2015–16 Baltimore Blast season

Baltimore Blast
2015–16 MASL season
Owner Edwin F. Hale, Sr.[1]
Head Coach Danny Kelly
Arena Royal Farms Arena
201 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Major Arena Soccer League 1st, Eastern (regular season)
Ron Newman Cup MASL Champion
Top goalscorer Vini Dantas (20 goals, 10 assists)
Highest home attendance 9,442 (November 7 vs. Chicago Mustangs)
Lowest home attendance 3,204 (November 21 vs. Waza Flo)
Average home league attendance 6,102 (10 games)[2]
← 2014-15 (MASL) 2016-17 →

The 2015–16 Baltimore Blast season is the twenty-fourth season of the Baltimore Blast professional indoor soccer club. The Blast, an Eastern Division team in the Major Arena Soccer League, play their home games at Royal Farms Arena in downtown Baltimore, Maryland.[3][4]

The team is led by owner Edwin F. Hale, Sr. and head coach Danny Kelly. Following a 10-5 victory on February 15 over the Chicago Mustangs, Baltimore clinched first place in the Eastern Division and the top seed in the Divisional Final.[5]

The Blast finished the regular season 15-4 and went undefeated in the postseason, winning four of their six playoff games in overtime, en route to the team's eighth championship. Pat Healey won his second consecutive Defender of the Year award while Lucas Roque received the MASL Finals MVP.

History

Launched in July 1992 as the Baltimore Spirit, an expansion team in the second National Professional Soccer League for the 1992–93 season, the team replaced the original Baltimore Blast which folded earlier in 1992 when the first Major Indoor Soccer League shut down.[6] Ed Hale, an owner of the original Blast, bought the Spirit in July 1998 and changed the name to Baltimore Blast.[7] In 2001, the team was a founding member of the second MISL. When that league shut down in 2008, they co-founded the National Indoor Soccer League which, one season later, became the third MISL.

After the 2013-14 season, Baltimore was one of three teams that left the MISL, leading to the league's collapse.[8] Along with five other former MISL teams, the Blast joined the teams of the Professional Arena Soccer League, which was soon rebranded as the Major Arena Soccer League.[9][10] With the Rochester Lancers folding and the failed launch of Hartford City FC, the MASL Eastern Division for the 2015-16 season consists of former MISL club Syracuse Silver Knights, plus former PASL clubs Waza Flo and Harrisburg Heat.[11]

Off-field moves

All MASL games are now scored with traditional soccer scoring where every goal is worth one point.[12]

Schedule

  Win   Loss [13][14][15]

Regular season

Game Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location[13] Attendance
Score Record
1 Saturday November 7 7:35pm Chicago Mustangs W 7–4 1–0 Royal Farms Arena 9,442
2 Saturday November 14 7:35pm Syracuse Silver Knights W 6–0 2–0 Royal Farms Arena 4,140
3 Saturday November 21 7:35pm Waza Flo W 11–1 3–0 Royal Farms Arena 3,204
4 Saturday November 28 2:05pm at Harrisburg Heat W 9–2 4–0 Farm Show Large Arena 1,973
5 Friday December 4 7:35pm San Diego Sockers W 8–5 5–0 Royal Farms Arena 8,953
6 Saturday December 11 7:30pm at Syracuse Silver Knights W 5–2 6–0 Oncenter War Memorial Arena 1,986
7 Friday December 18 7:35pm Harrisburg Heat W 5–1 7–0 Royal Farms Arena 4,611
8 Thursday December 31 5:05pm at Harrisburg Heat W 8–3 8–0 Farm Show Large Arena 1,583
9 Saturday January 2 7:05pm Syracuse Silver Knights W 7–3 9–0 Royal Farms Arena 4,021
10 Friday January 8 7:35pm Waza Flo W 9–3 10–0 Royal Farms Arena 3,921
11 Saturday January 9 7:35pm Harrisburg Heat W 6–4 11–0 Royal Farms Arena 6,630
12 Sunday January 24 1:00pm at Syracuse Silver Knights L 2–3 11–1 Oncenter War Memorial Arena 2,948
13 Saturday January 30 7:05pm at St. Louis Ambush W 6–1 12-1 Family Arena 5,721
14 Sunday January 31 3:05pm at Missouri Comets L 4–6 12–2 Independence Events Center 4,101
15 Friday February 12 7:35pm at Waza Flo Postponed Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center
16 Monday February 15 6:35pm at Chicago Mustangs W 10–5 13–2 Sears Centre Arena 3,339
17 Friday February 19 7:35pm Missouri Comets L 4–5 (OT) 13–3 Royal Farms Arena 8,121
18 Sunday February 21 5:05pm Harrisburg Heat W 9–0 14–3 Royal Farms Arena 7,984
19 Friday February 26 7:35pm at St. Louis Ambush W 9–4 15–3 Family Arena 6,719
20 Saturday February 27 7:35pm at Missouri Comets L 4–5 15–4 Independence Events Center 5,214

