San Diego Sockers of PASL Reveal new logo/partnership

Winners of the last two PASL-Pro Championships, the San Diego Sockers have announced the franchise has partnered with Nike to provide the Sockers uniforms. The Sockers are also partnering with SoccerFanatic to help make purchasing San Diego Sockers merchandise easier for fans.

The new Sockers uniforms by Nike will feature the recently revealed new Sockers Crest seen below:

The PASL-Pro schedule has yet to be released but the San Diego Sockers should be back in action some time this November.

MISL Teams Actively Building Rosters

The teams of the MISL have continued to be active in building their rosters for the impending 2011-2012 season. See a wrap-up of player signings that have taken place this week below:

Comets Re-Sign Pardo

The Missouri Comets announced today the re-signing of goalkeeper Boris Pardo through the 2012-2013 season, pending league approval. As coach Kim Roentved continues to piece together what he feels is a championship caliber team, he is excited to have Pardo back. (read more)


Silver Knights Sign Megson, Berenzon

The Silver Knights today announced the signing of two former Chicago Riot stars, Andre Berenzon and Alex Megson, to the Syracuse Silver Knights roster, pending league approval. (read more)


Blast Announce 10 Players Returning

Baltimore Blast President and General Manager Kevin Healey announced today that the team has re-signed 10 players from last year’s squad, pending league approval. The returning players are forwards Machel Millwood, Adauto Neto, Max Ferdinand, Adrian Bumbut and Lucio Gonzaga; midfielders Pat Healey and Scott Buete; defenders Mike Lookingland and Carlos Garcia and goalkeeper Sagu. (read more)


Norfolk SharX Holding Tryouts

Saturday, October 1, 2011
Tryouts will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and end in the evening (2 sessions)

Sunday, October 2, 2011
Tryouts will begin Promptly at 9:00 a.m. and end around noon (1 session)

Tryout Information: CLICK HERE


Milwaukee Welcomes Back Howes

The Milwaukee Wave and 3-time league MVP Greg Howes will be teaming up for the upcoming 2011-2012 Season. (read more)

Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame Launches

On September 26 the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame announced its arrival at www.indoorsoccerhall.com .The official website list the founder as Sydney Nusinov of the PASL and the Hall of Fame seems to reside strictly online as of now.

About Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame
The mission of the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame is to forge a common history for the unique sport of indoor/arena soccer, to celebrate its past, and set the standard for future achievement. For more information or to make a donation please visit the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame at www.indoorsoccerhall.com .

According to the press release the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame will be announcing its first class of inductees on October 4, 2011. The group will focus on the time period between 1978 to 1992.

You can also find the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame on Facebook.

MISL Schedule Updated - Chicago Kick officially out for 2011-2012

Today the MISL has released an updated 2011-2012 schedule, making the rumors official regarding the short lived Chicago Kick franchise.

Chicago are out due to an inability of the "new" team to secure a suitable venue in time for the season. Although the league is still leaving open the possibility of the Kick to try to join the fold again next year stating they are set to join for 2012-13, subject to fulfillment of league requirements. 

So what do you think, will an MISL team return to Chicago next season? For those of you with hopes of a return of last years Chicago Riot here is the response Indoor Soccer News received from Riot President & CEO Peter Wilt when we asked if there was any chance of Riot filling the void now in Chicago for MISL:

Wilt: "doubt it"

And when asked of the possibility of the Riot resurfacing in the PASL-Pro league:

Wilt: "Possible. I don't have an interest in it though."

Not looking good for the windy city indoor soccer fans.

Check out the updated 2011-2012 MISL Schedule

Wave sign 3-time league MVP

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – The Milwaukee Wave and three-time league MVP Greg Howes will be teaming up for the 2011-2012 MISL season. The wave is thrilled to announce that Howes will be rejoining the Wave, pending league approval.

