Full name Baltimore Blast Ground Capacity 11,286 Website Club home page Founded 1992 | Nickname(s) Blast Chairman Edwin F. Hale, Sr. | |
2016–17 1st, Eastern DivisionPlayoffs: TBD Profiles | ||
Baltimore blast vs syracuse silver knights
The Baltimore Blast are an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The team is a part of the Major Arena Soccer League.
Contents
- Baltimore blast vs syracuse silver knights
- Baltimore blast vs milwaukee wave
- NPSLMISL IIMISL III Years
- Shift to MASL
- Launch of the IPL
- Active Players
- Inactive Players
- Staff
- Notable former players
- Records
- Head coaches
- Arenas
- References
The team, founded in 1992, plays its home games at Royal Farms Arena. Team colors are red and gold. Their current head coach is Danny Kelly.
Baltimore blast vs milwaukee wave
NPSL/MISL II/MISL III Years
The Baltimore Blast were founded by North Carolina-based software executive Bill Stealey as the Baltimore Spirit at the end of July 1992 and joined the National Professional Soccer League. The team replaced the earlier Baltimore Blast, who folded along with the original Major Indoor Soccer League. When the team was purchased by Ed Hale, a former owner of the original team, the Spirit were renamed the Blast on July 10, 1998 (Hale had the rights to the Blast name, hence the reason why the team decided to change its name) and joined the new MISL II in 2001. After the MISL II folded in 2008, the team announced it would be joining the new National Indoor Soccer League, which would later acquire the rights to, and became, the third version of the MISL.
Shift to MASL
One day after the 2013–2014 MISL Championship final, USL President Tim Holt announced a number of teams would not be returning to the MISL the following year. The franchise announced on April 2, 2014, that it would not return to the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) after its contract with the United Soccer Leagues (USL), owners of the circuit, expired following the 2013–14 season. It was officially announced the Blast would be one of six teams joining the Professional Arena Soccer League (later renamed the Major Arena Soccer League) in the 2014–2015 season.
In their first two seasons as a member of MASL, the Blast would win 33 out of 39 games. They placed first in the Eastern Division in both the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons, played in the 2015 and 2016 championship series and won the 2016 series over Soles de Sonora two games to none.
Launch of the IPL
On February 18, 2016, Blast owner Ed Hale announced his intentions to leave the Major Arena Soccer League and form a new league.
On May 3, 2016, the expansion franchise Florida Tropics SC held a press conference stating they would be joining the IPL. At the press conference Ed Hale was announced as the chairman of the league, and Sam Fantauzzo, former owner of the Rochester Lancers, was announced as the first commissioner of the league. It was announced that the St. Louis Ambush, Baltimore Blast, and Harrisburg Heat had "resigned" from the MASL.
On August 29, 2016, the Blast, Heat, Ambush re-entered the MASL, with the expansion Tropics joining. The move effectively folded the IPL, as no teams remained in the league.
Active Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Inactive Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Staff
Notable former players
Records
Statistics below show the all-time regular-season club leaders. Bold indicates active Blast players.