Teams hoping MASL 2 influence will pay off in a big way in million-dollar TST

The Major Arena Soccer League has already had a big influence in the short history of the million-dollar TST.

And in now its third year, the winner-take-all seven-on-seven tournament will potentially be influenced by a Major Arena Soccer League 2 presence as well.

Two top-tier soccer franchises -- the 2023-24 MASL 2 champion Iowa Demon Hawks and Newtown Pride FC, —have teamed up to compete in this year's tournament. The organizations, playing under the Newtown Pride FC moniker, will field both men’s and women’s teams and host a 10-day training and evaluation camp in Des Moines from May 20–30 to finalize their rosters.

Newtown's owners debuted in MASL2 play with Spice City FC out of Danbury, Connecticut, this past season, finishing second in the East Division with a record of 8-4. They were also one of the top teams in attendance in 2024-25 at the 3,000 seat Danbury Arena. The Demon Hawks lost in the MASL 2 championship game last month in Des Moines, after posting a perfect 15-0 record in 2023-24 to win their first MASL 2 title.

Newtown Pride FC are no strangers to TST success, having taken the inaugural title in 2023. This year, they’re returning with reinforcements, combining championship pedigree with fresh firepower through this coast-to-heartland collaboration.

Led by Head Coach Onua Obasi (Newtown Pride), assisted by Head Coach, Tiago Coutinho (Iowa Demon Hawks), the exclusive camp will bring together elite athletes selected through scouting, past professional experience, and TST readiness. The goal: to form two cohesive, high-performance units capable of winning the whole thing.

“This is not an open tryout—it’s an elite prep camp to build championship rosters,” said Obasi. “We’ve assembled serious talent, and Des Moines gives us the perfect training ground to sharpen and unite before we hit the pitch in June.”

Obasi just earned Coach-of--the-Year honors in the MASL after leading the Empire Strykers to the post season for the first time in since 2021. He was scheduled to he the coach For Spice City before being hired by the Strykers prior to last season. He was also Newtown's Coach during their championship run two summers ago. 

As revealed on the TST Group Reveal Show airing Tuesday, April 22  on ESPN+, Newtown Pride  will compete in Group D with: Boca Dallas, Dueling for Lincoln and LCF Academy. Newtown is scheduled for two games on June 4, with a 12:30 p.m. start against Dueling For Lincoln and a 9:30 start against Boca Dallas. The final pool game is 9 p.m. June 5 against LCF Academy. All games will be broadcast live on You Tube. 

Their roster is expected to include MASL stars Gabriel Costa and Tavoy Morgan and several other topline indoor players. 

“We’ve got our group. Now it’s time to execute,” said Matt Svanda, Owner of Newtown Pride FC. “We’re confident in our squad and excited to show what this collaboration can do.”

“We’ve already built something special in Iowa with the Demon Hawks,” said Darwin Salas, Owner of the Iowa Demon Hawks. “Now, we’re taking that momentum and competing on a national—and global—stage.”

On the women's side, 16-teams will compete for their own $1 million prize. The Demon Hawks are teaming with the Austin Rise, who are in Group A along with the Angel City 7s, U.S. Women and Process FC.

Austin will take on U.S. Women on June 5 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+, and then follow up with two games on June 6. At 10:15 a.m. they will meet Angel City 8 (YouTube) with the last of the pool games starting at 6:30 p.m. against Process FC (YouTube). 

All men's and women's TST games are played in Cary, North Carolina. 

The OKC Certified Lions, who debuted teams in both MASL 2 AND MASL 3 in 2024-25, will also be competing in TST this year as well. They have landed in Group L in the 32-team field. Their group will include Atletico de Madrid,  Seleccion Potrero and Trident FC.

Their pool games start June 4 as well, with an 11:30 a.m. kickoff against Atletico de Madrid on YouTube, followed later in the day with  a 9:45 p.m. start against Trident FC (YouTube). They conclude pool play on June 5 at 4:30 p.m. against  Seleccion Potrero.

The Lions will be moving their Major Arena Soccer League base to the new 4,500 seat OKE Coliseum in downtown Oklahoma City, set to officially open later this summer. 

Complete information on TST can be found at www.tst7v7.com.