The Major Arena Soccer League is considered the world's premier league for its particular sport. It is made up of teams ranging across various locations of continental North America.
Its championship trophy is called the Ron Newman Cup. Newman began his playing career in his native England before coming to the United States. He later had a coaching career that lasted nearly thirty years. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Recently, his namesake trophy was awarded again.
Ron Newman Cup claimed by Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave won the 2019 Ron Newman Cup by a score of 5-2.
Competing for the championship was the Monterrey Flash, based out of Monterrey, Mexico. The game was played at the Wave's home venue, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. The AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and the NCAA's UW-Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team also call the arena home. Former tenants include the Milwaukee Bucks and the Milwaukee Hawks of the NBA.
FOX6 reports that midfielder Marco Leite was named the MVP. Leite had scored one of the Wave's five goals during the game. Team captain Ian Bennett notched two goals of his own. Max Ferdinand and Andre Hayne recorded the other two goals scored for the Wave.
The Wave were tied with the San Diego Sockers for the most regular season wins in the league.
In addition, they were the champions of the South Central Division in the Eastern Conference.
A number of its members received individual honors. Ferdinand was a finalist for League MVP and Leite for Defender of the Year. Goalie Josh Lemos made the final list for Goalkeeper of the Year. Head coach Giuliano Olivero was also a finalist for Coach of the Year.
Ferdinand, Leite, and Bennett were also named as members of the all-league team.
The Wave are America's longest-continuously operating indoor soccer team, as per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The teams easily pre-dates the creation of the Major Arena Soccer League. Over the years, the team has participated in various different leagues, appearing in 11 championship games and winning seven.
The win comes just days after sad news
The celebration for the Milwaukee Wave comes soon after the passing of one of their former stars. Jimmy Banks was a native of Milwaukee. After first attending the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, he became an All-American with UW-Milwaukee. He was drafted by two teams. The Wave, then of the American Indoor Soccer Association, was one of them. The Kansas City Comets, then of the Major Indoor Soccer League and now also of the MASL, were the other.
Banks opted for the Wave. With them, he was an All-Star in 1992. He also became a member of the U.S. men's national soccer team. In 1990, he was on the roster for the FIFA World Cup, starting two games.
After his retirement from playing as a professional, Banks held various roles in Milwaukee's soccer culture.
Likely most prominently as the head coach of the men's soccer team of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He was inducted in UW-Milwaukee's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2003, he joined the Wave Hall of Fame. On April 26, 2019, Banks died of stomach cancer.
