IMS learned Monday that former 2009 Minnesota Thunder player and fan favorite Marco Terminesi has signed a contract with the Montreal Impact that will take him through the 2011 season.

Terminesi had an outstanding year with the Thunder in ’09. The Woodbridge, Ontario player wasn’t signed by the Thunder until late May of last season and didn’t see much play time. But Terminesi who had been voted Rookie of the Year for the defunct Xtreme Indoor Soccer League playing for the Milwaukee Wave, made an impact in the games he played in. He showed a great quickness, overall speed and a quick shot with a nose for the goal. Season ending stats for the Thunder in ’09 showed Terminesi scored a goal in every 90 minutes he played for the team. He played in 17 games for the Thunder, logging in 690 minutes and gathering 16 points with 6 goals and 4 assists.

Terminesi, who had been under contract by the Wave, was placed on the injured reserve list this past winter after he developed a tumor on the pineal gland in the center of his brain. The Canadian was sidelined with debilitating headaches and dizziness. He told IMS last March that he would stay in bed but only get up to play games and practice. But that eventually became too much for the 25-year-old Terminesi. Doctors were conflicted on what was going on with Terminesi but they did rule out surgery. Time seemed to be on his side as symptoms were lessening.

On Tuesday the Montreal Impact announced the signing of Terminesi. “He is a player who did very well in our league last year and adds some depth to our attack,” said Impact technical director Nick De Santis. “He is naturally left-footed, with good offensive and technical skills, and he is very dangerous around the net.”

In the IMS interview, Terminesi showed an optimism and belief that he would get better and be playing again soon. “There’s no doubt I’ll be back doing what I like to do and what I do best,” said a confident Terminesi last March.”  On Wednesday evening the Montreal Impact played the Vancouver Whitecaps at Stade Saputo. Late in the game, Marco Terminesi – also affectionately known as the M-Train – took the field in the 89th minute for the Montreal Impact. It was Marco’s first outdoor appearance in 10 months.

IMS has been in contact with Terminesi and will be conducting an interview with him this weekend. Watch for it on Monday.

As expected, the United Soccer Leagues announced today a new indoor league called I-League which will begin play in November of 2011 and conclude with its inaugural championship in February/March, 2012.

The USL made the announcement from Rochester, New York where a new Rochester franchise was also announced. The name of the NY franchise will be the Rochester Lancers and the team will be owned and operated by Saving Soccer, LLC, which is comprised of several local business leaders, including Chris Wilmot and Salvatore “Soccer Sam” Fantauzzo.

The USL expects to make additional announcements soon regarding franchises in Syracuse, New York and Hampton Roads, Virginia. The press release also states that the league has “other markets currently participating in advanced discussions with USL.” They also claim that short-term plans for the league include regional divisions in the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South and Southeast.

The press release also states that the USL intends to affiliate the I-League directly with the U.S. Soccer Federation, which is currently without a sanctioned professional indoor soccer league.

Tim Holt, President of the USL, was quoted in the press release as saying: “Additionally, the teams would have the opportunity to retain many of their established players for the entire year.” While this has always been true of indoor teams that contracted with players, it was interesting that it was noted almost as a selling point of owning a team. If a team owns a player they can then loan that player to an outdoor team. Of course the opposite is true as well.

Official Press Release

The United Soccer Leagues (USL) will hold a press conference today in Rochester, New York to announce the start of yet another indoor soccer league. The name of this one won’t be the World Indoor Soccer League or Xtreme Soccer League or any of the other dozen or so names of indoor leagues that have come and gone. This one will be called the I-League presumably and obviously for “Indoor League”.

Francisco Marcos, founder of the USL, will be in attendance and in a sense you could say the United Soccer Leagues has come full circle. Marcos’ original league that would eventually become the USL was an indoor league.

Jeff DiVeronica of the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, NY reported this week that the Rochester franchise may be named after the old NASL Lancers. Sam Salvatore, a pizza shop franchise owner who was once involved with the Rhinos, will be leading the Rochester indoor USL franchise.

But as Kenn Tomasch pointed out several months ago, indoor soccer has been on the decrease since the mid 80′s. So you have to ask why a new indoor league and why now? I guess we will have to watch for the press release to see if we get any insights.

