Lots of History for Pioneers

Western Mass. Has Had Its Share of Ups and Downs

February 22, 2008

By Paul Wackrow

There is no doubt that Western Mass Pioneers have had their share of ups and downs throughout their 10-year history. But what the team lacks in consistency, they make up in longevity. Founded in 1998, the Pioneers are one of the older teams in the ever-changing landscape of the United Soccer Leagues.

Based just north of Springfield, in Ludlow, Massachusetts, the Pioneers have become seasoned veterans of the third tier of American professional soccer.

The Pioneers found immediate success playing in the USL’s D3 Pro League. Under the leadership of Coach Leszek Wrona, the team finished in the middle of its division. After qualifying for the playoffs, the Pioneers advanced all the way to the division semifinals, where they lost to the New Hampshire Phantoms, 2-1. Wrona’s side also made an appearance in the US Open Cup, advancing to the second round.

Leszek Wrona

Leszek Wrona is returning for his thrid stint as head coach of the Pioneers. (Photo source: www.wmpioneers.com).

In 1999, after finishing the regular season in top form, the Pioneers sealed the Northern Conference Championship by finally defeating the Phantoms. Pushed by leading goal scorer Rob Jachym, the young side went on to beat Chico (Calif.) in the National Semifinals before facing Northern Division rivals South Jersey Barons in the National Championship. With goals from Jachym and Paul Wright, the Pioneers upset the Barons, 2-1, to become D3 Pro League Champions in only their second year.

The next season marked the beginning of a downward trend, as the Western Mass side finished only fifth in its division. There was continued success in the playoffs, with Wrona’s team besting South Jersey once again, and easily defeating Reading to advance to the Conference Finals. The finals saw New Jersey rising to beat Western Mass, 1-0. The scoring partnership of Paul Wright and Rob Jachym continued throughout the season, with each player netting six goals each. Following the 2000 season, coach Leszek Wrona left the club. Jon Voight of East Longmeadow soon took over, and would remain in charge for three seasons.

With Wrona gone and Voight at helm, the Pioneers found themselves plummeting to last place in the Northern Conference. By the end of the season, they were over 20 points back of the first place Boston Bulldogs. Having gone through such a dramatic change in form in only two years, Voight was able to learn from the mistakes of his first season, and lead the Pioneers to win the Northern Conference in 2002. Although defeat soon followed at the hands of the Connecticut Wolves in the Quarterfinals, there was still plenty to take from the season. James Proctor netted 15 goals throughout the season, and goal keepers Brian Quinn and Dan Pires were both listed among the top five keepers in the league.

During the next season, a number of changes impacted the league, most notably the abandonment of the old “D3 Pro League” league title in favor of the new “Pro Soccer League.” The loss of a number of teams in the division also affected the structure of the league. With only three teams left in the Northern Region, the Pioneers finished dead last. At season’s end, Western Mass lagged eight points behind second place Westchester, and only won eight of 20 regular season games. This would be Voight’s last season in charge, with management opting to rehire Leszek Wrona as coach.

On paper, Wrona’s first season back was hardly any better than the prior year. The Pioneers again finished last, but this time they only trailed Westchester by a single point and league-leading New Hampshire by five. In 2004, Wrona led his side back to the US Open Cup for the first time in six seasons, advancing to the second round.

By 2005, the Pioneers were reaching heights not seen since 1999. With the help of strikers Neil Krause and Albanian import Rigels Qosa, Western Mass finished in first place in the regular season, and advanced to the third round of the US Open Cup. After making it all the way to the USL Second Division Championship Final, the Pioneers were beaten, 5-4, in penalty kicks by Charlotte in front of a heartbroken home crowd in Ludlow.

The following season would not be as successful. While leading goal scorer Rogels Qosa returned to Europe, Neil Krause underperformed with only three goals throughout the entire season. The Pioneers failed to qualify for both the playoffs and the US Open Cup only a year after hosting the final. Wrona was soon replaced by Connecticut Olympic Development Program Coach Tom D’Agostino for the 2007 season. However, D’Agostino made little progress and the Pioneers ended their second season in a row in sixth place.

The 2008 season looks to be an interesting year for Western Mass. Wrona is back yet again for a third stint as coach and is concentrating on building a young side full of college players. Going into the new season, Wrona knows better than anyone that the USL Second Division is an ever-changing league, and a little rebuilding can never hurt in such a dynamic setting.

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