1996-97 Cleveland Crunch Roster
Team Record: 29-11
in the NPSL's Central Division
Postseason: 5-6
Lost Championship
Coach: Bruce Miller (29-11)
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 160,880, Avg. 8,044 in 20 home dates
The Cleveland Crunch of the National Professional Soccer League ended the 1996-97 season with a record of 29 wins and 11 losses in the NPSL's Central Division. The team compiled a postseason mark of 5-6.
The Crunch paced the league with 395 goals. Cleveland allowed 290 goals. Hector Marinaro scored 104 goals for the squad, while Nikola Vignjevic, Tom Tanner, Kia, Zoran Karic, Henry Gutierrez and John Ball each netted fifteen or more as well. Zoran Karic contributed 81 assists. Otto Orf earned 28 wins in front of the net for the team and a team-best 7.07 goals against average, topping goalkeepers with enough qualifying appearances.
Bruce Miller coached the team. The 1996-97 Cleveland Crunch lost in the Championship.
Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Ball | M | November 5, 1972 | 5'10" | 160 | Newtown, CT |
| Glen Carbonara | D | September 17, 1966 | 5'11" | 185 | Vineland, NJ |
| Denny Ciornei | G | October 26, 1968 | 6'2" | 185 | Codlea, Romania |
| John Cowmey | M | August 16, 1974 | 5'10" | 160 | |
| Todd Dusosky | F | May 12, 1976 | 6'1" | 200 | Anoka, MN |
| Troy Dusosky | G,D | May 12, 1976 | 6'1" | 200 | Anoka, MN |
| James Finn | |||||
| Henry Gutierrez | M | August 28, 1968 | 5'7" | 150 | Hoboken, NJ |
| Mark Jonas | M | October 17, 1974 | 5'8" | Washington, DC | |
| Zoran Karic | F | August 1, 1961 | 5'9" | 160 | Kacarevo, Yugoslavia |
| Kia | F | November 10, 1965 | 5'5" | 125 | Mashhad, Iran |
| Matt Knowles | D | October 7, 1970 | 6'1" | 190 | Philadelphia, PA |
| Hector Marinaro | F | December 6, 1964 | 5'9" | 155 | Mississauga, ON Canada |
| Rob Marinaro | G | November 6, 1969 | 5'10" | 160 | Toronto, ON |
| Obi Moneme | M | March 2, 1975 | 6'0" | 180 | |
| Otto Orf | G | November 4, 1963 | 6'1" | 180 | Elma, NY |
| Nikola Ristic | M | July 23, 1963 | 5'9" | 160 | Belgrade, Serbia Yugoslavia |
| Andy Schmetzer | F | April 26, 1967 | 5'10" | 155 | Seattle, WA |
| Scott Schweitzer | D | August 12, 1971 | 5'11" | 150 | Rahway, NJ |
| Doug Smith | |||||
| Zoran Stojanovic | |||||
| Tom Tanner | M | March 10, 1968 | 5'8" | 150 | Syracuse, NY |
| Tim Tyma | D | December 14, 1960 | 5'11" | 180 | Cleveland, OH |
| Mike Veneto | |||||
| Nikola Vignjevic | M | March 12, 1971 | 6'1" | 180 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia |
