Muskegon Risers debut highlights Week 2 with games at Demon Hawks, Raptors

Week 2 of the Major Arena Soccer League 2 season will feature the debut of the Muskegon Risers, who make their Iowa swing to meet the Demon Hawks on Saturday night at the Alliant Energy Power House before meeting the Raptors there Sunday afternoon. 

Next weekend will be one of the busiest in M2 with six games and eight teams making their 2022-23 debut. Following is a look at this weekend's games...

GAME NOTES – The Muskegon Risers, one of M2’s longest tenured franchises, will open their 2022-23 season against the Demon Hawks in Cedar Rapids … The last time the Risers were on the field was last spring in the M2 semi-finals, where they took the undefeated and reigning league champion Cleveland Crunch to the wire, falling 7-6 on a goal in the final minute by Cleveland … Miguel Flores will return to the Risers lineup, having missed much of the end of the season last year with an injury.  In just 10 games last year, Flores had 21 goals and seven assists … This will mark the debut of Risers coach Michael Vollmer who takes over behind the bench on a full time basis this year. He coached the playoff win over Cleveland as well since Muskegon’s regular coach was not available for that game. Vollmer was a defender and goaltender for the Risers previously … The Demon Hawks are 1-0  on the strength of a 7-6 win in a shootout over their local rival, the Iowa Raptors … Ricardo Diegues – a star in the Major Arena Soccer League currently not eligible to play in M1 because of visa eligibility issues – scored twice including in the shootout and added two assists … Demon Hawks goal keeper Rainer Hauss stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout. 

UP NEXT:  Muskegon Risers at Iowa Raptors, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m. CST  /  Iowa Demon Hawks at Muskegon Risers, Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES: See above for Muskegon game notes …. Raptors look to rebound after tough 7-6 loss in a shootout to the Iowa Demon Hakws last Saturday in the season opener for both teams and the league … Raptors got two goals each from Ayo Adebado and Ricardo Orozco in the loss. Each also had an assist …  Adebayo’s second goal tied the game and forced overtime, scoring with inside five minutes to play in the fourth quarter … Neither team managed more than a one-goal lead at any time, and the game was tied on six different occasions … Raptors just announced the signing of veteran indoor forward Bobby Hurwitz. Hurwitz played 66 games in the MASL, mostly with the Cedar Rapids Rampage, but also with the Tacoma Stars, St. Louis Ambush and Orlando SeaWolves. His best season came in 2017-18 with the Rampage where in 21 games he scored 15 goals.

UP NEXT: Iowa Demon Hawks at Muskegon Risers, Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. EST   /   Muskegon Risers at Iowa Raptors, Saturday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. CST.