Dustin Bixler (born December 21, 1982 in
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The borough is eight miles (13 km) west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 8,981.
...
) is a former
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who spent his entire career with
Harrisburg City Islanders
Penn FC (formerly the Harrisburg City Islanders) was an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2003, the team most recently played in the USL Pro, the second tier of the United States soccer ...
.
Career
College
Bixler attended
Red Land High School and was a four-year starter at
Lock Haven University
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania (LHU) is a public university in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The main campus consists of and the branch campus covers . It offers 69 undergradua ...
, playing 71 career games and earning All-Conference honors in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He was also named to the Division II All-Northeast Region First Team in 2003 and 2004, and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player and the Conference’s Athlete of the Year after his senior season.
Professional
Bixler turned professional when he signed with
Harrisburg City Islanders
Penn FC (formerly the Harrisburg City Islanders) was an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2003, the team most recently played in the USL Pro, the second tier of the United States soccer ...
of the
USL Second Division
The USL Second Division (commonly referred to as USL-2) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, operated by United Soccer Leagues (USL). It was at the third tier of soccer in the United States, behind Major League Soccer ( ...
in 2005. He made his professional debut on May 5, 2007 as a substitute in a 4-3 win over the
Charlotte Eagles
The Charlotte Eagles are an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at ...
.
He was named to the 2008 All-League Second Team, was MVP of the 2007 USL-2 Championship Match, and is Harrisburg’s all-time leader in starts and minutes played. On February 2, 2010 Harrisburg City announced the re-signing of Bixler for the 2010 season.
Bixler scored his first professional goal on his 88th appearance for Harrisburg, a 2-1 victory over the
Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...
on May 22, 2010.
He re-signed with the club on March 11, 2011.
On September 7, 2012, Bixler announced his retirement from professional soccer after eight seasons, all with Harrisburg City.
Coaching
Bixler is also the head coach of the
Cedar Crest High School boys varsity soccer team.
References
External links
Harrisburg City Islanders bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bixler, Dustin
1982 births
Living people
American soccer players
Penn FC players
USL Second Division players
USL Championship players
People from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Association football defenders