By Michael Lewis

FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

The Rochester Lancers2 will host the Iowa Demon Hawks in their Major Arena Soccer League 2 home opener at the Rochester Regional Health Total Sports Experience facility in East Rochester, N.Y. on Feb. 24.

The 2022-23 season schedule was announced by the league on Friday.

The Lancers2 also will host the Demon Hawks on Feb. 25.

After taking a two-week break, Rochester will welcome the Muskegon Risers for two matches on March 10-11 before playing the Iowa Raptors at home on March 24-25. Those would be the final games of the regular season prior to the playoffs. The postseason will begin in April.

Rochester, which will compete in the four-team North Division, will kick off its M2 season with two games at Muskegon on Jan 6-7. The team will play its first four contests on the road before its home match.

Season tickets will go on sale on Tuesday on the team’s website at www.RochesterLancers.com.

Capacity of the Rochester Regional Health Total Sports Experience venue will be limited.

At this juncture, season ticket holders will be the only fans admitted to the M2 matches.

M2 will house 15 teams this season.

While teams will start their season at varying dates in December and January, the league opener is set for Dec. 3 when the Iowa Raptors host the Iowa Demon Hawks.

All 90 games will be played over weekend dates – Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

“With more teams in bigger arenas, it’s tremendous that all our games will still be on the weekend. It’s a great schedule for fans, and the competition should be intense in each division,” M2 commissioner Chris Economides said on the league website. “Every team plays games only in their division this season, so every game will be extremely meaningful since winning your division is the one sure ticket to the playoffs.”

Lancers schedule

(home games in bold)

Jan. 6 – at Muskegon Risers

Jan. 7 – at Muskegon Risers

Feb. 4 – at Iowa Raptors

Feb. 5 – at Iowa Demon Hawks

Feb. 24 –  vs. Iowa Demon Hawks

Feb. 25 – vs. Iowa Demon Hawks

March 10 – vs. Muskegon Risers

March 11 – vs. Muskegon Risers

March 18 – at Iowa Raptors

March 19 – at Iowa Demon Hawks

March 24 – vs. Iowa Raptors

March 25 – vs. Iowa Raptors

 

 

 

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.