Virginia Beach Mariners

Soccer club
Virginia Beach Mariners
Full nameVirginia Beach Mariners Soccer Club
Nickname(s)Mariners
Founded1994
Dissolved2007
StadiumVirginia Beach Sportsplex,
2181 Landstown Rd
Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
Capacity10,000
LeagueUSL First Division
20069th
Home colors
Away colors

The Virginia Beach Mariners were an American soccer club, who formerly played in the USL First Division of the United Soccer Leagues, the second division in the US Soccer hierarchy behind Major League Soccer. On March 30, 2007 the team folded due to lack of ownership.

The Mariners played at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from 1999 up to their demise in 2007.

The team was founded in 1994 as the Hampton Roads Hurricanes, but they changed their name to Mariners after the first year. For the 2003 season, the team changed their name from Hampton Roads Mariners to the more widely recognizable Virginia Beach Mariners. The team went on a one- year hiatus in 1997, after which they joined the A-League.

In 2006, the Mariners added a USL Premier Development League club, the Virginia Beach Submariners. Shortly after the termination of the Mariners, the Submariners were taken over by the Hampton Roads Piranhas, a women's W-League soccer club, who renamed the team the Hampton Roads Piranhas to reflect the change of ownership.

Year-by-year

Year League Reg. Season Playoffs Open Cup
1994 USISL 5th, Atlantic Divisional Semifinals did not enter
1995 USISL Pro League 5th, Atlantic Divisional Semifinals did not qualify
1996 USISL Select League 3rd, South Atlantic Select Six did not qualify
1997 On Hiatus
1998 USISL A-League 3rd, Atlantic Conference Quarterfinals 3rd Round
1999 USL A-League 6th, Atlantic did not qualify did not qualify
2000 USL A-League 4th, Atlantic Conference Quarterfinals 3rd Round
2001 On Hiatus
2002 USL A-League 5th, Southeast did not qualify 3rd Round
2003 USL A-League 2nd, Southeast Division Finals 4th Round
2004 USL A-League 6th, Eastern did not qualify 3rd Round
2005 USL First Division 11th did not qualify 2nd Round
2006 USL First Division 9th did not qualify 3rd Round

Head coaches

  • United States Shawn McDonald (1996 – August 2005)
  • United States Jay Hoffman (August 2005 – 2006)

See also

External links

  • Virginia Pilot article announcing the team's March 2007 demise
  • Press Release announcing Hampton Roads Piranhas Mens PDL Team
  • Virginia Pilot - "No one knew the hope of the tanking Mariners was broke"[permanent dead link]
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