Rochester Thunder

{{Multiple issues| {{Self-contradictory|about=the name of the owner - Todd Penz or Dan Penz|date=January 2023}} {{Citations broken|date=January 2023}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox football club | clubname = Rochester Thunder | image = Newrochesterthunder.jpg | image_size = 180px | fullname = Rochester Thunder | nickname = The Thunder | founded = 2008 | dissolved = 2010 | ground = RCTC Stadium<br />Rochester, Minnesota | capacity = ???? | chrtitle = Owner | chairman = {{flagicon|USA}} Todd Penz | mgrtitle = Head Coach | manager = {{flagicon|ENG}} Neil Cassidy | league = USL Premier Development League | season = 2010 | position = 2nd, Heartland Division<br />Playoffs: Conference Semifinals | American = true

| pattern_la2 = | pattern_b2 = | pattern_ra2 = | leftarm2 = FFFFFF | body2 = FFFFFF | rightarm2 = FFFFFF | shorts2 = FFFFFF | socks2 = FFFFFF | }} thumb|125px|right|Original Rochester Thunder logo '''Rochester Thunder''' was an American soccer team based in Rochester, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2008, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference. The franchise folded at the end of the 2010 season and left the league thereafter.

The team was originally part of the official development system of the Minnesota Thunder former USL First Division franchise. They played their home games at RCTC Stadium on the campus of Rochester Community and Technical College. The team's colors were blue, white and silver.

==History== The Thunder joined the PDL in 2009,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110716110433/http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/292982.html Press announcement]</ref> and played their first ever game on May 9, 2009, away at Des Moines Menace. The Thunder lost game 2–1, with the first goal in franchise history being scored by Brian Pederson.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2009/1026860.html |title=United Soccer Leagues (USL) |accessdate=2009-05-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610173341/http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2009/1026860.html |archivedate=2011-06-10 }}</ref>

The team was initially suspended from the USL PDL after their parent team, the Minnesota Thunder left the USL for the new North American Soccer League.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2009/11/27/usls-tim-holt-makes-statements-concerning-the-minnesota-thunder/ |title=USL's Tim Holt Makes Statements Concerning the Minnesota Thunder {{!}} Inside Minnesota Soccer |website=www.insidemnsoccer.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201045456/http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2009/11/27/usls-tim-holt-makes-statements-concerning-the-minnesota-thunder |archive-date=2009-12-01}}</ref> However, the team was re-admitted to the PDL in 2010, and continued to compete.

Following the conclusion of the 2010 season the Thunder folded their operations. In a statement released on November 15, 2010 Thunder owner Dan Penz said "Due to unfortunate circumstances, the Rochester Thunder will no longer be able to continue. With the economy the way it is and only a handful of sponsors we could not make it work financially. This is a hard decision, but one that needed to be made".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101124104712/http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2010/11/15/rochester-thunder-fold-pdl-team-after-two-short-but-good-years/ Rochester Thunder Fold PDL Team after Two Short But Good Years]</ref>

==Players==

===Notable former players=== ''This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.''

* {{flagicon|GHA}} Samuel Asante * {{flagicon|USA}} Teal Bunbury * {{flagicon|GUA}} Juan Chang * {{flagicon|USA}} Paul Moran * {{flagicon|USA}} Brian Pederson * {{flagicon|USA}} Ben Sippola * {{flagicon|JPN}} Kentaro Takada

==Year-by-year== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !Year !Division !League !Regular season !Playoffs !Open Cup |- |2009 |rowspan=2|4 |rowspan=2|USL PDL |5th, Heartland |''Did not qualify'' |''Did not qualify'' |- |2010 |2nd, Heartland |Conference Semifinals |''Did not qualify'' |}

==Head coaches== * {{flagicon|ENG}} Neil Cassidy (2009–2010)

==Stadia== * Stadium at Rochester Community and Technical College; Rochester, Minnesota (2009–2010)

==Average attendance== Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at https://web.archive.org/web/20131208011525/http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html.

* 2009: 447 * 2010: 322

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.thethunderfc.com Official Site] *[http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/20204268.html#MAIN Official PDL site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610081324/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/20204268.html#MAIN |date=June 10, 2011 }}

Category:Defunct Premier Development League teams Category:Defunct soccer clubs in Minnesota Category:Association football clubs established in 2008 Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 2010 Category:Minnesota Thunder Category:2008 establishments in Minnesota Category:2010 disestablishments in Minnesota