW United States USA David Wheeler
14 FW United States USA Jason Dunn
15 MF/FW United States USA Victor Bychov
17 DF United States USA Bill Crook
18 FW United States USA Jean Harbor
19 MF United States USA Shannon Murray
20 MF Mexico MEX Rafael Garcia
21 DF Argentina ARG Gaston Pernia
22 MF/FW Argentina ARG Marcelo Fontana
30 MF United States USA Tim Babcock

References

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  1. ^ Peoples, John (November 17, 1993). "Sonics stake out turf with soccer franchise". The Seattle Times. p. C1.
  2. ^ Lawrence, John (January 9, 1993). "No soccer in Tacoma for 1993". The News Tribune. p. E1. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Anderson, Lenny (November 16, 1994). "SeaDogs unveil selves, coach for '95 debut". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C3.
  4. ^ Smith, Craig (June 24, 1996). "SeaDogs add more bite". The Seattle Times. p. F5.
  5. ^ Knight, Bill (February 7, 1995). "Soccer storms Seattle area". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1.
  6. ^ a b Smith, Craig (June 5, 1995). "Few attend scrimmage for SeaDogs". The Seattle Times. p. D6.
  7. ^ a b Anderson, Lenny (June 24, 1995). "SeaDogs win debut on Collins' OT goal". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C4.
  8. ^ a b c Spencer, Sheldon (August 15, 1995). "Fans wanted: Sounders, SeaDogs struggle in sharing the Seattle market". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1.
  9. ^ Smith, Craig (June 14, 1996). "SeaDog preview: Questions loom over firepower". The Seattle Times. p. C9. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d Brandon, Rachel (June 13, 1997). "SeaDogs brimming with familiarity". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E2.
  11. ^ a b Bruscas, Angelo (October 29, 1996). "Tight at the top: Glut of pro teams makes it difficult to win at box office". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1.
  12. ^ "SeaDogs wrap up season with win". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. September 30, 1996. p. C3.
  13. ^ "De La O named CISL's top goalkeeper". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. October 10, 1996. p. D5.
  14. ^ Smith, Craig (June 14, 1997). "High hopes for SeaDogs". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Langdon, Jerry (July 10, 1997). "SeaDogs open season with 6-0 run". USA Today. p. 14C.
  16. ^ Swesey, Ben (July 13, 1997). "Drago lifts Knights again". The Sacramento Bee. p. C2. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Seattle is top dog again in CISL". The Seattle Times. August 22, 1997. p. C5.
  18. ^ Guadagnoli, Tony (October 22, 1997). "'Slim chance' that SeaDogs won't return in '98". The Seattle Times. p. C5.
  19. ^ Nolen, John (October 4, 1997). "Seattle crushes Pride 8-2". The Oregonian. p. C2.
  20. ^ Brandon, Rachel (October 6, 1997). "SeaDogs beat Portland, win series". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D3.
  21. ^ Swesey, Ben (October 12, 1997). "On the brink". The Sacramento Bee. p. C7. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Brandon, Rachel (October 13, 1997). "SeaDogs reach CISL finals with second-round sweep". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D3.
  23. ^ a b Wade, Susan (October 19, 1997). "SeaDogs edge Hotshots 6-5 in overtime". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C3.
  24. ^ Rice, Micah (October 19, 1997). "SeaDogs rally, win thriller". The News Tribune. p. C3. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ a b c Duarte, Joseph (October 20, 1997). "SeaDogs sweep past Hotshots". Houston Chronicle. p. 1.
  26. ^ a b Guadagnoli, Tony (October 18, 1997). "CISL Finals: Season of sacrifice ending in rewards". The Seattle Times. p. B5.
  27. ^ Baroni, Marc (October 20, 1997). "SeaDogs scorch Hotshots to win indoor league title". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E3.
  28. ^ Almond, Elliott (December 24, 1997). "With CISL dead, SeaDogs weigh their options to keep kicking". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  29. ^ "SeaDogs in limbo without a league". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. September 24, 1997. p. E4.
  30. ^ DeMasio, Nunyo (April 24, 1998). "For Ackerley, 'NBA Champions' has nice ring to it". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  31. ^ "SeaDogs coach takes NPSL job". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. June 9, 1998. p. D7.
  32. ^ Bruscas, Angelo (June 15, 1995). "SeaDogs, city agree on lease of arenas". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D3.
  33. ^ "1997 CISL preview". Los Angeles Times. June 20, 1997. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  34. ^ Rice, Micah (July 5, 1997). "SeaDogs come home on a roll". The News Tribune. p. C2. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Tillery, Ronald (October 31, 1997). "Mellowing Ackerley yearns for NBA title". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E6.
  36. ^ Spencer, Sheldon (June 5, 1995). "Former U.S. soccer team coach considers parting 'right thing'". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D2.
  37. ^ Massey, Matt (November 30, 2001). "Schmetzer to push young, local talent". The Seattle Times. p. D7. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  38. ^ Pentz, Matt (November 4, 2016). "Five meetings that shaped newly-minted Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer's career". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  39. ^ a b c d e "Honors continue for De La O". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. October 23, 1997. p. C6.
  40. ^ "SeaDog named MVP in West win". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. July 30, 1997. p. D6.
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