About Us
The Canton Invaders were born with the formation of an exciting new professional sports league – The American Indoor Soccer Association – in the spring of 1984.
The franchise enjoyed enormous success as the AISA’s premier team.
Canton businessmen and brothers Steve, Gus and Nick Paxos along with attorney George Trifelos were the principal owners of the elite team. They hired former Cleveland State head coach Klaas deBoer, were willing to pay a little more for players, and 11 months later were crowned league champions.
It wasn’t quite that easy, though it appeared that way to fans who enjoyed the dominance that brought five titles in the league’s first six seasons.
Originally called the Canton Committee, the franchise held a name-the-team contest and young Mike George’s entry of “Invaders” was selected. He so happened to submit the name that Steve Paxos already had in mind. “I was a big fan of the Oakland Raiders football team and a video game at the time called Space Invaders was all the rage, so I wanted the name to be Invaders and the team colors to be silver and black like the Raiders,” explained Paxos.
In an article by Hymie Williams of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland on June 2, 1984, announcing the team, Canton mayor Sam Purses said: “This is a new beginning for the downtown area. It will lend a lot of credibility to the city.”
It also lent to a lot of fun. The Canton Civic Center became the place to be for sports fans.
That first season, Canton easily had the best record in the regular season.
1984-85 AISA standings
Canton Invaders 31-9
Columbus Capitals 26-14
Louisville Thunder 21-19
Kalamazoo Kangaroos 15-25
Chicago Vultures 14-26
Milwaukee Wave 13-27
Art Kramer scored the first regular-season goal in Invaders history on opening night at the Civic Center on Nov. 10, 1984, shortly after the laser-wielding mascot “Captain Invader” and all players were introduced as they emerged from a spaceship. Canton also got two goals from Joe Pavlek and one apiece from Steve Savage, Kia (Zolgharnain) and Derek Sanderson to finish regulation tied with the Columbus Capitals. In overtime, defender Tim Tyma became an instant hero by booting in the game-winner.
Three nights later, the tables were turned in Columbus, where the Capitals prevailed in overtime, 10-9. The Invaders got that far by scoring a remarkable three goals in the final minutes of regulation after deBoer turned to defender Oscar Pisano as a sixth attacker.
Such thrilling outcomes became common with Canton emerging victorious in most. The Invaders capped off that glorious first season with a 3-1 win in Louisville on April 27, 1985, for the championship. Scoring for Canton were Kramer, Vic Davidson and Don Tobin. All three had played in the more established Major Indoor Soccer League, formed in 1978.
Kia, who had started his pro career at age 18 in 1983 with Phoenix of the MISL, was Canton’s first scoring star. He had 49 goals and 25 assists. Kramer had 39 goals and 24 assists followed by player-assistant coach John Dolinsky, the young team’s oldest player at age 29. He had 29 goals and 25 assists.
In goal, deBoer’s young tandem of Mike Barbarick (20-3 record) and Bill Naumovski were sensational. Pisano was named the league’s defender of the year and deBoer, who had been the 1977 NCAA coach of the year at CSU, earned the award in his first year as a pro head coach.
In between, DeBoer had been assistant coach for the Detroit Express and Los Angeles Aztecs of the outdoor North American Soccer League. His ability to scout talent along with connections to pro players were key to building the cornerstone of the franchise.
Changes Brought More Success
In 1985-86, Trevor Dawkins replaced DeBoer as coach and had an even better record, 33-7. Young Jamie Swanner (20-3) replaced Barbarick and Naumovski (13-3) remained the best backup goalie in the league. Kia, Kramer, Tobin and Pisano again were team leaders, aided by MISL imports Ian Anderson, Rudy Pikuzinski and Walter Schlothauer.
On Feb. 5, 1986, the first AISA All-Star Game was held at the Civic Center. The Invaders played a team of all-stars selected from other clubs. Chicago: Dave Huson, Janusz Keica, Hayden Knight; Columbus: Ruben Astigarraga, Magic Celestin, Lesh Shrkeli; Kalamazoo: Paul Kato, Victor Petroni, Neil Ridgeway; Louisville: Tom Alioto, Gary Amlong, Zoran Savic, Rick Schweizer, Keith Tozer; Milwaukee: Peter Knezic, Ross Ongaro.
Invaders named as all-stars were Kia, Kramer, Naumovski, Pisano, Schlothauer and Tobin, but they played for the home team, which rolled to a 9-4 win. Canton trailed, 4-2, and scored seven straight goals, led by Anderson, who was named the game’s MVP.
A couple months later, the Invaders swept Louisville in three games in the finals for another championship. Tobin was league MVP, Dawkins coach of the year, Swanner rookie of the year and Pisano defender of the year.
The hits just kept on coming in 1986-87. Pikuzinski led the league in scoring and was named MVP as Canton won another division title with a 31-11 record, but fell in the finale of an exciting five-game finals to Louisville. Swanner again was named the league’s top goalie and Tyma won the first of his three defender of the year awards.
