Indoor soccer is headed into playoff mode - with WISL wrapping up this weekend and MASL teams fighting for pole position. There are tight races in the EPSL and the SWPL’s Raul Briones Cup is heading into the Quarterfinals. All this while USL’s Championship and League One are in the final stanza of the offseason and are set to kick off in just a week’s time. So… Let’s get Stuck In!

Josh Duder Picks…
- Tacoma Stars Reserves vs Bellingham United - Western Indoor Soccer League, FINAL
  - Sun, 03/03- 2:00am (PST) / 5:00pm (EST)
    at Accesso ShoWare Center, Washington
  - Tacoma Stars Reserves are the returning champions from last year, as well as the best team in the regular season; however, historically, Bellingham United are even on league titles with the Stars at 4 championships each. These are the two strongest teams in the league, historically, and have been all year - if you are in any way able to get to the Accesso ShoWare Center on Sunday, this game is going to be a battle of the ages!

Dennis Pope Picks…
- Southwest SC vs AMSG 2 - SWPL, SoCal Prem, Raul Briones Cup (Quarterfinals, Leg 1)
  - Sat, 03/02 - 5:00pm (PST) / 8:00pm (EST)
    at Patricia H. Birdsall Sports Park in Temecula, CA
  - Delayed a week by AMSG’s participation in the CalSouth State Cup tournament is the third of four Raul Briones Cup quarterfinal round matchups. Southwest SC (5-3-5 overall) defeated AMSG 5-3 in their league meeting back on Nov. 18, with Bryan Fernandez getting goals on both sides of halftime in the win. AMSG (8-1-3) has won four consecutive matches in league play and is tied for second place, three points back of the top of the table in the Division 1 Orange County Region.

Del Shaffer Picks…
- Charleston Battery vs SG Tormenta FC - USL Championship and Tormenta
  - Sat, 03/03 - 4:00pm (PST) / 7:00pm (EST)
    at Statesboro, GA
  - The match is open to fans. The Battery has played 5 preseason matches thus far with this to be their final tune-up. First, they played Coastal Carolina and Greenville Triumph behind closed doors. Charleston then beat Charlotte Independence at home 2-0 off goals from new signings Diego Gutierrez and Juan David Torres. A tough loss to College of Charleston 2-1 followed before tying Crown Legacy 1-1. Coach Pirmann said of the last game that it was their best performance of the preseason in the first half. The Battery started with 5 players of the starting XI from last season’s Eastern Conference winning team. There would have been 8 players but GK Trey Muse went to Portland Timbers, Fidel Barajas to Real Salt Lake and Tristan Trager moved to Monterey Bay FC to be closer to family. (cont. below)
    South Georgia Tormenta participated in the Huntsville Blast Off Battle where they lost to Chattanooga FC and beat Huntsville City FC, both who play in MLS Next Pro. Tormenta got their second win of the preseason last Saturday over Jacksonville University Men’s side with a goal from Trialist 8. Note: former Battery defender Preston Kilwien begins his second season playing for Tormenta. Both teams start their seasons on March 9th. Charleston will travel to take on North Carolina FC who are returning to the league. South Georgia will host Central Valley Fuego.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Lansdowne Yonkers FC vs Suffolk County FC - EPSL, Metropolitan Conference
  - Sat, 03/02 - 5:00p (PST) / 8:00p (EST)
    at Tibbets Brook Park
  - The Bhoys look to retain 2nd in the EPSL’s Metropolitan Conference when they take on second-bottom Suffolk County FC. Any result keeps them ahead of NY Greek Americans, who also play this weekend - but a win will really help close in on first place NY Pancyprian Freedoms.

John Howard-Fusco Picks…
- Hoboken 1912 FC vs NY Pancyprian Freedoms - EPSL, Metropolitan Conference
  - Sun 03/03 - 9:00am (PST) / 12:00pm (EST)
    at Laurel Hill Park
  - The conference gets back into league play this weekend, and this matchup features the league-leading NY Pancyprian taking the trip over to the Jersey side to face Hoboken FC (currently 6th in the table). Just four points separate the Freedoms from 2nd place Lansdowne Yonkers. With the Bhoys taking on 11th place Suffolk County FC on Saturday, things could get even tighter up at the top if Pancyprian should suffer a stumble in Secaucus

Dennis Pope Picks…
- Playmaker FC vs Northeast Los Angeles FC - SWPL, SoCal Premier League, Division 2
  - Sat, 03/03- 7:00pm (PST) / 10:00p (EST)
    at Los Angeles City College Stadium
  - Led by the goalscoring of Cesar Cruz-Martinez and Tobi Odufalu, Playmaker FC (12-0-2) shot to the top of Division 2 Los Angeles Region but is out of the Briones Cup after a 1-0 loss in the Round of 16. Northeast Los Angeles FC (6-4-3) is unbeaten across its last eight league matches - including four consecutive draws - to stay in playoff contention. The club lost 2-0 to Playmaker FC in the last meeting in late September but is still alive in the Briones Cup, having reached the quarterfinal round.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Utica City FC vs Baltimore Blast - MASL, Regular Season
  - Sun, 03/03- 12:05p (PST) / 3:05p (EST)
    at Adirondack Bank Center
  - With Monterrey Flash has clinched the East with games to spare; Utica City is in a fight with best of the rest - currently they sit in second and are set to scrap with the Blast this weekend. With only 7 games left, every point matters in the race to playoff spots.

by the Protagonist Staff