Strykers to Host Tryouts, MASL SoCal Women’s Arena Cup

Elite exhibition is part of two-game series with San Diego Sockers

Ontario, Calif. — The Empire Strykers of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) today announced they will host the MASL SoCal Women’s Arena Cup in Ontario on Sunday, March 29, as part of a doubleheader with the men’s regular season finale against the St. Louis Ambush. The women’s match marks the second leg of a marquee home-and-away exhibition series against a San Diego Sockers women’s team. It is expected to boast top talent from Southern California and will help the Strykers organization assess the viability of launching a professional team within Major Arena Soccer League Women (MASLW).

Tickets to the doubleheader at Toyota Arena are available here. The women’s game will kick off at 1 p.m. PT and the men’s game at 4 p.m. PT.

The first leg of the women’s series will be hosted by the Sockers on March 22 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside.

To assemble the Empire roster, two open tryouts will be held at the Scheu Family YMCA in Upland — both free of charge. The first is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, and the second for Sunday, March 15, with sessions running from 2 to 4 p.m. each day. The tryouts are designed to identify elite-level players interested in partaking in both exhibitions against San Diego and potentially representing the Strykers in future professional competition.

Anyone interested in registering for the tryouts may do so by clicking here.

Josh Hodges, one of the most highly regarded figures in Southern California soccer, will play a key role in putting together the Empire squad. Hodges is the CEO of elite youth academy Legends FC and a top executive with Bumpy Pitch FC. Both the Bumpy Pitch men’s and women’s sides reached the respective finals of the 2025 edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST), the world’s most prestigious small-sided outdoor competition, with the men capturing the championship and the $1 million prize pot.

“Southern California has one of the richest traditions in women’s soccer anywhere in the world,” said Empire Strykers Managing Partner Jeff Burum. “This region has produced a number of World Cup champions and Olympic medalists, and the level of talent here remains extraordinary. Given the rise of the professional women’s game, it only makes sense that women be part of the rapid growth of indoor soccer here in SoCal. This showcase gives us an opportunity to highlight exceptional players and to explore exciting next steps as an organization.”

The Empire Strykers men next welcome rival San Diego to Ontario for a clash with massive playoff implications on Thursday, March 5. Tickets to all Strykers games at Toyota Arena are available here.