TORONTO — A new chapter in Canadian indoor soccer opens Dec. 1 when the Mississauga MetroStars open life in the Major Arena Soccer League.
A look at some Canadians who have already made their mark in indoor soccer:
Hector Marinaro Jr.
An indoor soccer legend, Marinaro finished his playing career in 2004 with 1,223 goals and 701 assists in 685 regular-season games. He added another 224 goals and 104 assists in playoff action. He played 21 seasons, including 16 in Cleveland with the Force and the Crunch. The Toronto native was named MVP six times and the MISL MVP award was eventually named the Hector Marinaro Trophy. Inducted into the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the 53-year-old Marinaro is currently head coach of the John Carroll University men's soccer program in University Heights, Ohio.
Peter Pappas
The star goalkeeper had his No. 22 hoisted to the rafters by the Philadelphia Kixx in 2010 in honour of his stellar 13-year career. Pappas was named MISL Goalkeeper of the Year four times (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007) in an indoor career that featured 416 matches (230 wins) and 5,399 saves. The Toronto native went on to become a TV analyst for Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union. A pharmaceutical salesman in addition to his TV duties, he made headlines in 2016 when he pleaded guilty to receiving nearly US$500,000 in kickbacks for filling unneeded prescriptions for himself and recruiting others to the scheme.
Ian Bennett
The 35-year-old from Hamilton is a star sniper for the Milwaukee Wave. In January, the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal called him "the biggest Wisconsin sports star you probably don't know." Bennett, who has been with the Wave since 2009, was second in MASL goal-scoring the last two seasons with 50 and 53 goals, respectively.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
