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Chill, WSA await Canada-bound Menace

By Des Moines Menace, 06/07/18, 2:45PM CDT

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The Menace clashes with arch-rival Thunder Bay on Friday (June 8), then makes westbound tracks for a Sunday-night match in Winnipeg.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Thursday, June 7, 2018 – In what might just be the Premier Development League’s most storied and most heated rivalry, the Des Moines Menace boasts an advantage against the Thunder Bay Chill.
 
The Menace has taken the season series each of the last four years, claiming the edge (30-26-5) in a tug-of-war that started in 2000. But last season, the Chill got the last laugh when it mattered most.
 
Thunder Bay (2-0-0) hosts Des Moines (4-0-0) tomorrow night in the enemies’ first encounter since the eventual league finalist eliminated the Menace from the PDL postseason last July in Michigan.
 
This 2,500-mile Canadian trip concludes for the Menace after a Sunday-night meeting with WSA Winnipeg (0-7-0). Des Moines is undefeated in 21 matches (20-0-1) against WSA Winnipeg; on May 24 these teams opened this season against each other, and the Menace won 3-0 at Valley Stadium.
 
Menace fans won’t have to wait much longer for their chance to see the next chapter in the Menace-versus-Chill saga. Des Moines hosts Thunder Bay next Saturday (June 16), one night after resuming the home schedule with a Fireworks Friday match against Nebraska Bugeaters FC.
 
 
DES MOINES MENACE at THUNDER BAY CHILL
DATE and TIME: Friday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. EDT
VENUE: Fort William Stadium (artificial-turf field) in Thunder Bay, Ontario
COMPETITION: Premier Development League regular season
 
DES MOINES MENACE at WSA WINNIPEG
DATE and TIME: Sunday, June 10 at 7 p.m. CDT
VENUE: Ralph Cantafio Soccerplex (grass field) in Winnipeg, Manitoba
COMPETITION: Premier Development League regular season
LIVE STREAM: MBsportsnetwork.com
 
 
 
ABOUT THE MENACE
  • 4-0-0 – one of three undefeated teams in the PDL Heartland Division; Chicago FC United is 3-0-0 and Thunder Bay is 2-0-0.
  • Kino Ryosuke leads the team with six goals; Keegan Meyer has a 3-0-0 mark with a 0.33 Goals Against Average.
  • First-year head coach Alen Marcina is assisted by Dario Pots and goalkeeping coach Devala Gorrick.
  • Entered the franchise’s 25th season with an all-time record of 267-154-37 (237-126-37 regular season; 16-16 PDL playoffs; 14-12 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup). 
 
ABOUT THE CHILL
  • 2-0-0 after sweeping at WSA Winnipeg last weekend (3-0 on June 2 and 2-0 on June 3).
  • Hosts Chicago FC United on Saturday.
  • Defending PDL Heartland Division champs (9-3-2) have made 10 appearances in the PDL playoffs (all in the last 11 years).
  • Won the PDL championship in 2008 and advanced to the league final in 2010, 2013 and 2017 (a 2-1 loss to the host Charlotte Eagles on Aug. 5).
  • Giovanni Petraglia is in his fourth season as Thunder Bay’s head coach.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: MENACE VS. CHILL
  • The Menace leads 30-26-5 in a series that began in 2000.
  • This is the PDL’s longest-standing rivalry.
  • Des Moines has won the season series each of the last four years.
  • The Menace defeated the Chill twice during the 2017 season; Thunder Bay downed Des Moines once in 2017 league play, on the way to the Heartland Division crown.
  • In the Central Conference championship of the 2017 PDL playoffs, the Chill eliminated the Menace 2-0 on July 22 in Pontiac, Mich.
  • Each of the last 11 PDL seasons has ended with Des Moines (four times) or Thunder Bay (seven) as the Heartland Division champion.
 
ABOUT WSA WINNIPEG
  • 0-7-0 (outscored 2-23), coming off 3-0 and 2-0 home losses to Thunder Bay last Saturday and Sunday.
  • Hosts Chicago FC United tonight.
  • Head coach Eduardo Badescu (eighth season) is assisted by William Rosales.
  • Finished 2017 at the bottom of the Heartland Division standings with a 2-11-1 record.
  • “WSA” stands for World Soccer Academy.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: MENACE VS. WSA WINNIPEG
  • Des Moines leads 20-0-1 (10-0-1 away) in a series that started in 2011.
  • The Menace has outscored WSA Winnipeg 74-9 (37-8 away).
  • This is the teams’ second and final meeting of 2018; they opened the season with a 3-0 Menace win on May 24 at Valley Stadium.
 
ABOUT THE PDL HEARTLAND DIVISION
  • The Menace (25th season), WSA Winnipeg (eighth season), the St. Louis Lions (13th season), the Thunder Bay Chill (19th season) and Chicago FC United (second season) are back in the division, joined by newcomer Sporting Kaw Valley (Kan.).
  • Des Moines or Thunder Bay has been the Heartland Division champ the last 11 seasons.
  • The 72-team PDL comprises 10 divisions and four conferences; the Heartland Division and the Great Lakes Division are in the Central Conference.
 
RECAPPING LAST WEEK: TWO WINS IN 24 HOURS
  • Last Friday (June 1), Kino Ryosuke scored two more goals (his fifth and sixth of the season) to help the Menace secure a 2-1 win over PDL newcomer Kaw Valley FC in Lawrence, Kan.
  • Last Saturday (June 2), Audi Jepson and Brandon Fricke scored in the first half of a 2-0 Menace win over the St. Louis Lions in St. Peters, Mo.
 
UP NEXT: MENACE AT HOME THE NEXT FIVE WEEKENDS
  • The Menace hosts Nebraska Bugeaters FC next Friday (June 15), with postgame fireworks.
  • Des Moines hosts the Thunder Bay Chill next Saturday (June 16); the boys’ version of the Iowa High School All-Star Game kicks off at 5 p.m.
  • The 2018 schedule wraps up with five straight weekends at Valley Stadium.