Cedar Rapids Rampage
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname =Cedar Rapids Rampage
| image = Cedar Rapids Rampage Logo.png
| caption =
| fullname =
| nickname =
| shortname =
| founded = 2015
| dissolved = 2018
| stadium = U.S. Cellular Center
| capacity = 5,300
| league = Major Arena Soccer League
| season = 2017-18
| position = 2nd, Central Division
Playoffs: 1st Round
| owner = Chris Kokalis
Bob Sullivan
Kenneth Moninski
| mgrtitle = Coach
| manager = Ante Čop
| website = http://www.cedarrapidsrampage.com/
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The Cedar Rapids Rampage was an American professional indoor soccer franchise based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in June 2015, the team made its debut in the Major Arena Soccer League with the 2015–16 season. The team's name and logo were revealed at a press conference on July 16, 2015.
The team shared its ownership group with the Cedar Rapids Titans of the Indoor Football League, and sponsored an outdoor team the Cedar Rapids Rampage United that were a part of the Premier League of America.[http://cedarrapidsrampage.com/archives/838 Rampage add outdoor soccer team] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306020134/http://cedarrapidsrampage.com/archives/838|date=March 6, 2016}}
History
Former Chicago Storm assistant and Rockford Rampage head coach Jeff Kraft was named the first head coach in franchise history. In the first home pre-season match in Cedar Rapids, the Rampage lost 11-6 to the St. Louis Ambush at the U.S. Cellular Center on October 30, 2015.
The first regular season MASL game in Rampage history was November 6, 2015 at the Missouri Comets. The game saw first goal in franchise history, scored by forward Elmo Neto. The Rampage went on to lose 8-7 in overtime. After an 0-7 start to the season (and two overtime losses), the Rampage got their first win in a 9-7 comeback victory over the Ambush. Cedar Rapids trailed 7-2 in the third quarter, but used the quickest hat-trick from start-to-finish in MASL history by forward Alex Megson (41 seconds from the first to the third goals) to get back in the game. Player/assistant coach Carlos “Chile” Farias scored the game-tying and game-winning goals. Midway through the season, the Rampage acquired forward Gordy Gurson, who would go on to become arguably the face of the franchise. A much improved side won four games the second half of the year and finished 5-15.
The 2016–17 Major Arena Soccer League season was a turn-around season for the club. Kraft was let go as head coach before the season, and Hewerton Moreira was promoted to replace him as a player-coach. Moreira went on to finish second in the MASL record books for assists in a season with 29, and the Rampage had their first winning record with a 12-8 mark, highlighted by wins over the Milwaukee Rampage and defending/eventual champions, Baltimore Blast. The Chicago Mustangs edged Cedar Rapids for the last playoff spot, and also beat the Rampage in a match that tied the league record for fewest goals total in a match with four scored (3-1).
With the Mustangs voluntarily relegating themselves to MASL2, the Central was cleared of the Rampage’s biggest nemesis for the 2017-18 Major Arena Soccer League season. Hewerton left to become the player-coach of St. Louis, and Jonathan Greenfield was promoted to role of player-coach. The Rampage started with three narrow losses before a run of five straight wins put them in contention for the Central Division title. A tumultuous December saw drama on and off the field. Bad weather, undesirable home dates, and sponsorship problems saw attendance dip. On the field, goalkeeper Brett Petricek was released and signed with the Comets, and Greenfield left to play for the Baltimore Blast. Former Chicago Riot goalkeeper and Rockford Rampage goalkeeper/assistant Ante Cop was hired as the new head coach. Cop lost his first match as head coach on December 31, 2017, 3-2 to the Baltimore Blast and his next three games after that. However, rookie goalkeeper Rainer Hauss and the rest of the team thrived under Cop, winning five of their last seven matches. In that stretch, they clinched their first ever playoff berth on February 16, 2018 with a 6-5 home win over the Baltimore Blast.
With reports that the team was for sale, and an availability conflict with the U.S. Cellular Center, the Rampage played their first “home” playoff match at The Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois. The match is considered one of the greatest in Ron Newman Cup Playoffs history. The Rampage battled the Milwaukee Wave in a seesaw affair, including a Mario Alvarez hat-trick and a late game-tying goal from Osvaldo Rojas to send the game to overtime where the Rampage eventually lost, 9-8. The second leg in Milwaukee was also back and forth, with a double-brace of four goals by Gordy Gurson. However, Game 2 ended in another one-goal Wave win for Milwaukee to take the series. Gurson was named 3rd Team All-MASL and Hauss was named goalkeeper on the MASL All-Rookie Team.
The team folded in 2018, and ownership reformed with many of the same players in Florida as the Orlando SeaWolves.
