The St. Louis Ambush kick off the home portion of their 2017-18 season when they host the Central Division rival Milwaukee Wave this Saturday, November 11 at 7:05 p.m. at the Family Arena.
The Ambush commence the new season with a renewed sense of optimism and some fresh blood in the organization. Hewerton Moreira, who joins the club as player and Head Coach, brings 13 seasons of playing experience as one of the best in the indoor game and his tenure as a Head Coach, while shorter than that as a player, has been an auspicious one thus far. Joining Moreira on the staff are three seasoned and experienced coaches. St. Louis indoor soccer legend Jamie Swanner returns as Assistant Coach and, per MASL rules regarding player/coaches, Head Coach during games in which Hewerton plays. Mark Litton comes to the Ambush with a world-class resume as goalkeeper coach and Tony Shelby, an accomplished coach in his own right, joins the team as Assistant Coach.
Saturday’s contest is the second of the season for the Ambush, who opened on the road with a close 10-8 loss to the Kansas City Comets last Saturday in Independence. The team hopes to nail down their first win of the new season with the enthusiastic backing of the Family Arena crowd this Saturday night. Milwaukee rolls into town having won their first two games and hoping to build on that momentum as the early-season favorites in the Central Division.
The Ambush take to the field with a mix of new and returning players. Five players on the current roster were not members of the team last year. Hewerton, Robert Acosta, Jerjer Gibson, Nestor Hernandez and goalkeeper Paulo Nascimento are the five new faces. Notable returnees include Victor France, who tallied four goals and an assist in the season opener and led the team in goals last season, Chris Mattingly, who finished second in the league in blocked shots last season along with familiar names like Richard Schmermund, Lucas Almeida, Kory Dowell and Corey Adamson, who scored the first goal in franchise history in 2013.
Milwaukee’s powerful offense is anchored by Ian Bennett, who finished second in the league in points (64) and goals (53) last season and has six goals in the first two games this season. Max Ferdinand is another dangerous member of the Wave’s offensive attack. He led the league in assists last season and has four in his first two games this season.Robert Renaud is also back with the Wave. His 28 points (17 goals, 11 assists) made for an impressive rookie campaign last season and he picked up where he left off, posting three goals and three assists in the first two games of the current season.
Following Saturday’s home opener, the Ambush will be back in action Sunday, November 19
when they host the Harrisburg Heat in a 3:05 p.m. matinee affair at the Family Arena.
