The
Virginia Beach Mariners were an American
soccerAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
club, who formerly played in the
USL First DivisionThe United Soccer Leagues First Division is a professional men's soccer league in North America. It is the second tier of soccer in the United States and Canada league pyramid behind Major League Soccer. It is managed by the United Soccer Leagues...
of the
United Soccer LeaguesThe United Soccer Leagues is the parent organization for the men's lower division leagues of U.S. and Canadian soccer: USL First Division , USL Second Division , and Premier Development League . The top tier for U.S. and Canadian men's soccer is Major League Soccer , with Women's Professional...
, the second division in the US Soccer hierarchy behind
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation . The league comprises 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada...
. On March 30th, 2007 the team folded due to lack of ownership.
The Mariners played at the
Virginia Beach SportsplexVirginia Beach Sportsplex is a sports complex in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The name is most commonly attached to the main stadium within the complex, which is primarily used for soccer. The main stadium opened in 1999 and holds 10,000 people...
in Virginia Beach,
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
, from 1999 up to their demise in 2007.
The team was founded in 1994 as the
Hampton Roads Hurricanes, but they changed their name to Mariners after the first year. For the 2003 season, the team changed their name from Hampton Roads Mariners to the more widely recognizable Virginia Beach Mariners. The team went on a one- year hiatus in 1997, after which they joined the A-League.
In 2006, the Mariners added a
USL Premier Development LeagueThe USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
club, the
Virginia Beach SubmarinersHampton Roads Piranhas is an American soccer team based in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2006 as the Virginia Beach Submariners as part of the development system of the now-defunct USL First Division franchise, the Virginia Beach Mariners, the team plays in the USL Premier...
. Shortly after the termination of the Mariners, the Submariners were taken over by the
Hampton Roads PiranhasHampton Roads Piranhas is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 1995. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada...
, a women's W-League soccer club, who renamed the team the Hampton Roads Piranhas to reflect the change of ownership.
Year-by-year
| Year |
League |
Reg. Season |
Playoffs |
Open Cup |
| 1994 |
USISL |
5th, Atlantic |
Divisional Semifinals |
Did not enter |
| 1995 |
USISL Pro League |
5th, Atlantic |
Divisional Semifinals |
Did not qualify |
| 1996 |
USISL Select League |
3rd, South Atlantic |
Select Six |
Did not qualify |
| 1997 |
On hiatus |
| 1998 |
USISL A-League |
3rd, Atlantic |
Conference Quarterfinals |
3rd Round |
| 1999 |
USL A-League |
6th, Atlantic |
Did not qualify |
Did not qualify |
| 2000 |
USL A-League |
4th, Atlantic |
Conference Quarterfinals |
3rd Round |
| 2001 |
On hiatus |
| 2002 |
USL A-League |
5th, Southeast |
Did not qualify |
3rd Round |
| 2003 |
USL A-League |
2nd, Southeast |
Division Finals |
4th Round |
| 2004 |
USL A-League |
6th, Eastern |
Did not qualify |
3rd Round |
| 2005 |
USL First Division |
11th |
Did not qualify |
2nd Round |
| 2006 |
USL First Division |
9th |
Did not qualify |
3rd Round |
2006 squad
Former Players
Jon BuschJon Busch is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. He was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008.-Youth and College:...
(1998-2000) as Hampton Roads Mariners
Darren CaskeyDarren Mark Caskey is a footballer, currently playing for Southern Football League Premier Division team Halesowen Town....
(2005-06)
http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/darrencaskey.htm Richard LoganRichard Logan is an English professional football forward currently with Blyth Spartans.Logan was born in Washington, Tyne and Wear and began his career as a trainee with Darlington...
Shane McFaulShane McFaul, born in Dublin on May 23 1986, is a footballer currently playing for Eircom League side .During his career, he has also played for Virginia Beach Mariners, UCD and Brighton...
(2006)
Darin LewisDarin Lewis is a soccer player from Trinidad and Tobago who currently plays for WASA FC. The son of former Trinidad and Tobago national football captain Steve Pierre, his professional soccer clubs include Portland, the MetroStars, Virginia Beach Mariners and Partizan Belgrade. Darin is one of few...
(2002) Darren Warham (2002)
External links