Meanwhile, IMS friend Tom Dunmore at the very well-written Pitch Invasion sums up all my thoughts about this new I-league. I highly recommend checking out his story.

The press conference will be streamed live at 2:00 p.m. CT today on www.usllive.com.

Marco Terminesi is a native of Woodbridge, Ontario. He played for the Milwaukee Wave with the Extreme Indoor Soccer league in the 08/09 season where he made 20 appearances and scored 19 goals while racking up 52 points for his team. He was also named the extreme Soccer League Rookie of the Year.

He was then loaned to Minnesota in the summer of ’09 where initially he didn’t get much play time. But Marco’s perseverance and knack for scoring goals eventually allowed him more minutes. He ended up playing in 17 games for the Thunder, logging in 690 minutes. He gathered 16 points along the way with 6 goals and 4 assists.

Marco returned to the Wave this fall and was tearing things up again until word came that Terminesi was having severe debilitating headaches. Eventually he was seen by doctors and specialists.

On Feb 17, the Wave announced that Terminesi had been placed on the injured reserve list because of a serious illness. The release stated that the former Thunder goal scorer may have a brain tumor. At the time, Terminesi stated doctors believed he had a tumor on the pineal gland in the center of the brain but that things were still unclear.

Last week IMS learned Marco was back in Milwaukee and even warmed up with the team before their game and was feeling a bit better.

IMS thanks the Milwaukee Wave for arranging this interview with the very special Marco Terminesi, affectionately known by Minnesota fans as the M-Train. Marco wormed his way into Minnesota Thunder fans’ hearts last summer with his desire to win and his distaste for losing. That and the big smile he always has for all his supporters and friends.

Please take a few minutes to listen to this very special interview with the ever optimistic Marco Terminesi as he fills us in on the last several months and explains what’s next for the young goal scorer. Marco also talks about his time in Minnesota, the Milwaukee Wave and Peter Wilt.

Emails and well wishes can be sent to Marco at the Milwaukee Wave

The Milwaukee Wave indoor soccer team announced today that they are placing Marco Terminesi on the injured reserve list because of a serious illness. The release states that the former Thunder goal scorer may have a brain tumor.

The Woodbridge, Ontario native has returned to Canada for extensive testing and observation. He has missed five of the Wave’s last six games with symptoms of nausea, headaches and vertigo, playing only on Jan. 23 against Baltimore. He is on the injured list for five games, making him eligible to return on March 7.

“Words cannot describe how much we miss Marco’s presence each and every day, more for who he is than what he has done,” said Wave coach Keith Tozer. “He and his family are in our prayers, and we look forward to his return to the Wave in the very near future.”

In a letter to teammates on Monday, Terminesi said doctors believe he has a tumor on the pineal gland in the center of the brain. The type of tumor and its status is unclear, he said. Doctors believe the best course of action is to observe him for six more weeks, then perform another MRI to see if the tumor has changed size or shape. A biopsy comes with risks because of the location of the gland and the tumor, Terminesi said, so doctors want to pursue other options first.

Photo by Jeremy Olson

Doctors aren’t positive the symptoms are related to the possible tumor, Terminesi said in the letter. The original diagnosis was an inner-ear infection, but as symptoms lingered and worsened, doctors performed tests and found the irregularity.

“I am in good hands here and you know I will be jumping up and down every time you guys score and win a game,” wrote Terminesi in the letter to his teammates. “No matter how much pain I am in I will come down there and hold the trophy with you guys when you win it.”

Matt Schroeder, VP of Communications for the Wave, said emails and well wishes can be sent to Marco at info@milwaukeewave.com.

IMS and its readers send our best to Marco for a speedy recovery. I personally would love to see him back on the field at NSC this summer wearing a Stars uniform and tormenting opposing teams with his speed, commitment and goal scoring prowess.

Marco Terminesi

Wave defeat Blast 12-10 to earn share of first place

Former Minnesota Thunder player Marco Terminesi scored his second hat trick of the season and this one came 1:30 into extra time of Thursday’s New Year’s Eve game against the Baltimore Blast.

Milwaukee trailed 2-0 at the half, but scored three goals in the fourth quarter to tie the game.

