The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A East and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, and are named in reference to Northeastern Pennsylvania being home to the first trolley system in the United States. The RailRiders have played their home games at PNC Field since its opening in 1989.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Wilkes-Barre. They have won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy twice for having the best record in the regular season.
Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza is an 8,050-seat multi-purpose arena located in Wilkes-Barre Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, just northeast of the city of Wilkes-Barre, managed by ASM Global.
The Green Bay Blizzard is a professional indoor football team based in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, founded in 2003. The Blizzard began play in the Indoor Football League in 2010, after having played the previous seven seasons in af2, the now-defunct minor league of the Arena Football League. They play their home games at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. The team's logo represents Bruiser, the team mascot.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers were a minor league arena football team that played in the AF2. The team was part of the East Division in the American conference. The Pioneers were an expansion team for the league's 2002 season, and were the runners-up in ArenaCup VIII and ArenaCup X.
Richard Ingold was an Arena Football League (AFL) quarterback who played with the Washington Commandos and the Detroit Drive. He holds the all-time record for most career head coaching wins in af2 history, coaching the Quad City Steamwheelers and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, whom he led to Arena Cup VIII in 2007. His head coaching career also included a partial season coaching the Dallas Vigilantes of the AFL in 2010.
The Fresno Frenzy were an expansion af2 team for the 2002 season. Fresno was joined by the Albany Conquest, Bakersfield Blitz, Cape Fear Wildcats, Hawaiian Islanders, Mobile Wizards, Mohegan Wolves, New Haven Ninjas, San Diego Riptide & the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. In 2002, they played their home games in Selland Arena, in which they finished 4–12, dead last in the Western Division of the National Conference. Despite going an even 4–4 in Fresno, they bombshelled on the road, going 0-8 that season. After the 2002 season, they folded after one year in Fresno. Arena football would return later to Fresno in 2004, when the original Bakersfield Blitz moved to Fresno, and called themselves the Central Valley Coyotes.
The New Haven Ninjas were an indoor American football team based in New Haven, Connecticut. They were an expansion team in the af2 for the 2002 season. On October 24, 2001, it was announced that Ninjas had won the name-the-team contest over Cyclones, Gladiators, Hawkeyes and ShoreDawgs. Along with the Ninjas, New Haven was joined by the Albany Conquest, Bakersfield Blitz, Cape Fear Wildcats, Fresno Frenzy, Hawaiian Islanders, Mobile Wizards, Mohegan Wolves, San Diego Riptide & the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. New Haven played in the American Conference of the Northeast Division. In 2002, the Ninjas finished 6-10, third in the Northeast Division. Still, that wasn't enough to play football in August. After the 2002 season, the Ninjas folded because the New Haven Coliseum closed, and the experiment for arena football in New Haven was done.
The 2006 AF2 season was the seventh season of the AF2, the Arena Football League's minor league. It was preceded by 2005 and succeeded by 2007. The league champions were the Spokane Shock who capped off an impressive inaugural season with a win over the Green Bay Blizzard in ArenaCup VII.
The 2007 AF2 season was the eighth season of the AF2. It was preceded by 2006 and succeeded by 2008. The regular season began on Friday, March 30 and ended on July 28. The league champions were the Tulsa Talons, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in ArenaCup VIII.
The 2004 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 14, 2004. Twenty teams, the top five from each division, qualified for the playoffs. The fourth- and fifth-placed teams in each division played best-of-3 series in the qualifying round. The four winners, in addition to the other twelve teams that qualified, played best-of-7 series for division semifinals, finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on June 6, 2004 with the Milwaukee Admirals defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins four games to none to win the first Calder Cup in team history. Milwaukee's Wade Flaherty won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL playoff MVP.
The 2002 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers season was the team's first season. The team finished with a 6–10 record under head coach Terry Karg, finishing fourth out of five in the American Conference Northeast Division; they did not go to the playoffs. Following the season, Karg resigned as head coach.
The 2003 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers season was the team's second season as a member of the AF2. The Pioneers finished third out of four in the American Conference Northeastern Division with a 6–10 record, the same as the year before, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
The 2004 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers season was the team's third season as a member of the AF2. The Pioneers finished with a 13–3 record under new head coach Les Moss, their fourth head coach in three seasons. The Pioneers clinched the Northeastern Division and secured their best first playoff appearance. The Pioneers lost in the third week of the postseason, ending their playoff run just short of the ArenaCup. Following the season, Moss signed a contract to remain the head coach for a second season, the first returning coach in team history.
The 2005 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers season was the team's fifth season as a member of the af2 and the second under head coach Les Moss. The team ended with a 9–7 record and qualified for the playoffs, but the Pioneers fell to the Florida Firecats for the second straight year. Following the season, Moss left the team to be an assistant coach with the Orlando Predators, leaving the team looking for its fifth head coach for its fifth season.
The 2006 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers season was the team's fifth season as a member of the af2. Following the resignation of head coach Les Moss after the 2005 season, the team hired area native Rich Ingold as the team's fifth coach in as many years. Ingold took the Pioneers to the playoffs for the third straight year; they lost in the first round to division rival Manchester Wolves.
The 2007 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers season was the team's sixth season as a member of the af2. Under coach Rich Ingold and led by quarterback Ryan Vena, the Pioneers advanced to their fourth straight playoff appearance, winning three games at home to earn a spot in the ArenaCup. The Pioneers lost the championship to the Tulsa Talons 73–66 after the Pioneers' final pass play in the waning seconds of the game fell short. Several members of the team were given season awards, including David Davis as 2007 Havoc Kicker of the year, Ryan Vena as Schutt Offensive Player of the Year, and Coach Ingold as Sportexe Coach of the Year.
Ryan Vena is a former arena football quarterback. Vena attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and graduated in 2000. Vena started his career in arena football in 2002. He ended his career with over 720 career passing touchdowns. His best years were with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. He finished his career with the Philadelphia Soul in 2011.
The 2009 AF2 season was the AF2's 10th and final season. It was preceded by 2008. The regular season began on Friday, March 20 and finished on Saturday, July 25. The league champion was the Spokane Shock, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 74-27 in ArenaCup X.
The 2009 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers season was the team's eighth season of arena football. The Pioneers made another attempt to return to the ArenaCup after falling out of the playoff race for ArenaCup IX. The team signed many key players from the 2008 campaign, including quarterback Ryan Vena and defensive lineman Alan Barnes.
