Photography by Kate Munsch
All of a sudden, St. Charles is the place to be for minor-league sports. The St. Louis Ambush (stlouisambush.com) soccer squad has been resurrected, and the St. Charles Chill (stcharleschill.com) hockey team is enjoying its inaugural season; they both get sweaty at The Family Arena. (The St. Louis Attack, a new arena football team, will also play there this spring.) Here’s a primer for getting to know the new soccer and hockey squads.
League
Ambush: Major Indoor Soccer League
Chill: Central Hockey League
Major-League Affiliate
Ambush: None
Chill: St. Louis Blues
Games per Season
Ambush: 20 league games, plus three “friendlies”
Chill: 66
Local Legend Head Coach
Ambush: Former St. Louis Storm, Ambush, Steamers, and Illusion player Daryl Doran
Chill: Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Jamie Rivers
Players from St. Louis
Ambush: Player and assistant coach Jeff DiMaria
Chill: Tony DeHart, Jordan Fox, Kyle Kraemer, Robby Moss, Sean Muncy, Kyle O’Kane…
Star Player to Watch
Ambush: Mike Roach, once drafted by Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution
Chill: Chad Costello, who has averaged more than a point per game during his career
Cheerleaders?
Ambush: They’re called the “Bombshells”
Chill: There’s no crying in baseball, and no cheerleaders in hockey
Audience Fun
Ambush: The Kiss Cam and the Dance Cam
Chill: The Chuck-A-Puck contest, in which fans compete for cash by trying to hit center ice with a puck
Mascot
Ambush: It’s to be announced, but according to a team rep, “It will be a creature”
Chill: Shiver the polar bear
Front Office
Ambush: Owner Andrew Haines has founded more than 30 minor-league teams
Chill: Bart Hull, brother of Brett, heads up business development
Slogan
Ambush: Still working on it (that’s not the slogan; they’re still working on the slogan)
Chill: “Feel the Chill”
