Baltimore Blast is an American professional indoor soccer

Indoor soccer

Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...

 team based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Founded in 1992, the team plays in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

The team plays its home games at 1st Mariner Arena

1st Mariner Arena

1st Mariner Arena is an arena located in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2003, it was renamed by 1st Mariner Bank, which purchased naming rights to the arena for 10 years. It was reported that 1st Mariner Bank will need to pay the city $75,000 for the next ten years to keep the naming rights to the complex...

 and train at the Du Burns Arena. The team colors are red and gold. Their current head coach is Danny Kelly

Danny Kelly (footballer)

Danny Kelly is a former midfielder and now the head coach of the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team.-Youth:Kelly played college soccer at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. While at Penn State he was a four-year letter winner from 1987 to 1990. He earned national recognition and...

.

History

The Baltimore Blast were founded by North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

-based software executive Bill Stealey

Bill Stealey

John Wilbur 'Wild Bill' Stealey Sr. is a retired United States Air Force Lt. Colonel and Command Pilot and is currently CEO of iEntertainment Network. He is also an Air Force Academy Graduate....

 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 MISL. 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 Major Indoor Soccer League

Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008)

The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league was a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL had replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. According to MISL.net, the league has ceased operations as of May 31, 2008...

 in 2001. After the MISL folded in 2008, the team announced it would be joining the new National Indoor Soccer League

National Indoor Soccer League

The Major Indoor Soccer League , formerly known as the National Indoor Soccer League, is an indoor soccer league which began play in 2008. It is the third league to be known as the Major Indoor Soccer League...

, which would later acquire the rights to, and become, the third version of the Major indoor Soccer League.

2011-12 roster

Hall of Fame

Position	Person	Inducted
Coach	Kenny Cooper Kenny Cooper Sr. Kenny Cooper Sr. is a former English soccer goalkeeper and coach. He spent ten seasons playing for the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League and eighteen seasons coaching indoor soccer...	2004
FW	Stan Stamenkovic Stan Stamenkovic Srboljub Stamenković known professionally in the United States as Stan Stamenkovic was a Yugoslav football player...	2004
DF	Mike Stankovic Mike Stankovic Mike Stankovic is a retired Yugoslavian soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League.-Biography:...	2004
DF	Bruce Savage Bruce Savage William Bruce Savage is a retired U.S. soccer defender. He played four seasons in the North American Soccer League, nine in Major Indoor Soccer League and earned sixteen caps with the U.S. national team between 1983 and 1992. He currently coaches youth soccer in Florida.-Youth:Savage grew up in...	2005
N/A	Earl Foreman Earl Foreman Earl Foreman was an American lawyer and sports executive.Foreman practiced law in the District of Columbia. He was a minority owner of the Baltimore Bullets franchise in the National Basketball Association and also at one time owned an interest in the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football...	2005
FW	Tim Whittman	2005
FW	Joey Fink Joey Fink Joey Fink is a former U.S. soccer forward who spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League, two in the American Soccer League and seven in Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned six caps with the U.S. national team between 1973 and 1975.-Youth and college:Fink played youth soccer...	2006
FW	Dave MacWilliams Dave MacWilliams Dave MacWilliams is a retired American soccer forward and head coach who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League...	2006
FW	Heinz Wirtz Heinz Wirtz Heinz Wirtz is a retired German soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Professional Soccer League. He also coached in the National Professional Soccer League.-Career:...	2007
FW	Domenic Mobilio Domenic Mobilio Domenic Mobilio was a Canadian professional soccer player.-Club career:Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Mobilio was a long-time member of the Vancouver 86ers turned Vancouver Whitecaps...	2008
GK	Keith Van Eron Keith Van Eron Keith Van Eron is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played one season in the American Soccer League and three in the North American Soccer League. He also played the first eleven seasons of Major Indoor Soccer League, winning the 1984 championship with the Baltimore Blast...	2008
FW	Billy Ronson Billy Ronson William "Billy" Ronson is a retired English footballer who spent twelve seasons in the English leagues, one in the North American Soccer League, six in the Major Indoor Soccer League and another seven years in a variety of lower division indoor and outdoor leagues in the United States...	2009
DF	Richard Chinapoo Richard Chinapoo Richard Chinapoo was a Trinidad soccer defender who had an extensive career, primarily in the United States. Chinapoo spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League, eight in the National Professional Soccer League and at least eight in the Major Indoor Soccer League...	2009

Notable former players

Denison Cabral

Denison Cabral

Denison Cabral is a soccer midfielder. He most recently played for the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team, during the 2009-10 season....

