Major Arena Soccer League: Everybody's in the playoffs

After other teams sat out the regular season for various COVID reasons, the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) will begin their version of March Madness with all seven teams which participated in the regular season seeded for the playoffs.

The Florida Tropics clinched the league's top seed and a bye in the first round.  They will await the survivors of the other three playoff games.

The Ontario Fury will play the last-place Dallas Sidekicks, Intrastate rivals Kansas City Comets and St. Louis Ambush play in another series and the Tacoma Stars and San Diego Sockers in the other.

The first round will consist of a home-and-home series, based on arena and date availability for teams. If the series is even after two games, a third mini game will be played following the second game of the series. The three first round winners will join the regular-season champion in Kansas City, where the Semi-Final round will be held.

In the Semi-Finals, the number one seed will again select their opponent and play Game 1 on Thursday, April 1 with the two remaining teams playing the same day. Both series will play Game 2 on Saturday, April 3 with a mini game played if needed to break a series tie.

The MASL Ron Newman Cup Finals will take place in two possible locations during the weekend following the Semi-Finals and will be best of two game with a third, mini game following Game 2 if necessary. Should two west coast teams make the Finals, any combination of Ontario, San Diego and Tacoma, the Finals will take place at Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA. If any team other than two west coast teams reach the Finals, they will be held at the Family Arena in St. Charles, MO.

Teams which did not play this season were:  Baltimore Blast, Turlock Express, Milwaukee Wave, Utica FC, Monterrey Flash, Harrisburg Heat, Orlando Sea Wolves, Mesquite Outlaws, Rochester Lancers and Soles de Sonora.

The Milwaukee Wave won the last Ron Newman Cup title in 2019.

Read more about the league at www.maslsoccer.com/

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