The California Cougars were an

indoor soccer Indoor soccer or arena soccer (known internationally as indoor football, fast football, or showball) is five-a-side version of minifootball, derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arena. Indoor socc ...

team, founded in 2004. The team was a charter member of the

Professional Arena Soccer League A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

(PASL-Pro), the first division of arena (indoor) soccer in North America. They played their home matches at the

Stockton Arena Stockton Arena is an indoor arena in Stockton, California. It opened in December 2005 and seats a maximum of 12,000 fans. It is the home venue of the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. Former tenants include the Stockton Heat of the American ...

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...

. Their team colors were red, gold and black. The team's head coach was Antonio Sutton.

History

In February 2004, John Thomas, a real estate developer, purchased an expansion team in the Major Indoor Soccer League for

. The team was named the California Cougars so that it would represent all of northern California as a regional team. The first general manager was Dennis Lukens, a former "A" League GM who oversaw the start up operation. He was succeeded by Emily Ballus, a former executive with the WUSA. Because it is only 40 miles south of

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, the team hoped to draw fans of the old

Sacramento Knights Sacramento Knights were an indoor soccer team that played from 1993 to 2001 in ARCO Arena and were owned by the NBA's Sacramento Kings. The team played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1993 to 1997. The team then moved to the Wo ...

of the CISL and WISL. The team began play in the 2005–2006 season after the construction of its arena. In August 2006, the team was purchased by Rick and Greg Toy and their brother in-law Jim Rachels. In May 2008, the team announced that it was joining the

and would be renamed the Stockton Cougars.PASL
/ref> In April 2009, local businessman Fred Walke purchased majority interest in the franchise. For the 2009–2010 season Stockton Cougars went back to calling itself California Cougars.

Year-by-year

Playoff record

Coaches

Head coaches

Troy Dayak Troy Michael Dayak (born January 29, 1971) is an American former soccer player who played as central defender. He spent his entire Major League Soccer career with the San Jose Clash/Earthquakes and nearly all of his professional career playing ...

(2005–2007) *

Bernie Lilavois Bernie Lilavois (born August 31, 1970 in Far Rockaway, New York) is an American soccer forward who played two seasons in the American Professional Soccer League, one in the USISL, one in the USL A-League, four in the Continental Indoor Soccer ...

(2007–2009) * Antonio Sutton (2009–2011)

Assistant coaches

* Dennis Lukens (2005–2006) * Antonio Sutton (2007–2009) * Aaron Susi (2008–2011)

Arenas

(2005–2011)

References

External links

Cougars official website

PASL-Pro website
{{Central Valley Sports Soccer clubs in California Association football clubs established in 2004 Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States Sports in Stockton, California Defunct Professional Arena Soccer League teams Indoor soccer clubs in the United States Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008) teams 2004 establishments in California 2011 disestablishments in California Association football clubs disestablished in 2011