Baltimore Blast


The Baltimore Blast is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The team is a part of the Major Arena Soccer League.
The team has won 9 championships since it was founded in 1992. The Blast announced in August 2017 that starting with the 2017-2018 season, home games would be played at Towson University's SECU Arena. The Blast previously played at Royal Farms Arena in downtown Baltimore. Team colors are red and gold and their current head coach is David Bascome, who took over after the Blast announced that 16 year head coach Danny Kelly had moved on.

History

NPSL/MISL II/MISL III Years

The team was 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 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 after its contract with the United Soccer Leagues, 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 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. The Blast repeated as Newman Cup Champions in 2017, again winning the final series over Soles de Sonora two games to one. In 2018, the Blast won their third straight championship, defeating the Monterrey Flash 4-3 in the final.

Attempted 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.
After rejoining the MASL, the Blast would go on to win their second Eastern Division championship and MASL championship over Soles de Sonora for the second year in a row.

Move To SECU Arena

The Blast announced in August 2017 that they would move from the Royal Farms Arena to the SECU Arena on the campus of Towson University, beginning in the 2017-2018 MASL season. The move was the first time the Blast franchise played home games in an arena other than the Royal Farms Arena.

Players

2019–20 roster

Active Players

Staff

Hall of Fame

Notable former players

YearLeagueReg. SeasonGFGAGF/GGA/GFinishPlayoffsAvg. attendance
1992–93NPSL II27–133092567.736.401st AmericanQuarterfinals5,444
1993–94NPSL II26–143222938.057.331st AmericanFirst Round6,471
1994–95NPSL II23–173173077.937.683rd AmericanFirst Round5,733
1995–96NPSL II25–153062587.656.452nd AmericanDivision Semifinal5,037
1996–97NPSL II20–202602586.506.452nd EastConference Semifinal4,760
1997–98NPSL II12–282503006.257.503rd EastDNQ5,001
1998–99NPSL II19–212712906.787.253rd EastDNQ4,795
1999–00NPSL II26–183392757.706.251st EastConference Final5,445
2000–01NPSL II22–183002607.506.503rd AmericanConference Final5,376
2001–02MISL II18–262652746.026.234th MISLSemifinal4,998
2002–03MISL II18–181891825.255.063rd EasternChampions5,559
2003–04MISL II25–112411926.695.331st EasternChampions6,330
2004–05MISL II15–242052385.266.107th MISLDNQ5,752
2005–06MISL II17–131841686.135.602nd MISLChampions7,005
2006–07MISL II15–151541505.135.005th MISLDNQ7,449
2007–08MISL II19–111861356.204.503rd MISLChampions7,230
2008–09NISL14–4132667.333.671st NISLChampions7,534
2009–10MISL III11–9105975.254.852nd MISLSemifinal6,259
2010–11MISL III15–5131936.554.651st MISLRunner-up6,933
2011–12MISL III18–61651086.884.501st EasternRunner-up5,961
2012–13MISL III21–51811086.964.151st MISLChampions5,544
2013–14MISL III17–3147467.352.301st MISLRunner-up6,123
2014–15MASL18–2167698.353.451st EasternRunner-up6,201
2015–16MASL15–4129576.793.001st EasternChampions6,102
2016–17MASL14–6113695.653.451st EasternChampions6,299
2017–18MASL17–51431086.504.911st EasternChampions3,491
2018–19MASL17–71441036.004.292nd EasternSemifinal3,317
Total504–338
Win % =.599%		6.725.6561–34
Win % =.642%		5,701-

Records

Statistics below show the all-time regular-season club leaders. Bold indicates active Blast players.
CategoryRecord holderTotal
Games Lance Johnson372
Goals Denison Cabral445
Assists Franklin McIntosh176
Game-winning goals Denison Cabral32
Blocks Lance Johnson694
Shutouts William Vanzela11
Wins William Vanzela105

Head coaches