1996-97 National Professional Soccer League season
From AthletiPedia
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 |
Teams and Alignment
| Conference | Division | Team | Primary Venue | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Conference | Central Division | Cincinnati Silverbacks | Cincinnati Gardens | Cincinnati |
| Columbus Invaders | Battelle Hall | Columbus, Ohio | ||
| Cleveland Crunch | Wolstein Center | Cleveland | ||
| East Division | Baltimore Spirit | CFG Bank Arena | Baltimore | |
| Harrisburg Heat | New Holland Arena at The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | ||
| Philadelphia KiXX | The Spectrum | Philadelphia | ||
| Tampa Bay Terror | Bayfront Center | St. Petersburg, Florida | ||
| National Conference | Midwest Division | Kansas City Attack | Hy-Vee Arena | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Milwaukee Wave | Bradley Center | Milwaukee | ||
| St. Louis Ambush | Enterprise Center | St. Louis | ||
| Wichita Wings | Britt Brown Arena at Kansas Coliseum | Park City, Kansas | ||
| North Division | Buffalo Blizzard | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, New York | |
| Detroit Rockers | Joe Louis Arena | Detroit | ||
| Edmonton Drillers | Northlands Coliseum | Edmonton, Alberta | ||
| Toronto Shooting Stars | Maple Leaf Gardens | Old Toronto, Toronto |
Changes
- League realigned into American Conference, divided into Central Division and East Division, and National Conference, divided into Midwest Division and North Division.
- Baltimore Spirit realigned from American Division to American Conference East Division.
- Buffalo Blizzard relocate from Buffalo Memorial Auditorium to KeyBank Center and realigned from American Division to National Conference North Division.
- Canton Invaders relocate from Canton Memorial Civic Center in Canton, Ohio to Battelle Hall in Columbus, Ohio, renamed Columbus Invaders, and realigned from American Division to American Conference Central Division.
- Chicago Power relocate from Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago to Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta, renamed Edmonton Drillers, and realigned from National Division to National Conference North Division.
- Cincinnati Silverbacks realigned from American Division to American Conference Central Division.
- Cleveland Crunch realigned from American Division to American Conference Central Division.
- Detroit Rockers relocate from Cobo Arena at Cobo Center to Joe Louis Arena and realigned from National Division to National Conference North Division.
- Harrisburg Heat realigned from American Division to American Conference East Division.
- Kansas City Attack realigned from National Division to National Conference Midwest Division.
- Milwaukee Wave realigned from National Division to National Conference Midwest Division.
- Philadelphia KiXX enfranchised in American Conference East Division, playing at The Spectrum in Philadelphia.
- St. Louis Ambush realigned from National Division to National Conference Midwest Division.
- Tampa Bay Terror realigned from American Division to American Conference East Division.
- Toronto Shooting Stars enfranchised in National Conference North Division, playing at Maple Leaf Gardens in Old Toronto, Toronto.
- Wichita Wings realigned from National Division to National Conference Midwest Division.
Regular Season Results
| Conference | Division | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Conference | Central Division | Cleveland Crunch | 29 | 11 | |
| Cincinnati Silverbacks | 21 | 19 | 8 | ||
| Columbus Invaders | 5 | 35 | 24 | ||
| East Division | Harrisburg Heat | 22 | 18 | ||
| Baltimore Spirit | 20 | 20 | 2 | ||
| Philadelphia KiXX | 17 | 23 | 5 | ||
| Tampa Bay Terror | 15 | 25 | 7 | ||
| National Conference | Midwest Division | St. Louis Ambush | 27 | 13 | |
| Milwaukee Wave | 26 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Kansas City Attack | 26 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Wichita Wings | 24 | 16 | 3 | ||
| North Division | Buffalo Blizzard | 21 | 19 | ||
| Edmonton Drillers | 21 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Detroit Rockers | 20 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Toronto Shooting Stars | 6 | 34 | 15 |
Postseason Results
| Team (Best-of-Three) | Team (Best-of-Three) | Team (Best-of-Five) | Team (Best-of-Seven) | Champions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Crunch | 2 | Cleveland Crunch | 3 | Cleveland Crunch | 0 | Kansas City Attack | ||
| Baltimore Spirit | 2 | Baltimore Spirit | 1 | |||||
| Philadelphia KiXX | 0 | |||||||
| Harrisburg Heat | 2 | Harrisburg Heat | 1 | |||||
| Cincinnati Silverbacks | 2 | Cincinnati Silverbacks | 0 | |||||
| Tampa Bay Terror | 1 | |||||||
| St. Louis Ambush | 2 | St. Louis Ambush | 0 | Kansas City Attack | 4 | |||
| Milwaukee Wave | 0 | Edmonton Drillers | 1 | |||||
| Edmonton Drillers | 2 | |||||||
| Buffalo Blizzard | 0 | Kansas City Attack | 3 | |||||
| Kansas City Attack | 2 | Kansas City Attack | 2 | |||||
| Wichita Wings | 1 | |||||||
Special Event Results
| Event | Away | Score | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPSL All-Star Game | National Conference | 20-14 | American Conference |
Markets and Venues
| Combined Statistical Area | Metropolitan Statistical Area | Metropolitan Division | County / Equivalent | Municipality | Venue | Team / Event | Regular | Postseason | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY Combined Statistical Area | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area | Erie County, New York | Buffalo, New York | KeyBank Center | Buffalo Blizzard | 20 | One | 21 | |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN Combined Statistical Area | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area | Hamilton County, Ohio | Cincinnati | Cincinnati Gardens | Cincinnati Silverbacks | 20 | Three | 23 | |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area | Cleveland, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area | Cuyahoga County, Ohio | Cleveland | Wolstein Center | Cleveland Crunch | 20 | Six | 26 | |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area | Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area | Franklin County, Ohio | Columbus, Ohio | Battelle Hall | Columbus Invaders | 20 | 20 | ||
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI Combined Statistical Area | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area | Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI Metropolitan Division | Wayne County, Michigan | Detroit | Joe Louis Arena | Detroit Rockers | 20 | 20 | |
| Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area | Edmonton, Alberta | Northlands Coliseum | Edmonton Drillers | 20 | Two | 22 | |||
| Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area | Dauphin County, Pennsylvania | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | New Holland Arena at The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center | Harrisburg Heat | 20 | Three | 23 | |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS Combined Statistical Area | Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area | Jackson County, Missouri | Kansas City, Missouri | Hy-Vee Arena | Kansas City Attack | 20 | Six | 26 | |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area | Milwaukee County, Wisconsin | Milwaukee | Bradley Center | Milwaukee Wave | 20 | One | 21 | |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area | Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | The Spectrum | Philadelphia KiXX | 20 | One | 21 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL Combined Statistical Area | St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area | St. Louis | Enterprise Center | St. Louis Ambush | 20 | Four | 24 | ||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area | St. Petersburg-Clearwater-Largo, FL Metropolitan Division | Pinellas County, Florida | St. Petersburg, Florida | Bayfront Center | Tampa Bay Terror | 20 | One | 21 | |
| Toronto Census Metropolitan Area | Old Toronto, Toronto | Maple Leaf Gardens | Toronto Shooting Stars | 20 | 20 | ||||
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area | Baltimore | CFG Bank Arena | Baltimore Spirit | 20 | Two | 22 | ||
| NPSL All-Star Game | One | ||||||||
| Wichita-Arkansas City-Winfield, KS Combined Statistical Area | Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area | Sedgwick County, Kansas | Park City, Kansas | Britt Brown Arena at Kansas Coliseum | Wichita Wings | 20 | One | 21 | |
| Total | 300 | 31 | 332 | ||||||
