Ontario Makes Franchise History with First Final
April 4, 2021 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Ontario Fury News Release
Ontario Fury pose after booking a trip to the finals
(Ontario Fury)
The Ontario Fury advanced to the 2021 Ron Newman Cup Championship series after a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Comets in the semi-final round of the playoffs. While this marks the first time in franchise history that the Fury has advanced to the MASL finals, the same cannot be said about their opponent, the San Diego Sockers, who will be looking to win the franchise's fifteenth league Championship.
The Ontario Fury and San Diego Sockers will compete in a two-game series to be played at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, on April 9 and April 11. Should the series be tied after the second game, a Champion will be crowned following an additional fifteen-minutes of play which will take place immediately following the conclusion of that second game.
The coronavirus outbreak has forced difficult decisions for the sports-event industry and the 2021 MASL season is no different, as thus far all games have been played in near empty Arenas throughout the country. According to Jeff Burum, managing partner of the Ontario Fury, "the lack of fans in the stands has resulted in a tough year financially for both the MASL league office as well as each individual team that chose to compete within the COVID protocols."
However, with 3.07 million doses of the vaccine being administered throughout the country daily, the Fury will be working with the City of Ontario and County of San Bernardino to see if there is any chance to allow live fan attendance inside Toyota Arena throughout the duration of the Championship series. And if the Fury cannot have fans inside Toyota Arena, then the Fury hopes to enjoy the games amongst friends and family by providing a watching party with big screen televisions set up in the parking lot of Toyota Arena. Stay tuned for updates on the Fury's progress.
While the Ontario Fury entered the 2021 Ron Newman Cup Playoffs as the second seed, in the mind of Head Coach Jimmy Nordberg, "the level of competition this year has been the toughest because when the league allowed teams to sign one-year contracts with players from other MASL organizations that opted out of the season during the pandemic, I feel like we're playing against an All-Star squad on a weekly basis."
With that said, the organization's accomplishments this season have proven to be an accumulation of efforts within both the organization and its loyal fan base. Since its inaugural season in 2013, the Ontario Fury has become an integral part of the Inland Empire community, and Fury fans throughout the region are anxious for the opportunity to be part of this historic event.
Images from this story
 Ontario Fury pose after booking a trip to the finals |
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from April 4, 2021
- Ontario Makes Franchise History with First Final - Ontario Fury
- Fury Defeat Comets, Advance to Finals - Ontario Fury
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