Hershey Wildcats were a professional soccer team, based in
HersheyHershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that played in the USL A-League between 1997 and 2001. The team was owned by
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts CompanyHershey Entertainment and Resorts , also known as "HERCO", is a privately owned company of the Hershey Trust Company.- History :The company was originally founded by Milton S...
. The team played in
Hersheypark StadiumHersheypark Stadium is a stadium, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on the grounds of Hersheypark. The General Manager is Frank O'Connell.It is used as a sporting facility, concert venue and location for various other large functions . In addition, it hosted the 2004 Presidential Race Campaign stop...
, located at
HersheyparkHersheypark is an amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near the Hershey Chocolate Factory.Hersheypark was opened on April 24, 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, an American confectionery company. Later, the company decided to open the park to the...
, and received its name from the
Wild CatThe Wild Cat was the name of a wooden roller coaster located in Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Milton S. Hershey had the ride built at a cost of $50,000, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the town of Hershey. It was the first roller coaster built in Hersheypark...
roller coaster.
History
The Wildcats were moderately successful in their short existence, with
Bob LilleyRobert "Bob" Lilley is an American former soccer player and head coach. He has managed the Hershey Wildcats, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps, Detroit Ignition, and Rochester Rhinos....
coaching the team for its entire five-year run, leading the Wildcats to the playoffs in each season. In 2001, Hershey reached the A-League finals but were defeated 2-0 by the
Rochester Raging RhinosThe Rochester Rhinos are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having self-relegated from the USSF D2 Pro League...
.
Less than a week after the championship match, in October 2001, Hershey Entertainment announced that the Wildcats were folding. Weak attendance, including a crowd of only 750 for the 2001 playoff semifinal, was a factor in the decision to fold the team. With the league unable to find a new owner for the club, the players became free agents.
Notable players that played for the Wildcats and then went on to play in
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
include
Jon BuschJon Busch is an American soccer goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
and
Christof LindenmayerChristof Lindenmayer is a former professional soccer player who competed for the Columbus Crew as well as the Hershey Wildcats and the Virginia Beach Mariners before retiring due to chronic hamstring injuries...
.
Year-by-year
| Year |
Division |
League |
Reg. Season |
Playoffs |
Open Cup |
| 1997 |
2 |
USISL A-League |
1st, Atlantic |
Division Semifinals |
Round of 16 |
| 1998 |
2 |
USISL A-League |
2nd, Atlantic |
Conference Semifinals |
2nd Round |
| 1999 |
2 |
USL A-League |
1st, Atlantic |
Conference Semifinals |
Did not qualify |
| 2000 |
2 |
USL A-League |
3rd, Atlantic |
Conference Quarterfinals |
Did not qualify |
| 2001 |
2 |
USL A-League |
1st, Northern |
Final |
3rd Round |