Maryland Storm to join tough Atlantic Division for 2025-26 season

TAMPA, Florida – The Maryland Storm will make their Major Arena Soccer League 3 debut late this fall, with a familiar face at the helm.

Liam Behrens, who has been head coach for the DMV Gunners the past two seasons, will not only be behind the bench again in 2025-26, he is now the club's new owner, rebranding the team as the Maryland Storm.

They will continue to play in the Atlantic Division and will still play their home games at  the Carroll Indoor Sports Center in Westminster, Maryland. Many of the DMV players are expected to return, sprinkled with some new talent that Behrens is sure to find based on his four decades in the sport, including some 30 years of coaching in the collegiate ranks primarily in the mid-Atlantic region.

The Gunners were 6-4 last season in the highly competitive Atlantic Division, with signature back-to-back wins over the Baltimore Kings to end the season, and a 12-10 win over the Philadelphia Spartans. Both of those teams were in the MASL 3 playoffs last season. In their two seasons of MASL 3 play, DMV compiled a 14-8 regular season mark.

“The indoor game is growing, and the sustainability is better than some outdoor leagues.  For me, it's an opportunity for younger players to continue to play and grow their game,” Behrens said. “Indoor is a really good route. It's a different game, but once they learn it, they really love it, so in some ways it's kind of my way of giving back. I'm really sold on that. And there are some really great MASL 3 teams in our area, so we're very excited to keep the tradition of indoor soccer alive in Westminster, which has been supportive of our team here.”

“Liam's experience and dedication to the sport, and providing opportunities for younger players looking to bigger and better things in the sport, is pretty much unrivaled. The club is in excellent hands. That team has been highly competitive in one of the league's most              difficult divisions, and I have no doubt they will be serious contenders again in 2025-26."                MASL 3 COMMISSIONER CHRIS ECONOMIDES

Behrens – who made indoor soccer stops for the Hershey Impact, Wichita Wings and Richmond Kickers – is currently an assistant soccer coach at Mount Saint Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He also played professionally outdoors for the Kickers, Carolina Dynamo and Baton Route Capitals.

Prior to his arrival at “The Mount”, Behrens' most recent stop was as a full-time assistant with Gettysburg College. Since 2009, Behrens has served as an assistant for several colleges in Maryland and South Central Pennsylvania, working for McDaniel and York College.

 From 1997-2005, he worked as the head coach for Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Amassing 67 victories for the Quakers, his best run came from 2002-04 with three consecutive third place finishes in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference while going 30-21-7 in that span.

He brings 31 years of experience in the YMCA network, rising from an entry-level role to over 20 years in executive leadership, including the last 11 years as President and CEO of the Hanover PA  Area YMCA.   He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor's degree in rehabilitative services. He was a standout soccer player for the Rams, earning all-conference and all-state accolades along with being named team MVP twice. He is tied for second on the VCU all-time assists list with 21 in his career and was recently inducted into the university's Soccer Hall of Fame. 

“Liam's experience and dedication to the sport, and providing opportunities for younger players looking to bigger and better things in the sport, is pretty much unrivaled,” MASL 3 Commissioner Chris Economides noted. “The club is in excellent hands. That team has been highly competitive in one of the league's most difficult divisions, and I have no doubt they will be serious contenders again in 2025-26.”

The RGV Barracudas, based out of Brownsville, Texas, won the MASL 3 championship last April in Salisbury, Maryland, defeating the Roc City Boom out of Rochester, N.Y. The three previous championships were won by Northern Virginia, who also plays in the Atlantic Division. They were knocked out of the playoffs this year by RGV in the quarterfinals. For more information on the league, visit www.masl3.com.