Seacoast United Phantoms - History - USL Second Division

USL Second Division

The USL Pro Select League was renamed the USL Second Division in 2005, and converted to a single-table format, but the Phantoms never got to grips with the new setup, and struggled on the field. The Phantoms lost five of their six opening games, conceding three goals in four of the games, and were grasping for any kind of run in form almost from the beginning of the season. A 6-0 hammering of the Northern Virginia Royals at home in early June that featured a brace from striker Mark Manganello briefly raised the spirits, and back-to-back wins over Long Island Rough Riders and Charlotte Eagles hinted that a late-season surge could be on the cards in Manchester, but the Phantoms reverted back to their poor form quickly. A win and three ties in July effectively ended their playoff hopes, and the 5-2 defeat on the road at Long Island was the low point of the year. A final day victory over the Rough Riders made up for their pummeling earlier in the season, but it was too little too late for New Hampshire, who ended the season in 7th place, 22 points behind regular season champions Western Mass Pioneers. Bjørn Hansen and Thomas McNeil shared the goal scoring spoils, with 6 goals each, while Ricky Charles, Hansen and James Proctor weighed in with 3 assists apiece.

2006 was a year of mid-table obscurity for the Phantoms, finishing with a 9-10-1 record, and in 5th place in the USL Second Division standings, just missing out on the post season once more. The year started brightly for New Hampshire, with two wins and a tie in their first three games, including 3-1 victory over Long Island Rough Riders. The Phantoms were quite excellent at home, losing just two games in front of their own fans all season. Defender Narciso Fernandes scored twice in their 3-1 win over Western Mass Pioneers in mid-July, and Almir Barbosa hit a hat trick against the Cincinnati Kings in their 3-1 win in early August. The Phantoms even enjoyed a brief run to the third round of the US Open Cup, taking out Connecticut-based USASA side Milford International before being walloped 5-1 by USL First Division outfit Rochester Raging Rhinos. Unfortunately, the Phantoms' form on the road was abysmal, with eight straight road losses away from home stretching from early June through to the edge of the season. They also suffered some humiliating defeats during this stretch: Western Mass Pioneers hit them for six in mid-July, and put another half dozen past them in a 6-2 win in August. The Harrisburg City Islanders hit four in a bad-tempered game which saw three men sent off in injury time, and the Richmond Kickers showed no mercy to goalkeeper T.J. Tomasso when completing an 8-0 rout on the final day of the season. Almir Barbosa was the Phantoms' top scorer, with 10 goals, while Thomas McNeil contributed 5 assists.

The Phantoms sank to their lowest ebb in 2007, winning just three games in what turned out to be a long and difficult season. They started the season with a 7-game winless streak, being hammered 4-0 by both the Richmond Kickers and the Cincinnati Kings, and conceding an injury time goal to Cleveland City Stars in their 3-2 defeat there, before eventually winning their first game of the season, 1-0 over Western Mass Pioneers in early June. Due to stadium issues, the Phantoms were forced to play 10 of their first 14 games on the road, prior to embarking on a 6-game home stand to finish the season. The Phantoms did manage to pick up two more wins - 2-1 over Richmond Kickers and a hard-fought 3-2 over Wilmington Hammerheads - but were eliminated from playoff contention well before their 3-1 loss to Cincinnati on the final day of the season. They eventually finished the year 9th of 10 in the standings, just one point ahead of rock-bottom Bermuda Hogges, to whom they lost twice. Almir Barbosa was New Hampshire's top scorer for the second year in a row, with 6 goals, while Thomas McNeil contributed 2 assists.

In an attempt to consolidate their finances and restructure their organization, the Phantoms took voluntary relegation from the USL Second Division to the Premier Development League at the end of 2007.