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The 2003 USL Premier Development League season was the 9th PDL season. The season began in April 2003 and ended in August 2003.
| Season | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Cape Cod Crusaders |
← 2002 2004 → | |
Cape Cod Crusaders finished the season as national champions for the second time, beating Chicago Fire Reserves 2–0 in the PDL Championship game. New Orleans Shell Shockers finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 16 out of their 18 games, suffering just 2 losses, and finishing with a +35 goal difference.
Cape Cod Crusaders striker Joseph Ngwenya and Vermont Voltage forward Bo Vuckovic were the league's top scorers, each knocking in 17 goals. Des Moines Menace midfielders Tomas Boltnar and Joseph Kabwe and Nashville Metros Ben Buerger led the league with 10 assists each, while Indiana Invaders keeper Christopher Sawyer enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, with a goals-against average of 0.287 per game, and Richmond Kickers Future keeper kept 7 clean sheets and had a GAA average of 0.568 in his 12 games.
New franchises
- Thirteen teams joined the league this year, including twelve brand new franchises:
| Team Name | Metro Area | Location | Previous Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
 Abbotsford Rangers |
Abbotsford area | Abbotsford, BC | expansion |
 Albany Blackwatch Highlanders |
Albany area | Schenectady, NY | expansion |
 BYU Cougars |
Provo area | Provo, UT | expansion |
 Columbus Shooting Stars |
Columbus area | Columbus, OH | expansion |
 Fort Wayne Fever |
Fort Wayne area | Fort Wayne, IN | expansion |
 Fresno Fuego |
Fresno area | Fresno, CA | expansion |
 Jersey Shore Boca |
Jersey Shore area | Toms River, NJ | expansion |
 Nevada Wonders |
Carson City area | Carson City, NV | expansion |
 New Orleans Shell Shockers |
New Orleans area | New Orleans, LA | expansion |
 St. Louis Strikers |
St. Louis area | St. Louis, MO | expansion |
| South Jersey Barons |
Greater Trenton area | Trenton, NJ | previously in D3 Pro |
| Toledo Slayers |
Toledo area | Maumee, OH | expansion |
 West Virginia Chaos |
Charleston area | Charleston, WV | expansion |
Folding
- Ten teams left the league prior to the beginning of the season:
- Central Coast Roadrunners - San Luis Obispo, California
- Chicago Eagles Select - Chicago, Illinois
- Chico Rooks - Chico, California (left to join the newly formed National Premier Soccer League)
- Dayton Gemini - Dayton, Ohio
- Denver Cougars - Commerce City, Colorado
- Los Angeles Heroes - Los Angeles, California
- Santa Barbara Sharks - Santa Barbara, California (folded during the 2002 season)
- Seattle Sounders Select - Seattle, Washington (folded during the 2002 season)
- Tampa Bay Hawks - Tampa, Florida
- West Michigan Edge - Grand Rapids, Michigan (spending season on hiatus)
| Legend |
|---|
| Division champion |
| Team qualified for playoff berth |
Central Conference
Great Lakes Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mid-Michigan Bucks | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 16 | +24 | 43 |
| 2 | Indiana Invaders | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 31 | 19 | +12 | 35 |
| 3 | Fort Wayne Fever | 18 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 32 | 30 | +2 | 29 |
| 4 | Kalamazoo Kingdom | 18 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 29 | 39 | −10 | 21 |
| 5 | Toledo Slayers | 18 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 22 | 45 | −23 | 9 |
| 6 | Columbus Shooting Stars | 18 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 28 | 43 | −15 | 8 |
Heartland Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Fire Reserves | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 60 | 17 | +43 | 46 |
| 2 | Des Moines Menace | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 48 | 23 | +25 | 37 |
| 3 | Thunder Bay Chill | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 31 |
| 4 | Boulder Rapids Reserve | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 31 |
| 5 | Kansas City Brass | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 35 | 48 | −13 | 21 |
| 6 | St. Louis Strikers | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 21 |
| 7 | Sioux Falls Spitfire | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 18 |
| 8 | Wisconsin Rebels | 18 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 11 | 71 | −60 | 1 |
Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond Kickers Future | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 41 | 12 | +29 | 43 |
| 2 | Williamsburg Legacy | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 35 | 22 | +13 | 32 |
| 3 | Raleigh CASL Elite | 18 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 26 |
| 4 | Chesapeake Dragons | 18 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 32 | −13 | 22 |
| 5 | West Virginia Chaos | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 54 | −36 | 10 |
| 6 | Greenville Lions | 18 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 23 | 41 | −18 | 8[a] |
Northeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont Voltage | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 21 | +16 | 39 |
| 2 | Cape Cod Crusaders | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 64 | 30 | +34 | 38 |
| 3 | Brooklyn Knights | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 46 | 26 | +20 | 36 |
| 4 | South Jersey Barons | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 62 | 31 | +31 | 34 |
| 5 | Rhode Island Stingrays | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 45 | 28 | +17 | 34 |
| 6 | Albany Blackwatch Highlanders | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 36 | 43 | −7 | 19 |
| 7 | Jersey Shore Boca * | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 23 | 44 | −21 | 12 |
| 8 | Jersey Falcons | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 31 | 85 | −54 | 10 |
| 9 | Worcester Kings | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 21 | 62 | −41 | −3[a] |
Southern Conference
Mid South Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans Shell Shockers | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 18 | +35 | 48 |
| 2 | Memphis Express | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 48 | 25 | +23 | 35 |
| 3 | Nashville Metros | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 21 | +20 | 33 |
