Des Moines Menace2005 was truly, as The Des Moines Register put it, a "Magical" season for The Des Moines Menace. The Menace won their first PDL National Championship, something that took twelve years to accomplish. In 1994, on the soccer fields of Dowling High School, The Des Moines Menace made its debut as the premier soccer club in the state of Iowa. Despite 10-straight losses at the outset, the club came back to finish its first-ever season in the Premier Development League (PDL) with a 7-13 record. The momentum continued, propelling the team forward into its second season. In an amazing turn of events, the Menace, who only a year earlier had failed to earn a winning record, advanced to the PDL National Championships! The franchise has had plenty of post season experience over their 11 year existence. Seven times they advanced to the playoffs and four times made an appearance in the semifinals. In 2005, the Menace made history with a new head coach, Casey Mann, at the helm. Des Moines won the PDL Championship over the El Paso Patriots. They also advanced to the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, defeating three USL professional teams in the process, and played their first non-friendly match against an MLS team, the Kansas City Wizards. The transformation of the team’s performance on the field was paralleled by other changes. In order to meet the league’s minimum standards, the club, which had previously claimed Dowling as its home turf, introduced its fans to Cara McGrane Stadium on the campus of Hoover High School. Along with the new home came real bleacher seating and the first Menace night games. Learn more: |