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The 2015–16 Major Arena Soccer League season was the eighth season for the league and the second since six teams from the former Major Indoor Soccer League defected to what was formerly called the Professional Arena Soccer League. The regular season started on October 24, 2015, and ended on March 4, 2016. Each team played a 20-game schedule. It was also the 38th season of professional indoor soccer in the United States.
| Season | 2015–16 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Baltimore Blast |
| Matches played | 198 |
| Goals scored | 2,630 (13.28 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Franck Tayou (47 goals) |
| Longest winning run | 11 Games: Baltimore Blast (11/7-1/9) Sonora Suns (11/7-1/17) |
| Longest losing run | 18 games: Harrisburg Heat (11/6-2/27) |
| Highest attendance | 9,442 CHI @ BAL (November 7) |
| Lowest attendance | 104 BAJ @ SAL (February 5) |
| Average attendance | 2,405 [1] |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → | |
Many of the 22 teams that completed the 2014–15 season returned for the 2015–16 season.[2][3][4] Teams not returning this season include Rochester Lancers, Wichita B-52s, Tulsa Revolution, and Monterrey Flash. In April 2015, Baltimore Blast owner Ed Hale announced that his team was withdrawing from the MASL to form a new league.[5] No other teams announced their departure and the proposed new league never formed. The Blast quietly rejoined the league after agreeing to pay a fine. The Detroit Waza relocated to Flint, Michigan, and are operating this season as simply Waza Flo.[6]
The expansion Sonora Suns based in Hermosillo, Connecticut-based Hartford City FC, Iowa-based Cedar Rapids Rampage, and Tijuana-based Atletico Baja were formally accepted for membership in the MASL.[7][8] The fledgling Youngstown Nighthawks based in Ohio aimed to join the league but encountered financial issues.[9]
On October 28, 2015, the MASL announced that Hartford City FC would not be permitted to enter the league this season and began league-wide schedule changes to replace the failed franchise.[10][11] A new ownership group hoped to revive the team for the 2016–17 season.[10]
Unlike last season where some Eastern Division teams played with a variable-point scoring system, for 2015–16 the whole MASL will play with standard soccer scoring using goals, not points.[3]
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As of March 4, 2016
2015-16 League Championship
2015-16 Playoff Team
(Bold) Division Winner
Eastern Conference
| Place | Team | GP | W | L | Pct | GF | GA | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Division | ||||||||||
| 1 | Baltimore Blast | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | 129 | 57 | - | 9-1 | 6-3 |
| 2 | Syracuse Silver Knights | 20 | 11 | 9 | .550 | 120 | 113 | 4.5 | 7-3 | 4-6 |
| 3 | Waza Flo | 18 | 9 | 9 | .500 | 101 | 119 | 5.5 | 5-3 | 4-6 |
| 4 | Harrisburg Heat | 19 | 1 | 18 | .053 | 75 | 152 | 14.0 | 0-10 | 1-8 |
| Central Division | ||||||||||
| 1 | Missouri Comets | 20 | 17 | 3 | .850 | 153 | 95 | — | 7-3 | 10-0 |
| 2 | Chicago Mustangs | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 152 | 123 | 4 | 7-3 | 6-4 |
| 3 | Milwaukee Wave | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 131 | 114 | 4 | 7-3 | 6-4 |
| 4 | St. Louis Ambush | 20 | 5 | 15 | .250 | 104 | 138 | 12 | 3-7 | 2-8 |
| 5 | Cedar Rapids Rampage | 20 | 5 | 15 | .250 | 117 | 160 | 12 | 3-7 | 2-8 |
Western Conference
| Place | Team | GP | W | L | Pct | GF | GA | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Division | ||||||||||
| 1 | Las Vegas Legends | 20 | 14 | 6 | .700 | 141 | 106 | — | 8-2 | 6-4 |
| 2 | Atletico Baja | 20 | 12 | 8 | .600 | 178 | 161 | 2 | 8-2 | 4-6 |
| 3 | Brownsville Barracudas | 20 | 8 | 12 | .400 | 134 | 145 | 6 | 6-4 | 2-8 |
| 4 | Saltillo Rancho Seco | 20 | 7 | 13 | .350 | 150 | 170 | 7 | 5-5 | 2-8 |
| 5 | Sacramento Surge | 20 | 3 | 17 | .150 | 114 | 180 | 11 | 3-7 | 0-10 |
| 6 | Turlock Express | 20 | 3 | 17 | .150 | 98 | 174 | 11 | 3-7 | 0-10 |
| Pacific Division | ||||||||||
| 1 | Sonora Suns | 20 | 17 | 3 | .850 | 219 | 134 | — | 9-1 | 8-2 |
| 2 | San Diego Sockers | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 138 | 111 | 4 | 7-3 | 6-4 |
| 3 | Tacoma Stars | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 116 | 109 | 4 | 7-3 | 6-4 |
| 4 | Ontario Fury | 20 | 12 | 8 | .600 | 146 | 135 | 5 | 7-3 | 5-5 |
| 5 | Dallas Sidekicks | 20 | 7 | 13 | .350 | 114 | 134 | 10 | 4-6 | 3-7 |
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Playoff format
Top three finishers in each division qualify for the playoffs. The winner of the playoff between the second and third place teams will play the first place team for the division title.
