Des Moines Menace News Release -- www.menacesoccer.com
Friday, June 7, 2013
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – For the Des Moines Menace, a four-weekend home stand is a welcome sight.
On Saturday night, the Menace (3-2-1) have the first of five straight home matches, welcoming a Springfield Demize (1-1-1) team that fought back for a draw with Des Moines earlier this year. This is the Menace’s first home action in three weeks.
Des Moines returns from a six-game road swing that sent the team throughout the Midwest and into Canada during a two-and-a-half-week stretch. During this stretch, the Menace earned a 2-2 record in Premier Development League matches and went 1-1 against professional teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Saturday is Youth Soccer Night with the Menace. All youth-soccer players, coaches, and referees get into Valley Stadium for free. The Menace women open with a 4:30 p.m. match against the Madison 56ers.
ABOUT THE MENACE
- Seek to build on their 5-1 triumph against the Kansas City Brass on Wednesday.
- Has a balanced offensive attack; Jimmy Tulloch, who scored twice on Wednesday, is the team’s only multi-goal scorer in PDL play.
- Advanced to the third round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – a run that ended with a 2-0 loss at Sporting Kansas City (Major League Soccer) on June 28.
- Finished 8-5-3 in 2012, missing the Heartland Division’s second and final playoff spot by a single point to Real Colorado (8-4-4).
- Began 2013 under the direction of a new general manager (Matt Homonoff) and head coach (Mike Jeffries). The last time Des Moines did this, in 2005, the team ended the season as PDL champion (GM Alan Oatsvall and coach Casey Mann).
- The updated roster: www.MenaceSoccer.com/men/roster
ABOUT THE DEMIZE
- Looking to rebound from a 2-0 home defeat to the Kansas City Brass on Monday.
- Have received goals from four different players, topped by Eric Martin (two goals).
- Have yet to play a road match.
- Are led by first-year head coach Sean Fraser, formerly a professional soccer player with the Edmonton Drillers of the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League.
MENACE VS. DEMIZE IN 2013
- Home-side Springfield scored late to salvage a 1-1 draw on May 11 in the teams’ season opener.
- The lone Menace goal came from a volley by David Santamaria in the 29th minute.
- Springfield got the equalizer on a counter-attack by Mark Heath-Preston in the 86th minute.
- This is the teams’ second and final meeting of 2013.
ALL-TIME SERIES
- The Menace leads the all-time series 13-1-1.
- Des Moines is perfect at home against the Demize, with a 7-0-0 record and a scoring advantage of 32-2.
- The Menace are 2-1-1 in their last four meetings with the Demize, after winning the first 11 encounters.
HOME-TURF DEFENSE
- The Menace has five straight home games to finish out June, including four PDL matches and an exhibition with Twin Cities BK.
- Des Moines has played only one of its first six PDL matches on friendly ground.
- The Menace has six of its final eight PDL matches at Valley Stadium.
- The Menace went 5-1-2 at Valley Stadium last season, following a 7-1-0 home mark in 2011.
SATURDAY’S PROMOTIONS
- On Saturday, the Menace celebrate Youth Soccer Night. All youth-soccer players, coaches and referees will be admitted to the game free of charge.
- All YMCA of Greater Des Moines members will also be admitted free, when they show proof of membership.
UP NEXT: HOME SWEEET HOME
- The Menace return to Valley Stadium for back-to-back matches against arch-rival Thunder Bay next Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15.
- Bobblehead Night arrives on Friday, June 14, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a limited-edition Maniac (mascot) bobblehead.
- On Saturday, June 15, the Menace look to blackout the stadium with $5 tickets for anyone wearing black. Des Moines will also be celebrating Menace Alumni Night.