Runners, Bombers home-and-home doubleheader rings in M2 new year

TAMPA, Fla. -- Major Arena Soccer League 2 will ring in the new year with a quartet of games, highlighted by a home and home doubleheader between the New Mexico Runners and Amarillo Bombers.

The Runners will kick off 2022 with a New Year's Day celebration for its Albuqurque fans as they host the Bombers in a 5:05 Mountain Standard Time kickoff. The two teams will travel right after back to Texas for a 3:05 CST kickoff Sunday at the Amarillo Civic Center. 

The Runners will be looking to reverse and 0-2 start after falling in a weekend doublehead on the road to the Omaha Kings, including a heartbreaking one-goal loss in the second game. Amarillo, meanwhile. fell on the road 11-5 to M2 power Wichita, in their only start to date.

Alejandro Garcia will look to continue his great start to the season, after scoring eight goals in the two games in Omaha. With his two assists in those games, he leads M2 in both goals scored and total points in the early going.

Amarillo will look to rely on Lucca Lima and Miguel Reyes who each netted a pair in the Bombers trip to Wichita. Sunday''s game will be an M2 featured broadcast on You Tube. Check the league or team social media sites for a link to be posted over the weekend.

The Ontario Fury 2 will look to take back SoCal bragging rights when they meet the San Diego Sockers 2 in a 12:35 p.m. PST kickoff Sunday in San Diego. The two teams opened their respective seasons in San Diego against each other on Dec. 19, with the Sockers prevailing 11-6. Ismael Rojo paced the Sockers with a four goal outburst while Bryan Quintanilla paced the Fury attack with a pair of scores. 

What has become a spirited "Heartland" rivalry will come back to life Sunday at Hartman Arena in Wichita when the Wings look to improve to 2-0 as they host the Omaha Kings in what is an early season first-place showdown in M2's midwest division.

Veteran indoor star Kevin Ten Eyck led Wichita in their lone win with a hat trick, while the Kings come in at 2-0, paced by Leonides Mejia who has six goals so far.

All M2 games are streamed live. Check your favorite team's social media sites for links and broadcast information.