WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderAISL Champion Rockford Rampage “Graduates” to new Indoor Circuit

AISL Champion Rockford Rampage “Graduates” to new Indoor Circuit

AISL Press Release

Baltimore, MD - (September 9, 2008)   In a press conference held in Baltimore today, the Rockford Rampage, the 2008 American Indoor Soccer League Champion, announced that they will be joining the new National Indoor Soccer League for their 2008-09 inaugural campaign.

The Rampage, led by team president Oscar Albuquerque and head coach Jeff Kraft, finished the 2007-08 AISL campaign with a glittery 12-1 record, winning the league's regular season title, as well as the 2008 AISL Cup after defeating the Massachusetts Twisters.

The Rampage also swept the league's post-season awards, as Kraft took home the AISL Coach of the Year award, and ‘keeper Dimitri "the Dominator" Meletis won the AISL Most Valuable Player award.

"Although we are sad to see a quality organization like the Rampage leave the AISL, we are proud to say that we were the league where they got their start," said AISL president/CEO Paul Lapointe. "We are looking forward to working with the Rampage in any way we can to help make them a success."

The National Indoor Soccer League features the Rampage and four clubs from the old Major Indoor Soccer League, which ceased operations earlier this summer: the Baltimore Blast, la Raza de Monterrey, the Orlando Sharks, and the Philadelphia KiXX.

The Rampage started their AISL career in 2005 as the Rockford Thunder. The Thunder (who changed their name to the Rampage prior to the 2007-08 season), were one of the AISL's most successful teams, making an appearance in the AISL Cup championship game the previous two seasons. They would be defeated by the Massachusetts Twisters in the 2007 AISL Cup, but would gain their revenge on the Twisters in this year's title game.

The Rampage was always the home of some of the AISL's top talent. AISL stars like Bato Radoncic, Novi Marojevic, Ante Cop, Mike Rigas, and Dimitri Meletis all wore Rockford jerseys during their AISL tenure.

While today's announcement means the AISL bids a fond farewell to the Rampage, the league will be maintaining it's presence in Rockford. A new ownership group will be operating an AISL team in the Rock Valley in the 2008-09 season. More information on the new club will be released within two weeks.

"I think that this gives soccer fans in Rockford the best of both worlds," says AISL league director of operations Rich Paschette. "We're not looking to beat each other up. We will maintain an excellent bond with the Rampage, and will do our best to support them and we hope to develop a true ‘two-way' relationship with them."