Salisbury Steaks will move to Major Arena Soccer League 2 for 2024-25 season
TAMPA, Florida – After a “well done” inaugural season in Major Arena Soccer League 3, the Salisbury Steaks will move up to play in Major Arena Soccer League 2 in the 2024-25 season.
The Maryland based team sold out all six of its home games, and had those games televised live on the Delmarva Sports Network last year, which was highlighted by a 6-1 home win over the Philadelphia Spartans who advanced to the MASL 3 championship game last spring.
The Steaks were named in a bracket-style on-line balloting contest – with over 4,000 votes cast – where fans overwhelmingly embraced the beefy nickname, which became an instant hit with skyrocketing merchandise sales and community support.
Owner Josh Danza said the massive community support the Steaks received made the decision to jump up to MASL 2 a relatively easy one.
“I didn't really expect how fast the fans and the sponsors and the community accepted us. It was phenomenal, and it made it a blast for our guys,” Danza said. “Things just fell in place that we didn't expect so soon, so it was a great experience for the organization and the fans.”
With the move up, Danza said expectations will be similarly raised.
“The player pool got better throughout the season last year, but we'll be looking to raise it even higher in 2024-25. I've connected with a lot of players through the years, and we'll look for top local talent as well,” Danza said. “We need to be competitive this year. We're going to be stepping up our level of play this year for sure.”
They will continue to call the Crown Sports Center home, with the hope of expanded seating to accommodate more fans this year.
“They've been excellent, fantastic since day one,” Danza said. “We're working with them to help expand the seating, and the facility just got its liquor license which will be great for our fans too. We do have the capability of adding some seating, so it will be even a better situation for fans in 2024-25. Our goal is to provide the best possible experience for players, fans, sponsors, and everyone in the Salisbury community.”
MASL 2 Commissioner Chris Economides indicated the Steaks – who will play in the Eastern Division -- were one of the great success stories in all of indoor soccer last year.
“Let's just say they run a “prime” program in Salisbury. They are first class, and the greater Salisbury area came out in huge numbers to support the team, so making a move to M2 was a natural next step,” Economides said. “With our geographic footprint including New York and Connecticut, and of course the Baltimore Arsenal nearby, the Steaks fit in perfectly into the league's profile and model for how a franchise is run, both on the field and off.”
Danza will also continue to own and operate the Baltimore Kings in MASL 3, making Baltimore – a decades long hot bed of professional indoor soccer –the only market with all three levels of the Major Arena Soccer League pyramid represented. The Arsenal are owned by the Baltimore Blast of the Major Arena Soccer League, who trace their lineage all the way back to 1980, and serve as their official MASL 2 affiliate.
Danza has first hand experience in MASL 3, not only as an owner. He has suited up for the last three seasons for the Kings where he has been one of the league's premier playmakers.