Ignition Unveiled As Detroit's Own Professional Indoor Soccer Team
Published on April 19, 2006 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Detroit Ignition News Release
(Southfield, Mich.) - Hantz Group, Inc. and the company's subsidiary Hantz Group Sports & Entertainment, along with the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), announced today the launch of the Detroit Ignition professional indoor soccer team to commence play in the 2006-07 season. The announcement was made at a press conference at the Westin Southfield-Detroit in Southfield.
At the event, the Ignition unveiled their team logo, introduced their head coach and 2006 college draft picks and also announced that they will play their home games in the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth, MI. In addition, the Ignition announced a broadcast agreement with Comcast Local.
"We are ecstatic to once more bring the MISL to the City of Detroit," said MISL Commissioner Steve Ryan. "We feel with the solid ownership provided by the Hantz Group, the Detroit Ignition will become a signature franchise as the League continues to expand its footprint throughout the top 20 US markets."
"We're very excited to have the opportunity to launch a franchise in the MISL and bring the excitement of indoor soccer to our area," said Greg Bibb, President, Hantz Group Sports & Entertainment. "There is a tremendous level of excitement surrounding our launch. We look forward to providing fans, the youth soccer community and our corporate partners with an entertainment experience that is unmatched in its appeal and entertainment value."
Fans attending Detroit Ignition games at the Compuware Sports Arena will revel at the intimacy of the arena, which will seat 3,500 for MISL games. The state of the art sports facility is already home to the Plymouth Whalers, Detroit Compuware AAA Youth Hockey Club and Detroit Catholic Central High School Hockey.
Comcast Local will carry a minimum of 10 Ignition games live during the 2006-07 season as part of a television broadcast deal announced at the event.
The Ignition's logo unveiled at the press conference, designed by SME Inc., a nationally known branding firm based in New York, features a spark plug atop a soccer ball.
At today's press conference, the Ignition also introduced Mark Pulisic as the franchise's first head coach. A former indoor soccer star, Pulisic played eight professional indoor seasons (1991-99) all with the Harrisburg Heat. A three-time 100-point scorer, he retired as the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 296 goals and 689 points.
Pulisic was chosen as the ideal candidate to build an expansion team from scratch. The 37-year-old was named head coach of the men's soccer program at Lebanon Valley College (Lebanon, PA) in 1993 and also held the same position with the school's first women's team in 1996. Both teams were ranked nationally during his 12-year tenure. He was named the Commonwealth Conference Men's Soccer Coach of the Year in 2000, and earned Women's Coach of the Year Honors in 2001 and 2003.
Pulisic will have some talent to begin his planning for 2006-07 as the Detroit Ignition also announced they had made University of Michigan forward Ryan Alexander their first overall pick in the 2006 MISL College Draft. The Ignition chose Alexander with the draft's first overall pick (Territorial Round) and then added four players in the numerical rounds.
Alexander led the Wolverines in scoring in his senior campaign in 2005, posting four goals and 11 points in 17 games. The 6-1, 185-pound target played his freshman and sophomore years at Wake Forest, where he totaled nine goals and 29 points in 38 contests. Alexander is a native of Southfield and a product of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, where in 2001 he was named a Parade All-American and dubbed "Mr. Soccer" for the State of Michigan.
The Ignition's other 2006 draft picks were midfielder Yohann Mauger from the University of Akron, a NSCAA First Team All-American and First Team All-MAC selection after registering seven assists in 23 starts in 2005; forward Chris Edwards out of Oakland University; defender John Mariscalco, from Butler University; and midfielder and Plymouth native John Kaczmarek, a four-year starter at Michigan State.
The Ignition will open training camp for its inaugural 2006-07 season on October 3. The team's first regular season game will be played in early November with the season continuing into early April 2007. The Detroit Ignition executive offices are located at 24901 Northwestern Highway, Suite 710 in Southfield, MI. Information regarding season, group and individual tickets can be obtained by calling 1-888-436-GOAL (4625) or by visiting the team's official website at www.detroitignition.com.
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from April 19, 2006
- Storm Weekly - Chicago Storm
- Ignition Unveiled As Detroit's Own Professional Indoor Soccer Team - Detroit Ignition
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