Each round (including the Newman Cup Championship) will be a home and away series. Teams that win both games will advance. If the wins are split between the two teams, a fifteen-minute mini game will be played immediately after the second game to break the tie. The only exception will be the Eastern Division Semi-Final, where there will be a one-game playoff (Syracuse hosting Waza Flo) because of arena availability issues.[12][13]
Eastern Conference Playoffs
Eastern Division Semi-Final
Syracuse advances to the Eastern Division Final.
Eastern Division Final
Game 1
Game 2
Baltimore wins series 2–0.
Central Division Semi-Final
Game 1
Attendance: 3,475
Game 2
Mini-Game
Milwaukee wins series 2–1.
Central Division Final
Game 1
Attendance: 2,717
Game 2
Missouri wins series 2–0.
Eastern Conference Final
Game 1
| Baltimore Blast | 4–3 (2OT) | Missouri Comets |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Game 2
Baltimore wins series 2–0
Western Conference Playoffs
Southwest Division Semi-Final
Game 1
Barracudas Sports Complex
Attendance: 1,168
Referee: Francisco Meraz
Game 2
Unidad Deportiva Tijuana
Attendance: 1,760
Referee: Kia Depaneh
Brownsville wins series 2–0
Southwest Division Final
Game 1
Barracudas Sports Complex
Attendance: 1,183
Referee: Francisco Meraz
Game 2
Las Vegas Sports Park
Attendance: 403
Referee: Ramiro Cruz
Las Vegas wins series 2–0
Pacific Division Semi-Final
Game 1
Game 2
San Diego wins series 2–0
Pacific Division Final
Game 1
Game 2
Centro de Usos Múltiples
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Kelly Mock
Mini-Game
Centro de Usos Múltiples
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Kelly Mock
Sonora wins series 2–1.
Western Conference Final
Game 1
Centro de Usos Múltiples
Attendance: 6,841
Referee: Kia Depaneh
Game 2
Centro de Usos Múltiples
Attendance: 7,487
Referee: Kia Depaneh
| Sonora Suns | 1–0 (2 OT) | Las Vegas Legends |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Mini-Game
Centro de Usos Múltiples
Attendance: 7,487
Referee: Kia Depaneh
Sonora wins series 2–1.
Newman Cup Championship
Game 1
| Sonora Suns | 13–14 (OT) | Baltimore Blast |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Game 2
Centro de Usos Múltiples
Attendance: 8,324
Referee: Ryan Cigich
Baltimore wins Newman Cup 2–0.
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Top scorers
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Franck Tayou |
Sonora Suns | 20 | 47 | 15 | 62 |
| 2 | Kraig Chiles |
San Diego Sockers | 18 | 28 | 27 | 55 |
| 3 |  Vahid Assadpour |
Missouri Comets | 20 | 23 | 27 | 50 |
| 4 |  Mauricio Salles |
Ontario Fury | 20 | 30 | 16 | 46 |
 Efrain Martinez |
Chicago Mustangs | 20 | 21 | 25 | 46 | |
| 6 | Ian Bennett |
Milwaukee Wave | 20 | 37 | 7 | 44 |
 Leo Gibson |
Missouri Comets | 18 | 21 | 23 | 44 | |
| 8 | Victor Baez |
Saltillo Rancho Seco | 20 | 28 | 15 | 43 |
| 9 | Moises Gonzalez |
Brownsville Barracudas | 20 | 34 | 8 | 42 |
| Hewerton Moreira |
Cedar Rapids Rampage | 20 | 13 | 29 | 42 | |
Last updated on March 4, 2016. Source: "Scoring Leaders". Major Arena Soccer League.
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Individual awards
| Award | Name[14] | Team |
|---|---|---|
| League MVP | Franck Tayou | Sonora Suns |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Danny Waltman | Tacoma Stars |
| Defender of the Year | Pat Healey | Baltimore Blast |
| Rookie of the Year | Alejandro Leyva | Sonora Suns |
| Coach of the Year | Darren Sawatzky | Tacoma Stars |
| Aaron Susi Trophy (Playoff MVP) | Lucas Roque | Baltimore Blast |
All-League First Team
| Name[15] | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Kraig Chiles | F | San Diego Sockers |
| Franck Tayou | F | Sonora Suns |
| Vahid Assadpour | M | Missouri Comets |
| Damian Garcia | D | Sonora Suns |
| Eric Guzman | D | Las Vegas Legends |
| Danny Waltman | GK | Tacoma Stars |
All-League Second Team
| Name[15] | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Leo Gibson | F | Missouri Comets |
| Mauricio Salles | F | Ontario Fury |
| Ian Bennett | M | Milwaukee Wave |
| Victor Baez | D | Saltillo Rancho Seco |
| Pat Healey | D | Baltimore Blast |
| William Vanzela | GK | Baltimore Blast |
All-League Third Team
| Name[15] | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Efrain Martinez | F | Chicago Mustangs |
| Max Ferdinand | M | Milwaukee Wave |
| Moises Gonzalez | M | Brownsville Barracudas |
| Luis Ortega | D | Chicago Mustangs |
| John Sosa | D | Missouri Comets |
| Boris Pardo | GK | Missouri Comets |
All-Rookie Team
| Name[16] | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Alejandro Leyva | F | Sonora Suns |
| Adolfo Bautista | F | Chicago Mustangs |
| Mike Ramos | M | Tacoma Stars |
| Thiago Gonçalves | D | Waza Flo |
| Roberto Medina | D | Sonora Suns |
| Andrew Coughlin | GK | Syracuse Silver Knights |
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