Jon Greenfield

The Blast, who roster 2 other former Thunder players, Jonathan Greenfield and Rod Dyachenko, held the first place position in the league up until the win by the Wave, putting them in a tie with the Blast. Each team now sits in first place in the Major Indoor Soccer League at 4-2 for the season.

Greenfield was also active in the game for the Blast, scoring 2 goals in the 4th quarter. Those 2 goals bring the defender’s goal count to 3 for the season in 5 games played. Dyachenko, who has played in 6 games for the Blast, has yet to get on the scoreboard.

Terminesi has also played in 6 game for the Wave and has 7 goals.

Video Highlights

Apologies from IMS to Leo for missing this one from a couple of weeks back. Just 5 games into the season, former Thunder players have twice won Player of the Week honors in the MISL. Marco Terminesi, who plays for the Milwaukee Wave, was also honored for the week of December 14th.

Former Thunder Player Leo Gibson Led Philadelphia Offense to Win with Four Goal Game

12/07/2009 1:08 PM -Philadelphia (Monday, December 7, 2009) –

The Major Indoor Soccer League announced today that Philadelphia KiXX forward Leo Gibson has been named the MISL Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, December 6th. Gibson paced the KiXX (1-2) attack with four goals this past Friday night, leading the team to a 20-6 road victory over the previously unbeaten Rockford Rampage (2-1).

“This past Friday against Rockford, Leo really capitalized on his chances,” KiXX head coach Don D’Ambra stated. “He is a young and very coachable player that has a lot of skill and athleticism. While he is already very talented, I think Leo will only continue to get better because he puts himself in good areas and is very savvy by the goal. He truly has all the tools to be a fantastic player.”

The Monrovia, Liberia, native netted a hat trick in the first half alone in the win over Rockford, and his eight points and four goals are a single game high in the MISL this season. Gibson, who was an addition to the KiXX roster during this past offseason, jumped to third in the league in scoring off the output of this match alone. The 20-point effort by Philadelphia also vaulted the team to first overall in the league for scoring with an average of 13.7 points a game.

Gibson played his first two indoor seasons with the Detroit Ignition, and he was a key figure in bringing Motown the Xtreme Soccer League championship last year when he finished tied for fifth on the team with 25 points on eight goals and eight assists. The Liberian native played college soccer at King College in Bristol, Tennessee, before receiving a trial with the Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer in 2004. He spent his first four professional outdoor seasons with the Minnesota Thunder of USL-1 before spending this past year with the Cleveland City Stars.

Written by Tim Hayes

Former Minnesota Thunder player Marco Terminesi was named the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) player of the week after his nine-point performance this past Saturday evening. Terminesi scored 3 goals (including one 3-pointer) and had two assists in the Milwaukee Wave’s 27-6 thrashing of the Philadelphia KiXX. Terminesi had a slow start to the season with only one goal in his first three games before the floodgates opened this past weekend. Expectations are high for Terminesi who tallied 52 points during the 2008 indoor campaign, in which he earned rookie of the year honors for the now defunct Xtreme Soccer League (XSL).

Affectionately known as the “M-Train” to supporters of the Minnesota Thunder, Terminesi burst onto the outdoor scene mid-way through the 2009 season in which he tallied 6 goals and 4 assists in only 17 games. Terminesi joins three other former Thunder players in the MISL. Johnathon Greenfield and Rod Dyanchenko currently play for the defending champions, Baltimore Blast. Greenfield anchors the back line for the Blast and has one 3point goal to his credit off of one shot. Dyanchenko continues to look for form, after a disappointing 2009 with the Thunder. Dyanchenko has failed to find the back of the net in the Blast’s first three games of the season. The other Thunder player is Leo Gibson who was lined up on the opposite side of the field as Terminesi on Saturday evening. Gibson showed well for the Philadelphia KiXX scoring in the fourth quarter. That brings Gibson to 5 goals for the season. Gibson spent his summer playing for the Cleveland City Stars who like the Thunder have now folded.

All four players are currently out of contract for the 2010 outdoor season as the Minnesota Thunder released their players from their contracts earlier this fall; Cleveland released their players before Thanksgiving. Many local fans hope that Terminesi, Greenfield and Gibson are near the top of the list for player acquisitions for the new team rumored to be announced in the coming weeks by the National Sports Center.