Read full story at: United Soccer Leagues (USL)

Silver Knights sign first player, Chicago Kick season already in question

The Syracuse Silver Knights have officially announced that they have signed the teams first player in the history of the new MISL franshise:



photo property of USLSoccer.com



Syracuse Silver Knights Sign former league MVP Jonny Steele

That must come as great news for fans of the new franshise, especially after rumors thet the newly named Chicago Kick may not be starting play this season (even though the team is included in the 2011-2012 MISL schedule). The Chicago Kick have not responded to an Indoor Soccer News request for clarification on the teams status as of 9/23.

!UPDATE!
The official Chicago Kick Facebook fan page has been conspicuously removed from Facebook, not a good sign.

So with each passing day and each player signing, coaching hire, and message board rumor the excitement for the upcoming season continues to grow.

Which MISL team are you supporting this season?

Illinois Piasa name coaching staff

This morning the Illinoss Piasa a professional club playing in the PASL-Pro league announced their coaching staff via their Facebook team page (currently the official team website says "Website Coming Soon"):

'We are proud to announce the coaching staff for 2011-2012. Joe Reiniger and Justin McMillian wil be co-head coaches, with Elvir Kafedzic as their assistant coach! Welcome aboard! This is going to be a great season!'

According to a press release on arenaleague.com, the Illinois Piasa are also under new ownership and will be playing in a new venue.

Below are excertps of the press release:

-The Illinois Piasa have agreed to a deal with The Sports Academy to make their facility the new home of Piasa and Piasa FC home games. The deal is good for this year with an option to renew each year for the next 3 years. The Sports Academy, located in Glen Carbon, IL, has been described as the premier indoor soccer facility on the east side of the St.Louis metro area.

-On August 19, 2011, Jason Cawvey officially became the newest member of the ownership team, and the President of the Illinois Piasa of the PASL-Pro. At the age of 36, Jason adds a fresh vision to this young club. Last season, Jason was the assistant coach for the Piasa and will use that familiarity with the club and league to his advantage as the Piasa look to build on their franchise.

PASL Bolts to host Anaheim Bolts International Cup 2011

Even though the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) has yet to officially announce a schedule for the upcoming season you can still catch some PASL-Pro action.

To kick off the season Anaheim Bolts Professional Indoor Soccer are proud to present Anaheim Bolts International Cup 2011!!! This tournament will feature national arena soccer teams from United States and Mexico, as the host Anaheim Bolts. Individual tickets go on sale September 24th on ticketmaster.com and Anaheim Arena Box Office. Tickets start as low as $12.

October 28 8pm: USNAST vs. Anaheim Bolts
October 29 8pm: USNAST vs. Mexico National Futbol Rapido Team
October 30 6pm: Mexico vs. Anaheim Bolts

MISL Franchises need consistant attendance in 2011-2012

For the MISL and its newest franchises to consider the upcoming 2011-2012 season a success they will have to increase attendance across the board.


Last season the Baltimore Blast led the way with the highest total and average attendance figures. The former Chicago franchise, Chicago Riot, where the worst of all coming in dead last in total (not even breaking 10k) and averaging a 1/6 of league leaders Baltimore.

Somehow the low attendance figures in Chicago did not dissuade the MISL from granting a new franchise to the windy city yet again recently announcing the Chicago Kick as the 8th and final team in the league.

The current schedule for 2011-2012 has each team scheduled to play 12 home games. It is easy to predict that league wide attendance will surpass last years total of 199,123 given the added games to be played.

The three returning franchises Baltimore, Milwuakee, and Missouri should expect similar numbers to last season but the big question mark will be with the five new teams that have joined the fold. Syracuse, Rochester, Norfolk, Wichita, and the latest incarnation of Chicago will all be looking to establish a large fan base that consistently supports their cities squads on a regular basis. Should most if not all of the teams be able to average 3,000 fans per game the MISL could pass the 288,000 mark for the season. Given that three of last years five teams did better than the 3k mark last season and the two that did not are gone this should be a realistic goal.

2010-2011 MISL ATTENDANCE

Stats by: Pointstreak Sports Technologies Inc.

TEAM		Total	Games	Average
Baltimore		69,338	10	6,933
Milwaukee		49,846	11	4,531
Missouri		44,194	11	4,017
Omaha		27,085	10	2,708
Chicago		8,660	8	1,082

2011-2012 MISL ATTENDANCE

TEAM		Total	Games	Average
Baltimore		?	12	?
Milwaukee		?	12	?
Missouri		?	12	?
Wichita		?	12	?
Chicago		?	12	?
Norfolk		?	12	?
Syracuse		?	12	?
Rochester		?	12	?

