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.
 | |
| Founded | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Other club(s) from | Mexico |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Current champions | Iowa Demon Hawks (2023–24) |
| Most championships | San Diego Sockers 2 (two titles) |
| Website | www |
History
editMASL 2 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
editThe official game ball is made by Mitre,[5][6] based in Wakefield, England.
Teams
edit| Division | Team | City/State | Arena | Founded | Joined | Head coach | MASL affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | |||||||
| Baltimore Arsenal | Towson, Maryland | SECU Arena | 2023 | 2023 | Tarik Walker | Baltimore Blast | |
| Salisbury Steaks | Salisbury, Maryland | 2023 | 2025 | ||||
| Spice City FC | Danbury, Connecticut | Danbury Ice Arena | 2024 | 2024 | Onua Obasi | ||
| United Elite Krajisnik FC | Utica, NY | Adirondack Bank Center | 2017 | 2023 | Anel Pajazetovic | Utica City FC | |
| Midwest/West | Certified Lions FC | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Let's Play ISA Arena | 2024 | Thomaso Siranga | ||
| Chihuahua Savage II | Chihuahua. Chihuahua | Arena Corner Sport | 2022, 2024 | ||||
| Empire Jets | Upland, California | Upland Arena | 2017 | 2017 | Anthony Perez | Empire Strykers | |
| New Mexico Runners | Rio Rancho, New Mexico | Rio Rancho Events Center | 2018 | 2018 | Steve Famiglietta | ||
| San Diego Sockers 2 | Oceanside, California | Frontwave Arena | 2017 | 2017 | Rene Ortiz | San Diego Sockers | |
| Turlock Cal Express | Turlock, California | Turlock Soccer Complex | 2011 | 2021 | Arturo Pulido | ||
| Wichita Wings | Wichita, Kansas | Hartman Arena | 2019 | 2019 | Roger Downing | ||
| North | Iowa Demon Hawks | Des Moines, Iowa | Buccaneer Arena | 2021 | 2022 | Francisco Fernandes, Jr. | |
| Minnesota Blizzard | St. Paul, Minnesota | Warner Coliseum | 2024 | 2024 | |||
| Muskegon Risers | Muskegon, Michigan | Mercy Health Arena | 2014 | 2017 | Ben Ritsema | Milwaukee Wave | |
| St. Louis Ambush II | St Charles, Missouri | Family Arena | 2023 | 2023 | Donnie Alberty | St. Louis Ambush | |
| Wisconsin Conquerers | Marshfield, Wisconsin | Greenheck Fieldhouse | 2023 | 2024 |
Inactive teams
edit| Team | City/State | Arena | Founded | Joined | Last played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Raptors FC | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Alliant Energy PowerHouse | 2022 | 2022 | 2024 |
| Kansas Bandits | |||||
| Santa Fe Gloom | Santa Fe, New Mexico | 2023 | 2023 | 2024 |
Champions
edit| Season | Champions | Runner-up | Score | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Chicago Mustangs | San Diego Sockers 2 | 7–0 | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| 2018–19 | San Diego Sockers 2 | Cuervos de Juarez | 7–5 | Ontario, California |
| 2019–20 | Chihuahua Savage II[7] | Playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 | ||
| 2020–21 | Cleveland Crunch[8] | Wichita Wings | 11–6[9] | Wichita, Kansas |
| 2021–22 | San Diego Sockers 2[10] | Cleveland Crunch | 7–4 | Muskegon, Michigan |
| 2022–23 | Chihuahua Savage II | Iowa Raptors FC | 10–4 | Mesquite, Texas |
| 2023–24 | Iowa Demon Hawks | Rochester Lancers | 8–3 | Wichita, Kansas |
References
edit- ^ Schaub, Joshua (19 September 2017). "From the desk of Commissioner Schaub". MASL. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "Digest (Sept. 19): MASL places Blast in Eastern Division". The Baltimore Sun. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "MASL 2 WELCOMES BACK THE RETURN OF THE RGV BARRACUDAS FC FOR THE 2021-2022 SEASON". MASL 2 Website. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ "Return of the Crunch: After nearly 20 years, professional indoor soccer is returning to Cleveland". News 5 Cleveland. September 19, 2020.
- ^ Husted, Jeff (13 October 2017). "MASL ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH MITRE". MASL. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "MASL Announces Long-Term Partnership With Mitre". Harrisburg Heat. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "Chihuahua 2019-20 regular season champs, M2 season completed". Major Arena Soccer League 2. September 18, 2020.
- ^ "Cleveland Crunch wins title in its first season back". Spectrum News 1. July 19, 2021.
- ^ "Led by Blue Streaks, Cleveland Crunch Wins MASL2 Championship". John Carroll Blue Streaks. July 19, 2021.
- ^ "San Diego takes home MASL2 title after championship weekend in Muskegon, tops defending champs Cleveland". Local Sports Journal. April 11, 2022.