C.R. Rampage unveil inaugural schedule

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Major Arena Soccer League announced its 2015-16 schedule and divisional alignments on Wednesday, the first season to include the expansion Cedar Rapids Rampage franchise.

The MASL is a professional arena soccer league comprised of 21 teams, including three in Mexico. Before last season, the league was known as the Professional Arena Soccer League.

Teams play a 20-game regular season schedule, and all Rampage home games will be at the U.S. Cellular Center.

After an Oct. 30 home game with the St. Louis Ambush, the Rampage will open the regular season Nov. 6 on the road at the Missouri Comets, which is located in the Kansas City suburb of Independence, Mo.

The regular-season home opener is slated for Sunday, Nov. 15 against the Detroit Waza at 3:05 p.m.

After that, all remaining home games will be held on either a Friday or a Saturday, with the lone exception being a New Year's Eve game with Missouri, which falls on a Thursday.

The Rampage play five-straight home games in November and December, and close the regular season Feb. 28 after four on the road.

The 21-team league is split into four divisions (Central, Eastern, Southwest and Pacific). Cedar Rapids is in a five-team division along with fellow Midwest franchises Chicago, Milwaukee, Missouri and St. Louis. The MASL playoffs begin in March and will include the top three teams in each division.

The Milwaukee Wave are one of the flagship franchises in the MASL with a legacy that stretches back to 1984 through a variety of incarnations of indoor soccer. The Missouri Comets joined the MASL in 2014 after four seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League. The Comets were previously known as the Kansas City Comets in their first stint in the MISL from 1981-91. Both Chicago and St. Louis are franchises that have been in existence for less than five years.

CEDAR RAPIDS RAMPAGE 2015-16 SCHEDULE

10/03/15 at St. Louis Ambush, 7:15 p.m.

10/15/15 at Milwaukee Wave, 10 a.m.

10/30/15 ST. LOUIS AMBUSH, 7:05 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

11/06/15 at Missouri Comets, TBA

11/15/15 DETROIT WAZA, 3:05 p.m.

11/21/15 at Milwaukee Wave, TBA

11/28/15 MISSOURI COMETS, 7:05 p.m.

12/04/15 CHICAGO MUSTANGS, 7:05 p.m.

12/12/15 MILWAUKEE WAVE, 7:05 p.m.

12/18/15 CHICAGO MUSTANGS, 7:05 p.m.

12/19/15 ST. LOUIS AMBUSH, 7:05 p.m.

12/26/15 at Detroit Waza, TBA

12/31/15 MISSOURI COMETS, 7:05 p.m.

01/02/16 at Chicago Mustangs, TBA

01/15/16 HARRISBURG HEAT, 7:05 p.m.

01/16/16 HARTFORD CITY FC, 7:05 p.m.

01/22/16 at Tacoma Stars, TBA

01/30/16 at Milwaukee Wave, TBA

02/13/16 ST. LOUIS AMBUSH, 7:05 p.m.

02/20/16 at St. Louis Ambush, TBA

02/21/16 at Detroit Waza, TBA

02/27/16 at Harrisburg Heat, TBA

02/28/16 at Syracuse Silver Knights, TBA

MASL 2015-16 DIVISIONAL ALIGNMENTS

Central Division

Cedar Rapids (Iowa)

Chicago (Ill.)

Milwaukee (Wis.)

Missouri (Mo.)

St. Louis (Mo.)

Eastern Division

Baltimore (Md.)

Detroit (Mich.)

Harrisburg (Pa.)

Hartford (Conn.)

Syracuse (N.Y)

Southwest Division

Baja (Mexico)

Brownsville (Texas)

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Sacramento (Calif.)

Saltillo (Mexico)

Turlock (Calif.)

Pacific Division

Dallas (Texas)

Ontario (Calif.)

San Diego (Calif.)

Sonora (Mexico)

Tacoma (Wash.)

Here is the press release from the club:

RAMPAGE ANNOUNCE 2015-16 SCHEDULE

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA: On Wednesday the Cedar Rapids Rampage announced the team's 2015-16 schedule. The Rampage will enter their first season in the Major Arena Soccer League.

The Rampage will open up the 2015-16 season with the team's Opening Night game on Friday, October 30th when they host the St. Louis Ambush at 7:05 p,m, at the U,S, Cellular Center. The team is planning several activities for opening night including a costume contest with cash prizes, trick or treat for kids and much more. The Rampage will also travel to St. Louis to face the Ambush in a preseason friendly on October 3rd at the Family Arena.

The team's inaugural season consists of central division battles with the Ambush, Milwaukee Wave, Kansas City Comets and Chicago Mustangs. The Rampage will also faceoff against eastern division teams including Detroit Waza, Harrisburg Heat, Syracuse Knights and Hartford City FC. A non conference game out west against the Tacoma Stars will take place on January 22nd.

Individual tickets, including tickets for the Rampage's Opening Night against the Ambush, will go on sale at the U.S. Cellular Center box office on Friday, September 25th at 10 a.m.

The Rampage will hold a 2nd open tryout September 19th & 20th at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. Details on the tryout and registration information can be found at cedarrapidsrampage.com.

Season tickets are now on sale and start as low as $80 each, which includes 11 home games. For more information on these or any other Cedar Rapids Rampage stories, visit the team's new website at www.cedarrapidsrampage.com or call the team offices at (319) 730-6301. You can also follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com