 Jason Dieter Jason Maricle Tony McPeak

Tony McPeak (footballer)

Tony McPeak is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a striker.-Career:When he was seventeen, McPeak joined Chelsea F.C. as a youth player. After sixth months, he returned to Glasgow where he graduated from school. He worked for an insurance company for over two years, playing...

 PJ Wakefield

Year-by-year

Year	League	Logo	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Avg. attendance
1992-93	NPSL II		1st American, 27-13	Lost Quarterfinal	5,444
1993-94	NPSL II		1st American, 26-14	Lost First Round	6,471
1994-95	NPSL II		3rd American, 23-17	Lost First Round	5,733
1995-96	NPSL II		2nd American, 25-15	Lost Division Semifinal	5,037
1996-97	NPSL II		2nd East, 20-20	Lost Conference Semifinal	4,760
1997-98	NPSL II		3rd East, 12-28	Failed to qualify	5,001
1998-99	NPSL II		3rd East, 19-21	Failed to qualify	4,795
1999-00	NPSL II		1st East, 26-18	Lost Conference Final	5,445
2000-01	NPSL II		3rd American, 22-18	Lost Conference Final	5,376
2001-02	MISL II		4th MISL, 18-26	Lost Semifinal	4,998
2002-03	MISL II		3rd Eastern,18-18	Won Championship	5,559
2003-04	MISL II		1st Eastern, 25-11	Won Championship	6,330
2004-05	MISL II		7th MISL, 15-24	Failed to qualify	5,752
2005-06	MISL II		2nd MISL, 17-13	Won Championship	7,005
2006-07	MISL II		5th MISL, 15-15	Failed to qualify	7,449
2007-08	MISL II		3rd MISL, 19-11	Won Championship	7,230
2008-09	NISL		1st NISL, 14-4	Won Championship	7,534
2009-10	MISL III		2nd MISL, 11-9	Lost Semifinal	6,259
2010-11	MISL III		1st MISL, 15-5	Lost Final	6,933
Total			341-286		5,876

Head coaches

Kenny Cooper

Kenny Cooper Sr.

Kenny Cooper Sr. is a former English soccer goalkeeper and coach. He spent ten seasons playing for the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League and eighteen seasons coaching indoor soccer...

 (1992-1994) Dave MacWilliams

Dave MacWilliams

Dave MacWilliams is a retired American soccer forward and head coach who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League...

 (1994-1996) Mike Stankovic

Mike Stankovic

Mike Stankovic is a retired Yugoslavian soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League.-Biography:...

 (1996-1998) Kevin Healey (1998-2002) Sean Bowers

Sean Bowers

Sean Bowers is a retired U.S. soccer defender. He spent most of his career playing indoor soccer, earning the 1992 NPSL Rookie of the Year, four-time Defender of the Year and a six-time first team All Star in four different indoor leagues. He also played four seasons with the Kansas City Wizards...

 (2002) Bobby McAvan

Bobby McAvan

Bobby McAvan is a retired Scottish-Canadian professional soccer player. After retiring he became a commentator on the Baltimore Blast games, before coaching them for the 2002-03 season.-External links:*...

 (2002-2003) Tim Wittman

Tim Wittman

Tim Wittman is a retired American soccer player who is currently the assistant coach with the Johns Hopkins University women's soccer team. He spent his entire professional career playing indoor soccer in the first and second Major Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League and...

 (2003-2006) Danny Kelly

Danny Kelly (footballer)

Danny Kelly is a former midfielder and now the head coach of the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team.-Youth:Kelly played college soccer at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. While at Penn State he was a four-year letter winner from 1987 to 1990. He earned national recognition and...

 (2006-present)

Arenas

• 1st Mariner Arena
  1st Mariner Arena
  1st Mariner Arena is an arena located in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2003, it was renamed by 1st Mariner Bank, which purchased naming rights to the arena for 10 years. It was reported that 1st Mariner Bank will need to pay the city $75,000 for the next ten years to keep the naming rights to the complex...
  
  ; Baltimore, Maryland (1992-present) (previously Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore Arena)

External links

• Official site