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{{for|snow storms that affected Buffalo|Lake Storm "Aphid"|Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977|December 2022 North American winter storm}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{| style="margin:5px; border:1px solid #8888AA;" align=right cellpadding=3 cellspacing=3 width=280
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"
|colspan=2| '''Buffalo Blizzard'''
|- align="center"
|colspan=2| [[Image:Buffaloblizzardlogo.png|Buffalo Blizzard]]
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''Operated''' || 1992–2001
|- align="center"
|| '''Arena''' || [[Buffalo Memorial Auditorium|The Aud]] & [[HSBC Arena (Buffalo)|HSBC Arena]]
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''Based in''' || [[Buffalo, New York]]
|- align="center"
|| '''Colors''' || blue, purple, black, and white
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''League''' || [[National Professional Soccer League II|NPSL II]]
|- align="center"
|| '''Division Championships''' || [[1996–97 National Professional Soccer League season|1996–97]] & [[1997–98 National Professional Soccer League season|1997–98]]
|- align="center"
|}
The '''Buffalo Blizzard''' was a soccer club that existed from 1992 to 2001 in [[Buffalo, New York]].

==History==
The team was originally owned by the Knox brothers who owned the [[Buffalo Sabres]] at the time,<ref name= "Knox">{{cite news |last=Gleason |first=Bucky |url= https://apnews.com/article/a279d68938bd96768f283779e10fa968 |title=Sabres Founder Seymour Knox Dead at 70 |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 22, 1996 |access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref> and additionally by the Riches who owned the [[minor league baseball]] [[Buffalo Bisons]].  During their last five years of existence, the team was owned by John Bellanti who had previously owned the [[Buffalo Stallions]] of the original [[MISL I|Major Indoor Soccer League]].<ref name= "Bellanti">{{cite news |url= https://buffalonews.com/news/blizzard-is-bought-by-group-led-by-bellanti/article_dc14dbc9-6f3f-52b8-9bea-f71e48f62e0f.html |title=Blizzard Is Bought by Group Led by Bellanti |work=[[The Buffalo News]] |date=August 21, 1996 |access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref>

The team's attendance was always in the top five of the league until its last season, and they had their record high attendance year in 1993–1994 season with an average attendance of 8,435 fans. The major stars of the team were the Pikuzinski brothers, [[Rudy Pikuzinski|Rudy]] and [[Randy Pikuzinski|Randy]], who rank sixth and ninth on the all-time points list.<ref name= "overtime">{{cite news |last=Bailey |first=Budd |url= https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-02-26-1993057108-story.html |title=Blizzard slides past Spirit in overtime Buffalo 2 1/2 behind after 17-14 win |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=February 26, 1993 |access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref><ref name= "memories">{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Doug |url= https://www.nydailynews.com/bs-xpm-1995-10-28-1995301068-story.html |title=Spirit's memories of Blizzard consist of embarrassing defeats |work=[[New York Daily News]] |date=October 28, 1995 |access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref> The team colors were blue, purple, black, and white, and the team mascot was a dog Spyke who rode a four-wheeler. The team never won a playoff series.

The NPSL ceased operation in 2001 and several of its remaining teams formed the [[Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–08)|Major Indoor Soccer League]], but the Blizzard declined to participate and folded at that time.

==Year-by-year record==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! GP !! W !! L !! PF !! PA !! PCT !! Finish !! Playoffs
|-
| [[1992–93 National Professional Soccer League season|1992–93]]|| 40 || 23 || 17 || 570 || 503 ||  .575 || 3rd Amer || Lost Quarterfinals
|-
| [[1993–94 National Professional Soccer League season|1993–94]]|| 40 || 19 || 21 || 499 || 515 ||  .475 || 3rd Amer || Lost 1st Round
|-
| [[1994–95 National Professional Soccer League season|1994–95]]|| 40 || 20 || 20 || 579 || 552 ||  .500 || 4th Amer || Lost 1st Round
|-
| [[1995–96 National Professional Soccer League|1995–96]]|| 40 || 21 || 19 || 562 || 586 ||  .525 || 4th Amer || Lost Division Semifinals
|-
| [[1996–97 National Professional Soccer League season|1996–97]]|| 40 || 21 || 19 || 545 || 469 ||  .525 ||bgcolor="B3B7FF"| 1st North || Lost Conference Semifinals
|-
| [[1997–98 National Professional Soccer League season|1997–98]]|| 40 || 21 || 19 || 495 || 504 ||  .525 ||bgcolor="B3B7FF"| 1st North || Lost Conference Semifinals
|-
| [[1998–99 National Professional Soccer League season|1998–99]]|| 40 || 22 || 18 || 430 || 510 ||  .550 || 2nd North || Lost Conference Semifinals
|-
| [[1999–2000 National Professional Soccer League season|1999-00]]|| 44 || 19 || 25 || 495 || 617 ||  .432 || 3rd Cent || ''Did not qualify''
|-
| [[2000–01 National Professional Soccer League season|2000–01]]|| 40 || 22 || 18 || 513 || 464 ||  .550 || 2nd Amer || Lost Quarterfinals
|}

==Coaches==
1992–1994: {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Trevor Dawkins]] <br>
1994–1996: {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jim May (soccer)|Jim May]] <br>
1996–1997: {{Flagicon|USA}} [[George Fernandez]]<br>
1997–1998: {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Carlos Salguero]]<br>
1998–1999: {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jim May (soccer)|Jim May]] <br>
1999–2001: {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Paul Kitson (soccer)|Paul Kitson]]

==Players==
*{{Flagicon|United States}} [[Rudy Pikuzinski]] 1992-2000
*{{Flagicon|United States}} [[Randy Pikuzinski]] 1992-2001

==Year by year average game attendance==
*1992/93: 7,068
*1993/94: 8,435
*1994/95: 7,283
*1995/96: 6,364
*1996/97: 7,974
*1997/98: 7,834
*1998/99: 7,068
*1999/00: 6,587
*2000/01: 4,635

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001)}}

[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States]]
[[Category:National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) teams]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1992]]
[[Category:Men's soccer clubs in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 2001]]


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