Chihuahua Savage will be newest MASL franchise to field M2 team in 2022-23 season

TAMPA, Florida – A former Major Arena Soccer League 2 champion will be rejoining M2 for the 2022-23 season, the leagues’ sixth, which will start later this fall.

The Chihuahua Savage 2 will be returning to play this year, the third Major Arena Soccer League team to be fielding an M2 team this season, with more MASL teams expected to go that route not only this upcoming year, but future seasons as well, Commissioner Chris Economides noted. 

“It’s no secret that M2 has become a gateway to building a great franchise,” Economides noted. “You don’t have to look any further than the San Diego Sockers to understand the value of being able to scout, sign and develop players that can help you win championships at every level. The Savage did a great job of that a few years ago, and really used that as the foundation for their return to the MASL last year with a number of great players who started out with them in M2.”

The Savage were a perfect 12-0 in the 2019-20 season which was shortened due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and were declared regular season league champions after the post-seaon was canceled due to the ongoing pandemic. Among the stars on that team were  David "Gonzo" González, Bryan "Flaco" Macías, and Luis "Cuate" Medrano. The team’s undefeated mark was particularly impressive since scheduling issues forced the Savage 2 to play 10 of their 12 games on the road. 

Gonzalez had 15 goals in 20 games for the 2021-22 MASL Savage, who got out of the gates slowly last year before roaring to life and advancing all the way to the league semi-finals. The Savage defeated the Baltimore Blast to open the playoffs, and then pushed the eventual champion Sockers to a knockout game before falling. Chihuahua defeated San Diego 7-6 in the series opener in Mexico.

 Macias also had 15 goals, in 22 regular season games, as both he and Gonzalez tied for fourth overall on the Savage in goals scored. Medrano, a defender, dressed for 20 games with eight points and 11 blocked shots.  Macias was tied for second on the team in overall points in his club’s six playoff games last spring. 

In 2019-20, Gonzalez was the Savage’s second-leading scorer while Macias was third overall. The roster also included M2 star Eduardo “Benji” Monreal who signed before last season with the MASL Kansas City Comets after playing for the Wichita Wings in 2020-21, leading them with 24 points in just 11 games.

  “We are very excited to be returning to M2. It is important to remember the Savage's path in MASL began in Major Arena Soccer League 2,” said team president Joel Torres Mendoza . “We look forward to having that kind of success in M2 for years to come. We have a deep talent pool and M2 provides us the right kind of competition and level of play that we need for our players to truly succeed.”

The Savage’s M2 return also came with the announcement that an agreement has been reached with two large institutions – the Chihuahua League and Club Savage –  where continuous scouting will be sought in the different existing tournaments and categories in the search for local talent. 

Opening weekend for M2 will be Dec. 10 and 12, with additional announcements about teams and schedules planned in the coming weeks.