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

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