Major Arena Soccer League 2

Last updated
Major Arena Soccer League 2
Founded2017
Country United States
Other club(s) from Mexico
Number of teams21
Level on pyramid2
Current champions Iowa Demon Hawks (2023-24)
Most championships San Diego Sockers 2 (two titles)
Website www.m2soccer.com

The Major Arena Soccer League 2 is a North American indoor soccer league that serves as the developmental league of the Major Arena Soccer League.

Contents

History

M2 launched in 2017 to "provide an outlet for teams to either reorganize for a re-emergence in the MASL or an avenue for teams to compete in smaller markets in hopes of rising to MASL status." [1] It was announced that MASL 2 would have between 8 and 12 teams. [2]

The 2018–19 season brought the total number of teams participating in the season up from 10 to 15. Stockton, California was announced as a market and held a team naming contest, but all news stories from the league website and all mention of the Stockton franchised were dropped. The league changed from having "Conferences" to "Divisions." Expanding from the Eastern and Western conference's the MASL 2 now had the Eastern Division, Mountain Division, and Pacific Division.

On February 25, 2021, MASL 2 announced the return of the RGV Barracudas FC to the league to compete in the 2021–2022 season. [3]

On March 11, 2021, MASL 2 officially welcomed the Cleveland Crunch to the league. [4]

Sponsorship

The official game ball is made by Mitre, [5] [6] based in Wakefield, England.

Teams

TeamCity/StateArenaFoundedJoinedHead coachMASL Affiliate
East
Atletico Orlando Orlando, Florida TBD20172023Alex Flores
Baltimore Arsenal Towson, Maryland SECU Arena 20232023Tarik Walker Baltimore Blast
Rochester Lancers East Rochester, New York Total Sports Experience20102018 Doug Miller
United Elite Krajisnik FC Utica, NY Adirondack Bank Center 20172023Anel Pajazetovic Utica City FC
North
Iowa Demon Hawks Des Moines, Iowa Buccaneer Arena 20212022Francisco Fernandes, Jr.
Iowa Raptors FC Cedar Rapids, Iowa Alliant Energy PowerHouse 20222022Curt Lewis Kansas City Comets
Muskegon Risers Muskegon, Michigan Mercy Health Arena 20142017Ben Ritsema Milwaukee Wave
St. Louis Ambush II St Charles, Missouri Family Arena 20232023Donnie Alberty St. Louis Ambush
Midwest
Amarillo Bombers Amarillo, Texas Amarillo Civic Center 20182019Chad Webb Mesquite Outlaws
Colorado Inferno FC Colorado Springs, Colorado SoccerHaus COS20172017John Wells
El Paso Rhino FC El Paso, Texas La Frontera Indoor Soccer2023
Kansas Bandits Dodge City, Kansas United Wireless Arena 20222022Isais De La Torre
New Mexico Runners Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho Events Center 20182018Steve Famiglietta
Wichita Wings Wichita, Kansas Hartman Arena 20192019Roger Downing
Western Conference
Chihuahua Savage II Chihuahua, Chihuahua Arena Corner Sport20192019Alan Domínguez Chihuahua Savage
Empire Jets Upland, California Upland Arena20172017Anthony Perez Empire Strykers
RGV Barracudas FC Hidalgo, Texas Payne Arena 20042021Genoni Martinez Monterrey Flash
San Diego Sockers 2 San Diego, California Pechanga Arena 20172017Rene Ortiz San Diego Sockers
Turlock Cal Express Turlock, California Turlock Soccer Complex20112021Arturo Pulido

Future Teams

TeamCity/StateArenaFoundedJoinedHead coachMASL Affiliate
Wisconsin Conquerors Marshfield, Wisconsin Greenheck Fieldhouse20232024
Minnesota Blizzard St. Paul, Minnesota Warner Coliseum 20242024
Spice City FC Danbury, Connecticut Danbury Ice Arena 20242024 Onua Obasi

Champions

SeasonChampionsRunner-UpScore(s)Playoffs / Host
2017–18 Chicago MustangsSan Diego Sockers 27–0Colorado Springs, Colorado
2018–19 San Diego Sockers 2Cuervos de Juarez7–5Upland, California
Ontario, California
2019–20Chihuahua Savage II [7] Playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21 Cleveland Crunch [8] Wichita Wings11–6 [9] Wichita, Kansas
2021–22San Diego Sockers 2 [10] Cleveland Crunch7–4Muskegon, Michigan
2022–23Chihuahua Savage IIIowa Raptors FC10–4Mesquite, Texas
2023–24Iowa Demon HawksRochester Lancers8–3Wichita, Kansas

Former/defunct teams

TeamCity/StateArenaYears played
Arizona Impact Glendale, Arizona Arizona Sports Complex2017–2018
Arizona Lightning Avondale, Arizona Randall McDaniel Sports Complex2018–2019
Austin Power Austin, Texas Travis County Expo Center 2019–2020
Cincinnati Swerve Fairfield, Ohio Gametime Training Center2017–2019
Chicago Mustangs Hoffman Estates, Illinois Grand Sports Arena2017–2019, 2021–2022
Cleveland Crunch North Olmsted, Ohio Soccer Sportsplex2021–2022
Club Deportivo de Baja California Tijuana, Baja California Furati Planet Gol2022–2023
Colorado Rumble FC Denver, Colorado Foothills Fieldhouse2017–2020
Cuervos de Juarez El Paso, Texas El Paso County Coliseum 2018–2019
Las Vegas Knights SC Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas SportsPark2017–2019
New Mexico Elite Santa Fe, New Mexico Shellaberger Center2018–2019
Stockton Rush Stockton, California Stockton Arena 2018–2019
Waza Flo Detroit, Michigan Detroit City Fieldhouse2017–2019
Wichita Falls Flyers Wichita Falls, Texas Kay Yeager Coliseum 2019

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References

  1. ↑ Schaub, Joshua. "From the desk of Commissioner Schaub". MASL. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Digest (Sept. 19): MASL places Blast in Eastern Division". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "MASL 2 WELCOMES BACK THE RETURN OF THE RGV BARRACUDAS FC FOR THE 2021-2022 SEASON". MASL 2 Website. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Return of the Crunch: After nearly 20 years, professional indoor soccer is returning to Cleveland". News 5 Cleveland. September 19, 2020.
  5. ↑ Husted, Jeff. "MASL ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH MITRE". MASL. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "MASL Announces Long-Term Partnership With Mitre". Harrisburg Heat. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "Chihuahua 2019-20 regular season champs, M2 season completed". Major Arena Soccer League 2. September 18, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Cleveland Crunch wins title in its first season back". Spectrum News 1. July 19, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Led by Blue Streaks, Cleveland Crunch Wins MASL2 Championship". John Carroll Blue Streaks. July 19, 2021.
  10. ↑ "San Diego takes home MASL2 title after championship weekend in Muskegon, tops defending champs Cleveland". Local Sports Journal. April 11, 2022.
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