| 4 | Texas Spurs | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 44 | 28 | +16 | 31 |
| 5 | Austin Lightning | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 31 | 42 | −11 | 28 |
| 6 | Houston Toros | 18 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 21 | 60 | −39 | 11 |
| 7 | Louisiana Outlaws | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 23 | 46 | −23 | 10 |
Southeast Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cocoa Expos | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 36 | 27 | +9 | 27 |
| 2 | Central Florida Kraze | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 26 | +12 | 23 |
| 3 | Bradenton Academics | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 21 |
| 4 | Palm Beach Pumas | 14 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 23 | 55 | −32 | 6[a] |
Western Conference
Northwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane Shadow | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 14 | +24 | 44 |
| 2 | Cascade Surge | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 27 | +5 | 35 |
| 3 | Yakima Reds | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 30 | 26 | +4 | 28 |
| 4 | Abbotsford Rangers * | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 21 | 33 | −12 | 12 |
| 5 | Calgary Storm Prospects * | 15 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 31 | −17 | 7 |
Southwest Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresno Fuego | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 23 | +27 | 42 |
| 2 | Orange County Blue Star | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 29 | +23 | 42 |
| 3 | Southern California Seahorses | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 32 |
| 4 | BYU Cougars | 18 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 21 | 52 | −31 | 7 |
| 5 | Nevada Wonders | 18 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 51 | −38 | 5 |
| Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | National Semifinals | PDL Championship Game | ||||||||||||||||
| MA1 |  Richmond Kickers Future
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 |  Cape Cod Crusaders
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 | Cape Cod Crusaders
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| NE1 |  Vermont Voltage
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE1 | Vermont Voltage
| 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| MA2 | Williamsburg Legacy
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 | Cape Cod Crusaders
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS2 |  Memphis Express
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS1 | New Orleans Shell Shockers
| 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| SE2 |  Central Florida Kraze
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS1 | New Orleans Shell Shockers
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Southern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| MS2 | Memphis Express
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| SE1 | Cocoa Expos
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| MS2 | Memphis Express
| 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| NE2 | Cape Cod Crusaders
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 |  Chicago Fire Reserves
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 | Chicago Fire Reserves
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| GL2 | Indiana Invaders
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 | Chicago Fire Reserves
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Central Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| GL1 |  Mid-Michigan Bucks
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| GL1 | Mid-Michigan Bucks
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL2 |  Des Moines Menace
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| HL1 | Chicago Fire Reserves
| 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW2 | Orange County Blue Star
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW1 | Fresno Fuego
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| NW1 |  Spokane Shadow
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW1 | Fresno Fuego
| 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| SW2 | Orange County Blue Star
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| SW2 | Orange County Blue Star
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| NW2 |  Cascade Surge
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Conference semifinals
| Chicago Fire Reserves | 8–0 | Indiana Invaders |
|---|---|---|
|
Report 1 Report 2 |
Hurley Field
Berkley, Michigan
Berkley, Michigan
| Richmond Kickers Future | 0–4 | Cape Cod Crusaders |
|---|---|---|
| Report 1 Report 2 |
|
Collins-Perley Sports Complex
St. Albans, Vermont
St. Albans, Vermont
| Memphis Express | 5–2 | Cocoa Expos |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Vermont Voltage | 5–2 | Williamsburg Legacy |
|---|---|---|
| Report 1 |
|
Collins-Perley Sports Complex
St. Albans, Vermont
St. Albans, Vermont
Attendance: 1,461
| Mid-Michigan Bucks | 1–0 | Des Moines Menace |
|---|---|---|
|
Report 1Report 2 |
Hurley Field
Berkley, Michigan
Berkley, Michigan
| New Orleans Shell Shockers | 4–1 | Central Florida Kraze |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Orange County Blue Star | 2–1 | Cascade Surge |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Spokane Shadow | 0–1 | Fresno Fuego |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Attendance: 982
Conference Finals
| New Orleans Shell Shockers | 0–2 | Memphis Express |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Mid-Michigan Bucks | 0–2 | Chicago Fire Reserves |
|---|---|---|
| Report 1Report 2 |
|
Hurley Field
Berkley, Michigan
Berkley, Michigan
| Vermont Voltage | 2–4 | Cape Cod Crusaders |
|---|---|---|
|
Report 1 Report 2 |
Collins-Perley Sports Complex
St. Albans, Vermont
St. Albans, Vermont
Attendance: 1,673[2]
National Semifinals
| Cape Cod Crusaders | 4–0 | Memphis Express |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Dennis Yarmouth High School
South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
Attendance: 1,238
| Chicago Fire Reserves | 3–1 | Orange County Blue Star |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
PDL Championship Game
Attendance: 2,700
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