Year-by-year
class ="wikitable " |
Season
!League !Record !Pct. !GF !GA !Finish !Playoffs !Avg. attendance |
---|
2015-16
|MASL |5-15 |.250 |117 |160 |5th, Central |DNQ |2,772 |
2016-17
|MASL |12-8 |.600 |126 |127 |3rd, Central |DNQ |2,193 |
2017-18
|MASL |11-11 |.500 |146 |144 |2nd, Central |Lost Central Division Final (8-9 OT, 7-8) |1,518 |
Personnel
= 2017–18 =
==Active players==
- As of 18 January 2018{{Cite web|url=http://www.maslsoccer.com/stats#/192/team/18565/roster|title = Stats - Major Arena Soccer League}}
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=- |nat=USA|name=Michael Scharf|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=2 |nat=USA|name=Charlie Bales|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=3 |nat=USA|name=Gordy Gurson|pos=FW|other=captain}}
{{Fs player|no=4 |nat=USA|name=Robby Gunderson|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=5 |nat=ECU|name=Jonnathan Pachar|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=7 |nat=USA|name=Bobby Hurwitz|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=8 |nat=BIH|name=Kenan Malicevic|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=9 |nat=USA|name=Derek Huffman|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=10 |nat=USA|name=Drew Russell|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=11 |nat=USA|name=Mario Alvarez|pos=MF}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=15 |nat=Brazil|name=Victor France|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=16 |nat=USA|name=Sam Guernsey|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=19 |nat=ENG|name=Alex Bradley|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=21 |nat=MEX|name=Edwin Rojas|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=23 |nat=USA|name=Mohamed Kenawy|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=32 |nat=Brazil|name=Rainer Hauss|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=77 |nat=MEX|name=Osvaldo Rojas Rivera|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=88 |nat=USA|name=Phibo Arriaga|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=89 |nat=USA|name=Joshio "Yoshi" Sandoval|pos=DF}}
{{Fs end}}
==Inactive players==
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=- |nat=BRA|name=Alencar Ventura Junior|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=00 |nat=ITA|name=Patrizio Paradiso|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=20 |nat=USA|name=Tony Walls|pos=DF}}
{{Fs end}}
==Notable former players==
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player |nat=BRA|name=Hewerton Moreira|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player |nat=RSA|name=Jonathan Greenfield|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player |nat=BRA|name=Jonatan Santos|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player |nat=BRA|name=Pablo Da Silva|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player |nat=CHI|name=Chile Farias|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player |nat=USA|name=Jamar Beasley|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player |nat=USA|name=Alex Megson|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player |nat=USA|name=Pat Kelly|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player |nat=USA|name=Brett Petricek|pos=GK}}
{{Fs end}}
Sponsors
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{cite news |first=Douglas |last=Miles |newspaper=The Gazette |publisher=SourceMedia Group |location=Cedar Rapids, IA |title=Professional arena soccer team comes to Cedar Rapids |url=http://thegazette.com/professional-arena-soccer-team-comes-to-cedar-rapids-20150611 |date=June 11, 2015 |accessdate=July 16, 2015}}
{{cite news |publisher=KGAN |location=Cedar Rapids, IA |title=Professional Soccer Coming To CR |url=http://cbs2iowa.com/m/news/features/top-stories/stories/Professional-Soccer-Coming-To-CR-147971.shtml |date=June 11, 2015 |accessdate=July 16, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722172218/http://cbs2iowa.com/m/news/features/top-stories/stories/Professional-Soccer-Coming-To-CR-147971.shtml |archive-date=July 22, 2015 }}
{{cite news |first=Douglas |last=Miles |newspaper=The Gazette |publisher=SourceMedia Group |location=Cedar Rapids, IA |title=Rampage selected as Cedar Rapids pro soccer name |url=http://thegazette.com/subject/sports/rampage-selected-as-cedar-rapids-pro-soccer-name-20150716 |date=July 16, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}
{{cite news |first=Eric |last=Page |publisher=KWWL-TV |location=Waterloo, IA |title=Cedar Rapids Rampage unveiled |url=http://www.kwwl.com/story/29568354/2015/07/16/cedar-rapids-rampage-unveiled |date=July 16, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719040135/http://www.kwwl.com/story/29568354/2015/07/16/cedar-rapids-rampage-unveiled |archive-date=July 19, 2015 |url-status=dead }}
}}
External links
{{Portal|Iowa|Sports}}
- [http://cedarrapidsrampage.com/ Official website]
{{Major Arena Soccer League}}
{{Iowa Sports}}
Category:Association football clubs established in 2015
Category:Indoor soccer clubs in the United States
Category:Defunct soccer clubs in Iowa
Category:Major Arena Soccer League teams
Category:Sports in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Category:2015 establishments in Iowa
Category:Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States