Sudden Struggles Turn Into Another Championship
In 1987-88, Canton finished second with a 12-12 record. Pikuzinski again was scoring leader and MVP but with the club struggling early in the playoffs, Paxos dismissed Dawkins and assumed the role of coach. The Invaders went 5-0 from that point to win another championship. They held off the host Fort Wayne Flames, 5-4, in the title game.
“I don’t know where I am, this is the greatest feeling in the world,” Paxos told Bill Lilley of the Akron Beacon-Journal in the raucous locker room afterwards. “The only thing I know is that I promised we’d win this year – and we did.”
It’s Timo Time!
Paxos left the team to become league commissioner. The Invaders remained masters of the AISA universe. With the folding of the MISL’s mighty Cleveland Force on July 22, 1988, coach Timo Lieskoski was left without a job following a six-year run and 178-122 record 30 miles to the north. Hired by the Invaders, Liekoski immediately led them to a 25-15 record, division crown and another league title – the first to be won at home.
Liekoski then put together the best regular-season record ever at 36-4 and won a fifth championship in 1989-90. Swanner’s spectacular 32-4 record in goal led the way. Pikuzinski and brother Randy along with brothers Bobby and Mike Dinunzio, Steve Frick, Gino DiFlorio and Marcelo Carrera were the nucleus of an overpowering offense.
Including the playoffs, the Invaders went 41-5 overall. Liekoski told Dick Shippy of the Akron Beacon-Journal: “You have to realize a team like this will never happen again. Canton should be strong next season, but it is not realistic to think it can repeat a record like this.”
Welcome To The NPSL
The league became the National Professional Soccer League in 1990 and Liekoski was right. The Invaders were good. They won another division title with a 28-12 record. Then they were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Dayton Dynamo.
Liekoski left with a 9-4 record during the 1991-92 season and was replaced by veteran defender Benny Dargle as player-coach. Dargle went 15-12 to claim another division crown and after a first-round bye, beat the Kansas City Attack in the semifinals. In the finals, Canton won the first two games over Detroit, 14-8 and 17-16. The Rockers rallied to win the next three, 14-10, 10-1, and 14-8.
Roster Raid Ends Elite Era
Canton never returned to the playoffs. The MISL completely folded in the summer of 1992. The NPSL added the Baltimore Blast, Cleveland Crunch and Wichita Wings from that league and added the expansion Buffalo Blizzard. Dawkins, who had coached the Crunch to the playoffs, bolted for Buffalo. He essentially took the Invaders with him. Swanner, the Pikuzinski brothers, Mike Dinunzio and star defender Doug Swanson all shuffled off to Buffalo. Clark Brisson, who had 35 goals as an Invaders rookie in 1991-92, went to Baltimore, Carrera to Chicago and Pavlek to Cleveland.
Pisano became coach of the depleted Invaders club that went 13-27. DiFlorio (81), Kia (62), John Dugan (22) and Antonio (20) combined for 175 goals. Twenty-eight others combined for 103.
The next year, new general manager-coach Andy Smiles tried to get the mojo working again but missed the playoffs by one game with a 18-22 mark. DiFlorio, Kia, Carrera and Denzil Antonio were just as good as ever. They just didn’t have as much help.
Antonio became player-coach of decimated squads that went 6-34 in 1994-95 and 5-35 the next year. The Invaders were sold and moved to Columbus. It was the end of an era that brought family fun to thousands who will never forget it.
League MVP
1985-86: Don Tobin
1986-87: Rudy Pikuzinski
1987-88: Rudy Pikuzinski
1988-89: Rudy Pikuzinski
1989-90: Jamie Swanner
1991-92: Jamie Swanner
Coach of the Year
1984-85: Klaas deBoer
1985-86: Trevor Dawkins
Defender of the Year
1984-85: Oscar Pisano
1985-86: Oscar Pisano
1986-87: Tim Tyma
1990-91: Denzil Antonio
Goalkeeper of the Year
1986-87: Jamie Swanner
1988-89: Jamie Swanner
1989-90: Jamie Swanner
1990-91: Jamie Swanner
1991-92: Jamie Swanner
Rookie of the Year
1985-86: Jamie Swanner
League-leading scorer
1986-87: Rudy Pikuzinski
1987-88: Rudy Pikuzinski
All-League Teams
1984-85: Kia, Oscar Pisano
2nd Team: Mike Barbarick, Art Kramer
1985-86: Kia, Oscar Pisano, Don Tobin, Tim Tyma
2nd Team: Jamie Swanner
1986-87: Rudy Pikuzinski, Jamie Swanner, Tim Tyma
2nd Team: Tom Condric
1987-88: Rudy Pikuzinski
1988-89: Rudy Pikuzinski, Jamie Swanner
1989-90: Rudy Pikuzinski, Jamie Swanner
2nd Team: Marcelo Carrera, Bobby Dinunzio, Oscar Pisano
1990-91: Denzil Antonio, Gino DiFlorio, Jamie Swanner
1991-92: Jamie Swanner
2nd Team: Denzil Antonio
1992-93: 3rd Team: Denzil Antonio, Gino DiFlorio
1993-94: 3rd Team: Gino DiFlorio