Peoria Pirates

Template: Af2 team
name =Peoria Pirates
logo =PeoriaPirates.pngconference =American
division =Midwest
founded =1999
arena =Peoria Civic Center|Carver Arena
location =Peoria, Illinois
championships =2000, 2002(af2)
div_titles =1999 (IFL)
2000, 2002(af2)
conf_titles =2002, 2004 (af2)
owner =The Peoria Pirates are a professional arena football team currently playing in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They play their home games at Carver Arena and are coached by Bruce Cowdrey. The Pirates originally began play as a charter member of the Indoor Football League in 1999.

In their existence, the Pirates have played in the Indoor Football League (IFL), af2 (twice), and United Indoor Football (UIF). They also won the 2000 IFL Championship. They were also, while in the UIF, known as the Peoria Rough Riders.

Team history

Indoor Football League (IFL) / af2

The Peoria Pirates were charter members of the Indoor Football League (IFL) and were also the IFL runners-up in 1999 and won the IFL championship in 2000 before their original league folded and the franchise moved over to af2. After the move, the Pirates managed to win ArenaCup III over the Florida Firecats, but couldn't repeat their performance the following year.

United Indoor Football (UIF)

After losing ArenaCup V to the Firecats, the franchise moved to United Indoor Football (UIF) and became the Peoria Rough Riders (Before changing team name (along with their move to the UIF), their name was the Mutineers). However, their IFL and af2 success did not translate with their move to United Indoor Football, as they finished 6-9, then 0-15.

Closure and return

On September 15, 2006, the Rough Riders officially ceased operations. [ [http://www.pjstar.com/stories/091606/ROU_BAVLU2DQ.W02.shtml http://www.pjstar.com/stories/091606/ROU_BAVLU2DQ.W02.shtml] Dead link |date=March 2008]

However, on August 22, 2007, it was announced that a new team would begin playing at Carver Arena, which would; play in af2, assume the old Peoria Pirates name, logo, colors, and history, and have longtime head coach Bruce Cowdrey become head coach once again. The Pirates returned to play in the 2008 af2 season. [ [http://pjstar.com/stories/082207/SPO_BE52L8ME.077.php http://pjstar.com/stories/082207/SPO_BE52L8ME.077.php] ]

eason-by-season

-
colspan="6" align="center" | Peoria Pirates (IFL)
-
1999 || 11 || 1 || 0 || 1st EC Northern || Won Semifinal (Dayton)
Lost Gold Cup I (Green Bay)
-
2000 || 14 || 0 || 0 || 1st EC Northern || Won Round 1 (Madison)
Won Semifinal (Steel Valley)
Won Gold Cup II (Bismarck)
-
colspan="6" align="center" | Peoria Pirates (af2)
-
2001 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 4th NC Midwestern || --
-
2002 || 11 || 5 || 0 || 1st NC Midwestern || Won NC Round 1 (Wichita)
Won NC Semifinal (San Diego)
Won NC Championship (Birmingham)
Won ArenaCup III (Florida)
-
2003 || 5 || 11 || 0 || 4th NC Midwestern || --
-
2004 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd NC Midwestern || Won NC Round 1 (Oklahoma City)
Won NC Semifinal (Bakersfield)
Won NC Championship (Tulsa)
Lost ArenaCup V (Florida)
-
colspan="6" align="center" | Peoria Rough Riders (UIF)
-
2005 || 6 || 9 || 0 || 3rd Midwest || --
-
2006 || 0 || 15 || 0 || 3rd Central || --
-
2007 || colspan="6" align="center" | "Did Not Play"
-
colspan="6" align="center" | Peoria Pirates (af2)
-
2008 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 6th AC Midwest || --
-!Totals || 78 || 71 || 0
colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Current Roster

Notes

External links

* [http://www.peoriapiratesaf2.com Official Website]
* [http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=history&team=75&year=2004 Peoria Pirates on ArenaFan]
* [http://www.qkstats.net/UIF/2005stats/PEO.HTM Rough Riders' 2005 Stats]
* [http://www.qkstats.net/UIF/2006stats/PEO.HTM Rough Riders' 2006 Stats]