FC Baltimore 1729 will make league debut for 2025-26 season

TAMPA, Florida – Two familiar faces will be returning to the professional indoor soccer scene in Baltimore this fall when FC Baltimore 1729 makes its debut in Major Arena Soccer League 2.

One belongs to Mike Conway, born and raised in the Charm City and a player for the Baltimore Spirt in the NPSL. Conway had a much bigger impact on the game off the floor, spending 28 years in the front office of the Baltimore Blast, one of the sport's most iconic franchises. When he finally stepped down, he was serving as the Blast's Vice President of Soccer Operations. He will be one of the new team's co-owners along with Ron Dawson, a Baltimore entrepreneur mainly in construction and real estate, who also is a Baltimore native with local soccer roots on which both will rely.

“Kevin Healey and Ed Hale were great mentors for me. I learned so much from both of them and have so much respect for both of them,” Conway said. 

He also added the team name is reflective of one of the main goals of the team, to provide a place for local talent to shine, while paying homage to the city's founding in 1729.

“What we're planning on doing is reconnecting with the Baltimore player. There's not a lot of players right now from Baltimore that are playing here, so we want to give those young players an opportunity to move to the next level. If that's moving them on to Ed and the Blast, or another team, we just want to give they very good players here a chance,” Conway said. 

Dawson, who along with his wife Bernadette will serve as the team's majority owners, has business holdings in metropolitan Baltimore, Ocean City and Rehoboth Beach, is also the founder of several all access soccer websites for specific locations in the country, including  Baltimore Soccer News which he founded in 2012. 

“We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Mike Conway,” Dawson said. “His experience, enthusiasm and work ethic are critical to have a successful operation, And we share his vision as well of giving opportunities to Baltimore players who are aspiring to play at the professional level. We are very committed to that.”

Dawson's son Cameron played for the MASL 2 Arsenal in 2023-24, and is just now signed to play professionally in Spain starting this fall. He scored three goals in nine starts for Baltimore. Ron also has done fill-in work for some Baltimore Blast broadcasts through the years.  

FC Baltimore 1729 is finalizing a playing venue and will carry on the city's MASL 2 tradition from the Arsenal. Baltimore continues to be the only city with teams in the MASL, MASL 2 and MASL 3 (Kings). 

MASL 2 Commissioner Chris Economides said it's not a stretch to imagine big thing for the new club.

“Mike's association to the indoor game in Baltimore is legendary. He seen the game from about every angle imaginable – especially his more than two decades in the Blast front office – which will be a huge help in getting FC Baltimore 1729 out of the gate in a big way,” Economides noted. “With his partnership with Ron, it won't take long for this to be one of our model franchises in what should be a hugely competitive division.”

Conway appeared in 19 games as a defender in the 1992-92 season for the NPSL Baltimore Spirit before embarking on his long front-office career with the Blast near the end of his one season of play. He recorded three goals and two assists.

MASL 2 will kick off its ninth season of high-flying, high-intensity indoor soccer action late this fall. Teams play a 12-game schedule, with a post-season to conclude the 2025-26 season. The Chihuahua Savage II defeated the Iowa Demon Hawks in last season's double-overtime finals to claim its second league championship. More information can be found at www.masl2.com.