Magee, Onstad and Sheta headed to USL Hall of Fame

November 5, 2008 - USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


TAMPA, FL -United Soccer Leagues announced that former USL First Division championship foes Amos Magee and Pat Onstad were selected for induction into the USL Hall of Fame as Players, and that Northern Virginia Royals owner Mo Sheta will be inducted as a Builder at the 2008 USL Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the USL SoccerFest in Tampa, FL November 21.

A year after the season of 1995 was a central theme between the two players inducted into the USL Hall of Fame, perhaps it is fitting that the next two players to be inducted also share a common thread, having faced one another in back-to-back championship games as the Minnesota Thunder and Rochester Raging Rhinos squared off for the league title.

While they share a common link, their stories could not be more different. Magee, a lifelong member of the Thunder, has been with the club since its inception as an independent amateur side and has been with the team, excluding a brief stint in MLS, through present day as a player, coach and technical director. Onstad nearly never rose to his greatness having prematurely retired in 1995, but after a year and a half as a teacher, returned to the field and, at the age of 40, has become one of the pre-eminent goalkeepers of the era.

Magee and Onstad were inducted by the voting panel consisting of previous USL Hall of Fame inductees, receiving at least 70 percent of the vote. Mo Sheta will be inducted via the President's Selection.

AMOS MAGEE

A Thunder original, Magee's career began with the team prior to it joining USL in 1994. Magee helped guide the team to six championship game appearances during his USL career, winning the USL First Division Championship in 1999 with Magee setting up both goals in the 2-1 victory over Rochester in a rematch of the previous year's final.

The Thunder were unbeaten at 18-0 in their inaugural USL campaign in 1994, but fell in the championship. The club suffered only one defeat in 20 games the following year as a professional team, but again were unable to win the championship game. Magee led the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons from 1996 to his pinnacle in 1998, ranking third in the league in points (40) and tied for third in goals (15). He earned All-League honors that season.

Buoyed by their run to the final in 1998, Magee helped lead the Thunder to within four points of the regular season title in 1999 and a 6-0 run in the playoffs to capture their first league championship in four attempts. The team's success, coupled with former General Manager Bill Manning joining Tampa of MLS, led to Magee's move in 2000 to the Mutiny.

He would return to the club full-time in 2001, instantly inserting himself as a team leader once again, finishing second on the team in points and help the club rebuild for another run for a championship in 2003 that again fell short. He took on a role as player / assistant coach in his final season in 2004 and was later named head coach in 2006 following the retirement of USL Hall of Fame Coach Buzz Lagos.

In his eight seasons in the USL First Division, he registered 37 goals and 22 assists in 150 regular season games. He was inducted into the Wesleyan University Hall of Fame in October and recently led the US Maccabi team to a gold medal as head coach.

PAT ONSTAD

Currently one of the best goalkeepers in North America, Onstad's career started on modest terms as he spent the first seven years as a professional playing in the Canadian Soccer League before joining the Toronto Rockets of what is now the USL First Division in 1994. After a season with Toronto and half a campaign with the Montreal Impact in 1995, Onstad retired from the game at the age of 27 and became a physical education teach in Vancouver. Two seasons later he came out of retirement to play for the expansion Toronto Lynx in 1997. The following year he joined the Rochester Raging Rhinos, where his career would reach new heights.

Onstad helped lead Rochester to the USL First Division regular season and playoff championships in 1998, leading the league in goals against average (0.50) en route to earning the Goalkeeper of the Year and All-League honors. His successful run continued in 1999 as he helped lead the Rhinos to a second consecutive regular season title. Although the Rhinos would fall in the championship game, Onstad's season was highlighted with another championship, capturing the US Open Cup trophy with four consecutive wins over Major League Soccer opponents. He was second in the league in GAA with a mark of 0.62, earning All-League honors.

His success led to a stint in 2000 with Dundee United of the Scottish Premier League, but he returned stateside in 2001 only to miss nearly the entire season due to a wrist fracture. In 2002, however, he returned to prominence with another second-place finish in GAA (0.75).

An emergency need for a goalkeeper in San Jose in 2003 led to Onstad's move to Major League Soccer, where he has continued to be a league leader and champion. In just his first season, Onstad eclipsed single-season team records and was named Goalkeeper of the Year after finishing second in GAA (1.04) in the league while helping lead the Earthquakes to the MLS Cup championship.

Two years later, Onstad was again named Goalkeeper of the Year after setting new team records and finishing first in the league in GAA (0.97). In the team's first year in Houston in 2006, Onstad helped deliver an MLS Cup championship, playing every minute of the season. He helped guide the club to a second consecutive MLS Cup championship in 2007 while finishing first again in GAA with a mark of 0.82. At the close of the 2008 campaign, Onstad finished with the league's best GAA for a third time in four years with a mark of 1.03 at the age of 40, bringing his MLS career average to 1.07.

On the international stage, Onstad has been involved with the Canadian National Team for over 20 years, making 56 appearances for the senior squad and posting team record 22 shutouts.

MO SHETA

An owner of the Royals for over 10 years, Sheta helped found the club in the USL Second Division in 1998 and watched over eight professional seasons, working closely with nearby DC United in player development. Focused on player development, Sheta has worked closely with the independent Northern Virginia Majestics W-League team in developing the sport in the community and moved the Royals to the PDL in 2006.

In addition, Sheta and the Royals were one of the original 16 members of the Super Y-League in 1999, making them one of the earliest USL clubs to make a commitment to player development at the elite youth level. Following the theme of pioneers, the Royals were also among the inaugural members of the 2006 launch of the USL Super-20 League.

The club's model of development has seen significant progress on and off the field, reaching the overall, boys and girls categories in the annual SYL First 11 rankings in 2007 and 2008. As a club, the Royals/Majestics reached the First 11 plateau in 2007 at number 10 overall with the boys and girls programs each finishing in the Second 11. In the regular season edition of the 2008 rankings, the club climbed to sixth in the overall and boys tables and was 16th in the girls.



USL First Division Stories from November 5, 2008


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