Intriguing matchup starts M2 regular season tonight as Swerve host Risers

TAMPA, Florida -- Major Arena Soccer League 2 fans are in for an intriguing matchup Saturday night as M2 kicks off its regular season in Cincinnati.

The BC Swerve will host the Muskegon Risers in an 8 p.m. start. Both teams have M2 history, and will be looking for an early advantage in the Great Lakes Division, which also includes the Cleveland Crunch and Chicago Mustangs. 

It marks the first time the two teams will have played since the 2019-20 season as both sat out the 2020-21 campaign because of the national pandemic. 

The Risers roster includes standouts Willy Gurrero and Cody Loss who were the leading scorers on Muskegon's 2018-19 squad which finished        . The Risers and Swerve tangled twice that season, splitting a pair of games. Cincinnati took a 12-7 decision while the Risers rallied in a second matchup to win 8-7 as current Muskegon player T.J.  Ifaturoti got the game winner with just over three minutes to go in the game.

The BC Swerve and newly rebranded and structured  this season. Formerly  known as the  Cincinnati Swerve, they played in the league during its first season in 2017-18. The Swerve were an impressive 9-3 that year, advancing to the M2 championship round where they defeated the Colorado Blizzard before falling to the eventual champion Chicago Mustangs. 

The Swerve recently announced a partnership and new co-branded logo with Brew City Legends of the PASL to develop players on the field with this M2 and PASL team. The Swerve will be the name for both teams, with the team out of Cincinnati playing in the M2, and new logo displayed on both.

It is the only game scheduled for opening weekend. Seven different  teams will kick off their M2 campaign next weekend.