When the PDL announced its new conference alignments for the upcoming season, fans noticed that a particular North Carolina side was not listed among the teams competing in 2018.

This announcement seemed to confirm suspicions that the Wilmington Hammerheads would not be competing in the PDL this year, and indeed, that is sadly the case.

After “self-relegating” from the USL following the 2016 season, Wilmington elected to play in the PDL in 2017. It was a rough few months for the Hammerheads in their inaugural PDL campaign as the side finished eighth in the South Atlantic Division with just 12 points on the year from a possible 42, and also gave up the most goals in the division (43) for a goal differential of -15.

They won just three games.

The club also made the move across town, leaving their long-time home of Legion Stadium to play at UNCW’s Soccer Stadium.

The environment was different from what Hammerheads fans were used to during their days in USL. Wilmington faced more regional opponents throughout the season with matches in Durham, Myrtle Beach, Raleigh, and Charlotte, but the organization still could not find the momentum to excite the fanbase.

Off the pitch, the club did have support from the community, particularly from the Hammerheads youth academy, at each match. Yet one has to wonder if attendance worries were a driving factor for not fielding a side this year. I saw a varying range of attendance at the games I attended, but these matches never measured up to the attendance during the club’s days in USL; Wilmington averaged 3,000 fans a match during their 2016 season. Very few (if any) home games in 2017 ever reached a third of that.

Ticket prices seemed to be much in line to what was offered during their time in USL. I took advantage of their discounted student tickets, but the drop in division likely warranted a cheaper price per game for the average fan.

I reached out to Shawn Guderian, director of the Hammerheads PDL side, for a comment as to why the club would not be competing in the 2018 season. I did not receive a response.

But fear not Wilmington fans — I am hopeful a future version of the club could potentially make a return in 2019, possibly even in the USL’s new D3 league, where I think they would fit nicely. USL D3 recently announced its first club for the league, South Georgia Tormenta FC, a side that also competed in the PDL in 2017 alongside the Hammerheads. This announcement brews hope that if Wilmington does ever make a return to the professional game instead of the developmental one, a regional rival will be waiting for them.

It was also announced on Feb. 6 that FC Tucson would become the first club to populate USL D3’s eventual Western Conference.

I see moving to USL D3, like those two sides, as Wilmington’s preferred pathway of entry (or re-entry) into the professional ranks. I predict that we will be seeing more PDL sides making the move to the burgeoning league gearing up for a 2019 kickoff.

While it is never good to see soccer clubs disappearing, even if just for a season (ask any Rochester Rhinos fan) sometimes a hiatus is necessary to get your house in order before coming back stronger! Let’s hope that this is just a short break rather than a long term exodus of soccer from the Cape Fear region. #HTID

(Photo Credit: Ryan Allen)

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