Abbotsford Mariners
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| Full name | Fraser Valley Mariners |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Mariners |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Stadium |
Bateman Park Abbotsford, British Columbia |
| Stadium capacity |
1,000 |
| Owner | Brad Nicholl |
| Head Coach | Ian Knight |
| League | USL Premier Development League |
| 2011 | 5th, Northwest Playoffs: DNQ |
| Website | Club home page |
Fraser Valley Mariners is a Canadian soccer team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.
The team plays its home games at Bateman Park, where they have played since 2004. The team's colors are black, white and red.
Until 2007 the team was known as the Abbotsford Rangers, but changed their name prior to the 2008 season to reflect the name of their parent organization.
The Abbotsford area has long had a history of competitive developmental teams, including Abbotsford 86ers Select in 2000, Abbotsford 86ers in 1999 and Abbotsford Athletes in Action in 1998; Abbotsford Rangers joined the PDL as a 'provisional team' in 2003, playing at Rotary Stadium, but struggled on the field, losing their first eight games, and not picking up a win until mid-June when they topped Cascade Surge 3-2 off goals by Jason Jorgensen, Brad Peetoom and Spencer Schmidt. The victory sparked an unexpected 4-game winning streak which included a season's best 3-1 victory over Calgary Storm Select, but the resurgence was too little too late for the team, and the season ended with them in fourth place, and Jason Jorgensen as the top scorer.
2004 saw the Rangers move into a new home at Bateman Park, and hire a new player-manager in the shape of former Hamilton Academical and Canada defender Colin Miller, who had been in the Canadian squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Despite Miller's presence, Abbotsford's results did not improve greatly; they did not pick up their first win until the fourth game (2-1 over Yakima Reds), and only managed three more victories all season. Things hit an all time low on the final day of the season with their 5-0 demolition at the hands of Cascade Surge, and they again finished way off the pace, 19 points behind champions Cascade.
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