The Empire Strykers are an American professional

indoor soccer Indoor soccer or arena soccer is a form of five-a-side football, five-a-side or six-a-side version of minifootball. It is derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arenas. It differs from the FIFA, FIFA ...

team based in

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, it lies ...

, that competes in the

Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a professional indoor soccer league in North America. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. The league is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. The le ...

(MASL). Founded in 2013 as the Ontario Fury, the team made its debut in the

Professional Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a professional indoor soccer league in North America. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. The league is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. The le ...

at the start of the 2013–14 season. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Arena under the leadership of general manager, head coach, Jimmy Nordberg. The team re-branded to its current name in 2022.

History

In late May 2013, the owners of the now-dormant

Anaheim Bolts The Anaheim Bolts were an American professional indoor soccer team founded in 2009. Since March 2011, the team had been a member of the Professional Arena Soccer League. Citing poor attendance and increasing costs, the team suspended operations ...

announced that they would instead field a new PASL team at the

Citizens Business Bank Arena Toyota Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Ontario, California, United States. The arena hosts local sporting events and concerts and is suitable for indoor events, including basketball, ice hockey, ice shows, boxing, graduation ceremonies and con ...

. The team held its first open tryouts on June 28–29. On July 25, team president

Bernie Lilavois Bernie Lilavois (born August 31, 1970, in Far Rockaway, New York) is an American soccer forward who played two seasons in the American Professional Soccer League, one in the USISL, one in the USL A-League, four in the Continental Indoor Soccer ...

announced that "Ontario Fury" was chosen from over 500 fan-submitted entries in a name-the-team contest. The name, logo, and team colors all reflect the passion of local soccer fans and the "powerful elements" of heat and wind that characterize the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (commonly abbreviated as the IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County and Or ...

climate. On September 17, 2022 the team was rebranded “Empire Strykers”.

Ontario Fury II

In 2017, the club started a developmental team known as Ontario Fury II that play in the new

Major Arena Soccer League 2 The Major Arena Soccer League 2 (MASL 2) is a North American indoor soccer league that serves as the Minor league, developmental league of the Major Arena Soccer League. History MASL 2 launched in 2017 to "provide an outlet for teams to either r ...

(or M2, for short).

Year-by-year

* No fans due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The Fury began exhibition play on October 26 with a 16–8 win over Toros Mexico. They defeated the Dallas Sidekicks 6–5 in their first regular season game on November 10. The team then suffered roster changes and struggled on the field.

Playoffs

* Fans only allowed in the Ron Newman Cup due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the Fury hosted both games and the mini-game.

Personnel

Active players

''As of February 13, 2025.''

Inactive players

Staff

* Jimmy Nordberg – ''Head coach'' * Troy McKerrell – ''Assistant coach''

References

External links

Empire Strykers official websiteMajor Arena Soccer League official website
{{California sports Major Arena Soccer League teams 2013 establishments in California Association football clubs established in 2013 Indoor soccer clubs in the United States Sports in Ontario, California Sports clubs and teams in San Bernardino County, California Soccer clubs in California