Post-season

Game Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location[16] Attendance
Score Record
Division Final #1 Friday March 11 7:35pm Syracuse Silver Knights W 6-5 (3OT) 1–0 Royal Farms Arena 4,041
Division Final #2 Sunday March 13 4:05pm at Syracuse Silver Knights W 6–4 2–0 Oncenter War Memorial Arena 2,042
Eastern Final #1 Thursday March 24 7:05pm at Missouri Comets W 4–3 (OT) 3–0 Independence Events Center 3,011
Eastern Final #2 Tuesday March 29 7:05pm Missouri Comets W 4–3 (2OT) 4–0 Royal Farms Arena 4,102
MASL Final #1 Sunday April 10 6:05pm Soles de Sonora W 7–4 5–0 Royal Farms Arena 7,243
MASL Final #2 Friday April 15 8:05pm at Soles de Sonora W 14–13 (OT) 6–0 El Centro de Usos Múltiples 8,324

.

Personnel

Team roster

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
0 Italy GK William Vanzela
1 United States GK Jeremy Figler
4 United States FW Andrew Hoxie
6 Japan DF Kaoru Forbess
7 United States MF Levi Houapeu
8 Brazil FW Lucas Roque
9 United States DF Pat Healey
11 United States FW Tony Donatelli
12 Brazil DF Adriano Dos Santos
13 United States DF Jereme Raley
No. Position Player
14 England DF Onua Obasi
15 England FW Jamie Darvill
17 United States MF Jeremy Ortiz
19 Cameroon DF Uzi Tayou
22 Brazil MF Juan Pereira
23 Brazil MF Jonatas Melo
24 France FW Sofiane Tergou
27 South Korea FW Jinho Kim
28 Brazil FW Vini Dantas
80 United States MF Geaton Caltabiano

Staff

The team's coaching staff includes head coach Danny Kelly, assistant coach David Bascome, athletic trainer Heather Kohlbus, physical therapist Paul Ernst, team doctor Dr. Richard Levine, and equipment manager Mark Meszaros. The Blast front office includes owner Edwin F. Hale, Sr., team president and general manager Kevin Healey, assistant general manager Mike Conway, director of ticket operations Jason Carrick, and marketing coordinator Stephen Cooke.[18]

Statistics

Top scorers

Rank Scorer Games Goals Assists Points
1 United States Tony Donatelli 18 17 17 34
2 Brazil Vini Dantas 12 20 10 30
3 Brazil Lucas Roque 18 19 7 26
4 United States Pat Healey 19 6 17 23
5 United States Andrew Hoxie 19 15 5 20

Last updated on October 18, 2016. Source: "Scoring Leaders". Major Arena Soccer League. 

References

  1. ↑ Dance, Scott; Wells, Carrie (September 23, 2014). "Biography set to detail life of ex-banker Ed Hale – including CIA stint". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD: Tribune Publishing. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ "2015-16 League Attendance". Major Arena Soccer League. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ Sherman, Natalie (September 15, 2014). "City to vote on 'Royal Farms Arena'". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD: Tribune Publishing. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  4. ↑ Broadwater, Luke (September 17, 2014). "Board approves changing Baltimore Arena's name to Royal Farms Arena". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD: Tribune Publishing. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Blast top Chicago, 10-5, to clinch Eastern Division title". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD: Tribune Publishing. February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  6. ↑ Ey, Craig S. (August 11, 1997). "Can soccer succeed in Baltimore?". Baltimore Business Journal. Baltimore, MD: Advance Publications. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  7. ↑ Wells, Carrie (November 8, 2014). "'Hale Storm' reveals prominent former banker's CIA ties, two failed marriages". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD: Tribune Publishing. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Kramer, Lindsay (November 6, 2014). "Syracuse Silver Knights begin play in new MASL with opening match against old foe Baltimore". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, NY: Advance Publications. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ Graham, Glenn (April 14, 2014). "Baltimore Blast joining with other teams to form new indoor soccer league". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ Graham, Glenn (May 19, 2014). "Blast among 24 teams to join new Major Arena Soccer League". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD: Tribune Publishing. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  11. ↑ "MASL Opens Second Season". Goal Online. Fall 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  12. ↑ Graham, Glenn (November 7, 2015). "Blast opens season with 7-4 home win over Chicago Mustangs". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD: Tribune Publishing. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Baltimore Blast Schedule". Major Arena Soccer League. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Baltimore Blast 2015/2016 MASL Schedule". Major Arena Soccer League. February 20, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Baltimore Blast 2015/2016 MASL Schedule". Baltimore Blast. February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Baltimore Blast Schedule". Major Arena Soccer League. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  17. ↑
  18. ↑

External links


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