Save the Date, 10 must see match-ups of 2011-2012 MISL season

With the official release of the 2011-2012 MISL Season Schedule, Indoor Soccer News selected a few match-ups that are "Can't Miss Games" for any true Indoor Soccer Fan.

1. November 3 - Comets vs. Wings: First game of the MISL season as Missouri Comets travel to the Hartman Arena to take on the new Wichita Wings. Prediction: Look for the established Comets to win the season opener easily.
2. November 4 - Lancers vs. Silver Knights: The battle for SoccerTown, USA title will take place on the second day of the season as Rochester travels to Syracuse for this cross-state rivalry between the established Lancers and the new Silver Knights franchise.
3. November 11 - Silver Knights vs. SharX: These two rookie franchises face off for their first time ever. Both these cities are looking to make a splash in their inaugural campaigns. Prediction: Look for the SharX to come away victorious.
4. December 31 - Blast vs. Wave: On the last day of the year fans will finally get to see a rematch of the 2010-2011 Championship Match as Baltimore and Milwaukee face off at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, WI.
5. January 2 - SharX vs. Lancers: The start of the new year and a somewhat midway mark to the season sees Norfolk travel to Rochester. May get a good idea by January of which direction these teams are headed for the season.
6. January 18 - Kick vs. Comets: If the newest Chicago franchise is to be taken serious by their fans and the league they will have to stand strong in their series with fellow Midwest representatives Missouri.
7. February 14 - Silver Knights vs. SharX: Don't expect much love to be lost on Valentines day 2012 between these two rookie franchises. Norfolk may have a slight edge as they play at home in the Norfolk Scope Arena.
8. March 3 - Waves vs. Kick: This will be the final of six meetings between these two Great Lakes teams, separated by less than 100 miles. Will it decide the series will it be a meaningless final match? Prediction: Waves take the final match for the season sweep from the new look Chicago team (Kick).
9. March 4 - Blast vs. Silver Knights: The final MISL game of the 2011-2012 campaign pits the last seasons runner-ups Baltiore against one of this seasons 4 new franchises. Will the Blast be heading for another Championship match? Will Syracuse be staking their claim as the best or worst of the newest MISL franchises?
10. TBD: Since only the top two teams from each division will make it into the playoffs, this final must see match-up will be set aside for any late season game that may be the deciding game for a team or teams battling to be one of the four playoff teams.

*Key 2011-2012 season dates to mark on your calender:

• Season opener, November 3rd.
• Regular season finally, March 4th.
• Playoff Semifinals, March 9-11.
• Championship, March 16-18

Comets, Lancers announce more signings

The Rochester Lancers announced the signing of their first player. Doug Miller, the former Rochester Rhinos player and indoor soccer legend has signed with the Rochester Lancers Indoor Soccer Team.

“Doug is probably the best indoor player I have ever played with," Head Coach Billy Andracki said. "I am sure that his determination and commitment will help us win a championship this season.”

Doug Miller forged his USL Hall of Fame career by leading the A-League in goals in 1996 and 1997. He will once again add to his achievements by becoming a member of the Rochester Lancers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Not only has Doug scored 90 goals for the Rochester Rhinos, he has also tallied nearly 400 goals during his indoor soccer career. Doug was a part of championship teams in both indoor soccer and with the Rhinos, for whom he scored the game-winning goal in the 1999 U.S. Open Cup final.

---

Not to be outdone the Missouri Comets announced the return of reigning MISL MVP Byron Alvarez and First Team All-MISL player Leo Gibson for the upcoming season. Both players were vital to the Comets' run to the MISL Semifinal Series last season.

“We took great strides towards a championship last season,” says Coach Kim Roentved, “Byron and Leo were vital to that success and another year together can hopefully get us to that next step.”

