2008 NPSL season
# 2008 NPSL season

The 2008 National Premier Soccer League season was the 6th season of the NPSL. The season started in May, 2008, and ended with the NPSL Championship Game on August 3, 2008.

Pennsylvania Stoners finished the season as national champions, beating St. Paul Twin Stars in the NPSL Championship game in Uniondale, New York on 3 August 2008.

Pennsylvania Stoners forward Tom Ehrlich was named the National Premier Soccer League's Player of the Year. Tom Ehrlich was also the league's top scorer, with 11 goals.

## Changes From 2007

### New Franchises

* Twelve franchises joined the league this year, all expansion franchises:

| Team Name | Metro Area | Location | Previous Affiliation |
| - | - | - | - |
| Alabama Spirit | Birmingham area | Birmingham, AL | expansion - Provisional member |
| Arizona Sahuaros | Phoenix area | Phoenix, AZ | returned to league after several years in USASA |
| Atlanta FC | Greater Atlanta area | Sandy Springs, GA | expansion |
| Lancaster Inferno | Lancaster area | Salunga-Landisville, PA | expansion |
| Maine Sting | State of Maine | Bangor, ME | expansion |
| Maryland United | Harford County area | Bel Air, MD | expansion |
| Morris County Colonials | Morris County area | Morristown, NJ | expansion |
| New York Athletic Club | Wetschester County area | Pelham, NY | expansion |
| Pennsylvania Stoners | Lehigh Valley area | Allentown, PA | expansion |
| Performance FC Phoenix | Greenville area | Greenville, SC | expansion |
| Rocket City United | Huntsville area | Huntsville, AL | expansion |
| San Diego United | Greater San Diego area | El Cajon, CA | expansion |

### Name Changes

* Rockford Raptors changed its name to Chicago Fire NPSL (the actual organization did not change its name, just its NPSL competitive arm)
* Maryland United changed its name to Charm City FC mid-season

### Folding

* Six teams left the league prior to the beginning of the season:
   * Colorado Crimson - Broomfield, Colorado
   * Denver Kickers - Golden, Colorado
   * Indianapolis Braves - Lawrence, Indiana
   * Real Shore FC - Lincroft, New Jersey
   * San Diego Pumitas - San Diego, California
   * Southern California Fusion - Carlsbad, California
* In addition, three 2007 teams chose to spend the 2008 season on hiatus, with plans to return in 2009:
   * FC Indiana - Indianapolis, Indiana
   * Indios USA - Canutillo, Texas
   * Sacramento Knights - Sacramento, California

## Final standings

Purple indicates division title clinched

### North Division

| Place | Team | P | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Pennsylvania Stoners | 10 | 25 |
| 2 | Boston Aztec | 10 | 19 |
| 3 | Queen City FC | 10 | 7 |
| 4 | Maine Sting | 9 | 4 |
| 5 | Morris County Colonials | 9 | 1 |

### Mid-Atlantic Division

| Place | Team | P | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Long Island Academy | 9 | 23 |
| 2 | New York Athletic Club | 10 | 14 |
| 3 | Maryland United | 9 | 13 |
| 4 | Lancaster Inferno | 8 | 11 |
| 5 | Atlantic City Diablos | 10 | 9 |

### Southeast Division

| Place | Team | P | W | L | T | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Atlanta FC | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | Performance FC Phoenix | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| 3 | Rocket City United | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Alabama Spirit | 0 | | | | 0 |

### Midwest Division

| Place | Team | P | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Minnesota TwinStars | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Chicago Fire NPSL | 6 | 11 |
| 3 | Princeton 56ers | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | Milwaukee Bavarians | 6 | 0 |

### Southwest Division

| Place | Team | P | W | L | T | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | San Diego United | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
| 2 | Arizona Sahuaros | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | Albuquerque Asylum | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |

### Northwest Division

| Place | Team | P | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Sonoma County Sol | 9 | 21 |
| 2 | Santa Cruz County Breakers | 9 | 20 |
| 3 | Real San Jose | 9 | 10 |
| 4 | Salinas Valley Samba | 9 | 0 |

## Playoffs

### Divisional Rounds

Sonoma County Sol 3-1 San Diego United Minnesota TwinStars beat Atlanta FC

### Semi finals

Pennsylvania Stoners beat Sonoma County Sol Minnesota TwinStars 1-1 Long Island Academy (Minnesota TwinStars win 4-2 on penalties)

### Final

Pennsylvania Stoners 3-0 St. Paul Twin Stars

### Bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | N | Pennsylvania Stoners | | | | |
| SE | San Diego United | 1 | NE | Sonoma County Sol | | | | |
| NE | Sonoma County Sol | 3 | | | | N | Pennsylvania Stoners | 3 |
| | | | | | | MW | Minnesota Twin Stars | 0 |
| | | | MA | Long Island Academy | 1(2) | | | |
| MW | Minnesota Twin Stars | | MW | Minnesota Twin Stars | 1(4) | | | |
| SE | Atlanta FC | | | | | | | |
