GO Indoor

History Repeating: Before the Cleveland Force, there was the Force. by Jeff Miller T he Cleveland Force began its first season of play as a charter member of the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) during the 1978-79 season and continued play until the 1987-88 season. In November of 1978, the MISL announced it would begin league play with P six charter teams: (Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Houston and Cincinnati) hosting a 24-game schedule. Eric Henderson, Sr., a local Cleveland businessman was accepted as the ownership group for Cleveland and named his team, the Cleveland Force. During the inaugural season (1978-79), the Force posted a record of 5-19 under the leadership of Head Coach Gordon Fearnley and Assistant Coach Peter Terry. The team averaged 3,116 fans per game throughout the first season of play. The Force was led in scoring by Brian Budd who posted 25 goals and four assists for 29 points. During the second season of play (1979-80), the Wolstein F a m i l y acquired ownership of the team. The team more than doubled its number of wins under new head coach Eddie McCreadie, who led the Cleveland franchise to a record of 12-20 with an average attendance of 3, 080 fans per contest. Clyde Best led the Force in scoring with 33 goals and 16 assists for a total of 49 points in 30 games, ranking him 12th in the MISL for scoring on the season. In just its third season of action (198081), the Force reached what would be the first of seven seasons with 20 or more victories, finishing second in the Central Division with a record of 21-19. Under the leadership of McCreadie, Cleveland advanced to its first playoff action but was defeated by the Baltimore Blast two games to one. Ian Anderson, who led the team in scoring, was ranked 12th in the MISL with 61 points and selected to the All-MISL team. Beginning in the 1981-82 season, the Cleveland Force squad started to assemble its roster of now familiar names associated with Cleveland indoor soccer. They included Keith Furphy, George Nanchoff and Trevor 6 • Oct.-Nov. 2002 • G O A L In d o o r Dawkins. The team ended its fourth season with a record of 15-29, good enough for only a fifth place finish in the Eastern Division which served as McCreadie's last year at the helm. This record Carl Valentine would mark the last time the franchise would not post 20 or more victories in any given season. Furphy led the team with 50 goals and 25 assists for a total of 75 points, ranking him seventh on the season in MISL scoring. The list of now legendary Force players continued to grow during the 1982-83 season when Craig Allen, Kai Haaskivi, Bernie James Ali Kazeand Chris Vaccaro maini joined the team. Another addition to the legendary line-up was the coaching duo of Timo Liekoski, Head Coach and Jay Hoffman, Assistant Coach. Liekoski and Hoffman would remain at the coaching helm throughout the remainder of the franchise's existence. The Eastern Division title was a three-team race consisting of the Force, Blast and the Chicago Sting. The Force finished the regular season in second place, one game behind the Blast with a record of 29-19. The Cleveland-Baltimore playoff game on May 7th was the first MISL network televised game as an estimated four million viewers watched the game on CBS. Cleveland, in just its second playoff appearance in five seasons defeated the Chicago Sting in three games but fell to the Blast in the Eastern Conference Championship 3-2. Allen, Furphy and Haaskivi all lead the team in scoring and were tied for sixth in the MISL with 84 points. Defender Bernie James picked up the MISL Defender of the Year Award. In the 1983-84 season, Force fever struck Northeast Ohio, and the attendance at games skyrocketed from an average of just 6,609 fans per game the previous season, to nearly 13,100 for 83John 84. Cleveland ended Stollmeyer the season with its first 30-plus-win season as it posted a record of 31-17 and finished third in the Eastern Division. Cleveland defeated the Pittsburgh Spirit 3-1 in the opening round of the playoffs but fell to the Baltimore Blast in the Eastern Division Championship 3-0. Kai Haaskivi led the team in scoring and was ranked second in the MISL with 88 points just ahead of teammate Craig Allen who finished with 86 points. Keith Furphy finished eighth in the league with 70 points. For his efforts, Haaskivi was named to the All-MISL team making him just the second Force player to receive the award. Benny Dargle and Joe Raduka joined the team already loaded with legendary Force players. Indoor soccer greatness loomed on the horizon with the addition of 19-year-old Hector Marinaro to the Force roster, though his appearance in just 6 games that season made it hard for anyone to predict the record-breaking phenomenon that was to come. Cleveland finished the 1984-85 season with a record of 27-21, good enough for third place in the Eastern Division. During this season the likes of Ali Kazemaini, Peter Ward, P.J. Johns, Mike Sweeney, Andy Chapman and Dennis Mepham were added to the roster. Craig Allen led the team in scoring with 75 points, landing him an overall ninth place ranking in the MISL season ending tally. The Force defeated the Chicago Sting 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the playoffs but was once again defeated by the Baltimore Blast in the Eastern Division Championship 4-1. Ali Kazemaini was named the MISL Desmond Rookie of the Year. The 1985-86 season saw the Force make history as a leaguerecord crowd of 20,176 fans watched Cleveland clinch the Eastern Division by defeating the Minnesota Strikers, securing home field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. This proved to be the closest divisional race in league history with Cleveland (27-21) edging out Minnesota (26-22) by only one victory. To this day, no team has played host to such a large regular season crowd. In post-season play, the Force and Blast met for the first time in the quarterfinals with Cleveland defeating Baltimore 4-1. In the Eastern Division Championship the Force fell to the Minnesota Strikers 3-1. Craig Allen led the team in scoring, and was fifth in the league with 81 points. Carl Valentine and Gino DiFlorio were additions to the legendary roster during the 1985-86 season. During the 1986-87 season, Cleveland once again took the top spot in the Eastern Division with a record of 34-18. The 34 wins were the most in Cleveland Force history. The team line-up grew to include Andy Schmetzer, Michael King, and Desmond Armstrong. Cleveland won the quarterfinal series in a tough battle with the Minnesota Strikers 3-2 but fell to the Dallas Sidekicks 31in the Eastern Division Championship. Kai Haaskivi ranked third in the league in scoring, leading the team with 89 points. Haaskivi was named to his second All-MISL team and was also selected as the MISL Pass Master (most assist in a season). The postseason awards did not end with Haaskivi as the Force picked up their second MISL Rookie of the Year award when John Andy Schmetzer St ol l me y er earned the honor. In what would be the team's final season, 1987-88, Cleveland posted a record of 30-26 and secured the Eastern Division Championship title. Minnesota took the regular season Eastern Division ranking over the favored Force but Cleveland got the best of the Strikers during the Eastern Division Championship as they won the series 4-1. The Force advanced to its first MISL Championship only to be swept by the San Diego Sockers 4-0. Craig Allen led the team in scoring with 73 points. In July of 1988, the MISL board of directors called a special meeting to discuss the future of the league. A collective bargaining agreement was signed to lower the salary cap. Shortly following the agreement, Cleveland, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis and Tacoma ceased operations. Although devastated by the loss of the Cleveland Force, Cleveland fans would wait only one season for indoor soccer to return to the city when, in 1989, the sport was revived in Cleveland with the arrival of the newly formed Cleveland Crunch. In August, 2002, the Crunch changed its name back to the Force and is a member of the new "MISL" – a realignment of the former National Professional Soccer League and the World Indoor Soccer League. Jeff Miller is the Director of Media Relations for the Cleveland Force.

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