A famous line from Casablanca, "Round up the usual suspects," is most appropriate in our survey of Long Island Junior Soccer League team names. For the past decade, five team names have dominated in popularity and 2007 is no exception as all five names once again make up the Top Five. Three of these names are weather-related--Storm, Lightning and Thunder--while two are the quintessential soccer names--Strikers and United.

Could this consistency partly stem from the fact that some LIJSL coaches, after coaching their kids' teams from Under 10 through Under 19, coach a new group of players with the same team name? Often this second team does not have any players on the squad related to the coach. A perfect example of this is Bob Connors, who coached four teams named Massapequa Arsenal for 36 total years and even had a license plate that read ARSENAL. That last Arsenal squad graduated from the LIJSL before our friend passed away in 2006.

Another team that comes quickly to mind are the Rockville Centre Royals squads coached by Peter Bralower.

Could this consistency also come from the fact that some LIJSL alumni, now married with children, start coaching a league team and use the same name? Fox News host Brian Kilmeade played for the Massapequa Celtics during the 1970s and '80s and now coaches the Boys Under 10 Massapequa Celtics, who play in Boys Under 10, Division N1.

First place in popularity of LIJSL team names is United. With 40 of the LIJSL's 1,488 squads, United teams make up close to 3 percent of the league.

Lightning doesn't strike twice but 37 times as that name comes in second place. Following Lightning appropriately enough is Thunder, in third place with 33 team names. But since thunder is heard but not seen, of those 33 teams named Thunder, why are five squads named Blue Thunder, two called Red Thunder, one Green Thunder and one the oxymoron of Silent Thunder? Inquiring minds want to know!

Right behind Lightning and Thunder is Storm, in fourth place with 32 teams.

Rounding out the top five is Strikers, in fifth place with 30 LIJSL team names.

The Top 10 is completed with Fury in sixth place with 22 squads, Eagles and Power tied for seventh with 21 teams plus Fire, Jaguars and Warriors tied for ninth place with 17 squads.

Waiting in the wings to crack the Top 10 are Arsenal (16 teams), Panthers (14), Tornadoes (13) and Academy (11).

There is one LIJSL club without any teams with these popular names of United, Lightning, Thunder, Storm, Strikers, Fury, Eagles, Power, Fire, Jaguars, Warriors, Arsenal, Panthers, Tornadoes and Academy. That distinction belongs to the Elmont Soccer Club on the Queens-Nassau border as all Elmont team names begin with the letter R.