Name Change Reflects the League’s Historical Significance

November 3, 2009 – The National Indoor Soccer League announced today that the league has changed its name to the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).  The league released its 2009-10 schedule in mid-October and will move forward as planned, under the new name.  The season will open in Baltimore on November 13 with the Blast hosting the Rockford Rampage in a rematch of the 2009 Championship game.

“The National Indoor Soccer League (NISL) name served our league and teams very well during our 2008-09 inaugural season,” said MISL Commissioner David Grimaldi. “Recently, the opportunity to acquire the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) name and trademarks presented itself and we seized it. While changing league names after one year is not something we would normally consider from a branding perspective, we felt confident it would benefit our league and our sport. The MISL name and brand has tremendous historical significance, having been the name of the first professional indoor soccer league in North America. It is immediately recognizable in the worldwide soccer community and has terrific brand value. It pays tribute to our long heritage and was an opportunity we could not pass up.”

The original MISL-style of professional indoor soccer was introduced in the United States in 1978 and is now in its third lifespan.  Indoor soccer was developed to appeal to sports fans around the world.  The fast-paced, fiercely competitive game is played on artificial turf on a hockey-rink-sized field surrounded by dasher boards and Plexiglas.  MISL games feature multi-point scoring in which all goals scored are worth two points, except those goals scored on shot attempts from on or beyond the 45-foot arc surrounding the goal, which are worth three points.  The indoor game is known for its creative dribbling, pinpoint passing, acrobatic goalkeeping, rugged defensive play as well as action-packed power plays and free substitution of players while play continues.

The MISL will consist of five member clubs in 2009-10: the Baltimore Blast, La RaZa de Monterrey, Philadelphia KiXX, Rockford Rampage and the Milwaukee Wave.  The regular season will run for 18 weeks, commencing on Friday, November 13 with a rematch of the 2009 Championship game when the Baltimore Blast host the Rockford Rampage.  The regular season will conclude on Sunday, March 21 and the postseason is set to start the following weekend with the top three teams qualifying.  The second- and third-place teams will square-off in a home-and-home Semifinal series with the winner advancing to battle the top seed.  The top seed will receive a bye in the opening round and will host the Championship Game.

Editors note:

Minnesota soccer fans have several connections to the new MISL. The Minnesota Thunder’s former General Manger Peter Wilt is now the president and CEO of the Milwaukee Wave.

Also, Marco Terminesi, the young exciting Thunder forward is back with the Wave for another season. Terminesi was the league rookie of the year last season.

The Baltimore Blast who are also part of the league feature key Thunder defender Jonathon Greenfield and now recently signed Rod Dyachenko.

The Blast will travel to Milwaukee on December 31 for a 2:00 pm game.

Peter Wilt started his soccer management career with the Milwaukee Wave as director of marketing in 1987. 22 years later he has found himself back where it all started after working with the Chicago Power, Continental Indoor Soccer League, Minnesota Thunder, Chicago Fire, Milwaukee Professional  Soccer and the Chicago Red Stars. In fact Wilt has lived in Milwaukee for 31 years while commuting to all those jobs located as far away as Los Angeles, California.

Wilt said in an article he penned for the excellent website Pitch Invasion, “For most of the last 19 years, I have commuted … commuted a great distance. Except for 2006, when I worked unsuccessfully to bring an MLS team to Milwaukee, I’ve been commuting from Milwaukee to Chicago (14 years), Los Angeles (one year) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (three years). My wife has patiently allowed me to pursue my career around the country, while she held down the homefront and worked full time. I expect that working in the city I actually live in will be of great benefit both personally and professionally. It will help me sleep well.”

Wilt has spent the last three years preparing and leading the Chicago Red Stars into its inaugural WPS season. The co-owner of the Red Stars will remain a director on the team, and will also continue his work on the Red Stars league and foundation boards.

The Wave are under new ownership with Jim Lindenberg purchasing the team just before it folded this past summer. The Wave will play in the two-year-old National Indoor Soccer League.

In an interview with Madison Soccer Central, Wilt said he made the move based on his belief in new Wave owner Lindenberg. “He showed me he’s committed to the team and impressed me with his sincerity, common sense, sales and marketing ability and passion.”

The Minnesota Thunder’s Marco Terminesi played for the Wave last season and was the now defunct Xtreme Soccer League’s rookie of the year with 52 points, second in the XSL.