BYRON ALVAREZ – The Comets' captain last year, Alvarez was named the 2010-2011 MISL Most Valuable Player and named to the All-MISL First Team. The 32-year-old native of Mexico City led the Comets to the MISL Playoff Semifinals with a league leading 80 points and 33 goals last season. Alvarez also led the league in hat tricks (5) and tied for the league lead in game-winning goals with five.
Along with leading the league in multiple statistical categories, Alvarez’s consistent play gave him the longest goal scoring streak of the year (nine games) and point scoring streak (15 games). Alvarez recorded a season-high nine-point game during an 18-12 win against the Chicago Riot on 3/6/2011. He scored four goals, added an assist and scored the game-winning goal.

LEO GIBSON – Born in Liberia, Gibson was a part of the Monrovia Black Star youth team in the Liberian Premier League. He went on to play college soccer at King College in Tennessee in 2002 and 2003. In 2007, Gibson was drafted with the 40th overall pick in the MISL draft by the California Cougars. Despite being drafted by the Cougars, his rights were traded to the Detroit Ignition on November 15, 2007 in exchange for a first round pick in the 2008 supplemental draft.

Futbolr presents East Coast Indoor Soccer Tournament

Our friends at Futbolr Clothing have announced an Indoor Soccer Tournament on the East Coast!

Futbolr East Coast Indoor Soccer Tournament!

MISL has added stability, five new teams for 2011-12 season

Baltimore Sun Story about the MISL and Baltimore Blast:

MISL has added stability, five new teams for 2011-12 season

2011-2012 MISL Schedule Released

TAMPA, Fla. – The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) released its 2011-12 schedule today, with the action slated to kick off for the 96-game regular season on Thursday, November 3.  Opening weekend for North America’s most storied professional indoor soccer league will be highlighted by the debuts of the Wichita Wings, Rochester Lancers and Syracuse Silver Knights. Also part of the opening-weekend action are the Missouri Comets, who will renew their pursuit of the MISL title.

The MISL has grown from five to eight teams for the 2011-12 season as the Baltimore Blast, Milwaukee Wave and Missouri are joined by a new franchise in Chicago as well as the Norfolk SharX, Rochester, Syracuse and Wichita.

The 2010-11 MISL champion Wave kick off their title defense on Sunday, November 13 when they play host to Wichita at U.S. Cellular Arena. The Blast open on Saturday, November 12 when they play host to Syracuse at 1^st Mariner Arena, while Norfolk welcomes Syracuse on Friday, November 11 at Scope Arena. Chicago also gets underway November 12 when it visits Rochester for the Lancers’ home opener.

The season is set to wrap up on March 4, with crucial intra-division contests such as Milwaukee at Chicago (Saturday, March 3) and Baltimore at Syracuse (Sunday, March 4) that could have bearing on the 2011-12 MISL playoffs.

The 2011-12 MISL regular season will consist of 24 games, with teams playing 16 games within their division - six games against their nearest geographic rival and five games each against the other two teams. They will face each of the teams from the other division twice, once home and once away.

The MISL playoffs will begin with the semifinals March 9-11, featuring the top two teams from each division meeting in a home-and-home series with a mini game to decide the series following the second game if needed.  The championship will follow the same format on March 16-18. The higher seed will choose which game it host

2011-2012 MISL Schedule

Welcome the Chicago Kick to MISL

The Chicago franchise that played last season in the MISL under the name Chicago Riot will now be known as the Chicago Kick: Website - http://www.chicagokick.com/ , Facebook - fan page, and phone number listed- (847-88KICK1).

The Kick will be competing in the MISL Central Division agianst Milwaukee Wave, Missouri Comets, and Wichita Wings.

Stay tuned for more information regarding the newest Chicago club here on Indoor Soccer News.

What do you think of the new name and logo?

Intern with Illinois Piasa of the PASL

The Illinois Piasa, of the PASL- Premier, are currently accepting applicants with resume for intern positions with the club for the 2011-12 PASL season.

Positions available include:

• marketing
• web design and administration
• journalism
• social media
• videographer
• video technician
• sports broadcasters
• photographer
• game statisticians
• event coordinator
• group ticket sales

For more information email Lindsay Lerch at llerch@illinoispiasa.com