2010 Erie Storm season

The 2010 Erie Storm season was the 4th season for the American Indoor Football Association franchise.

2010 Erie Storm season
OwnerBill Stafford
General managerShawn Liotta
Head coachShawn Liotta
Home fieldLouis J. Tullio Arena
Results
Record8-6
Division place3rd
Playoff finishLost EC Round 1

On September 8, 2009 the RiverRats announced that Liotta would return to Erie as the head coach for the 2010 season.[1] In December, it was announced that owner Jeff Hauser had sold a stake in the franchise to a local group that included Jeff Plyler (owner of Plyler Overhead Door of McKean, PA) and Bill Stafford (owner of several Subway restaurant locations in Erie), among others.[2] The team remained in the AIFA, and the team adopted the corporate name "Erie Professional Football, Inc." in December 2009, in anticipation of a new franchise name to be announced in January 2010.[3]

Hauser maintained a smaller stake in the team, which immediately dropped the RiverRats name. On January 5, 2010, the team announced the four finalists of the name-the-team contest; Storm, Blizzard, Pulse, and Punishers. On January 14, 2010 the team was officially named the Erie Storm via a press conference, in which the team logo and colors were also released.[4]

Aided by Dinkins's return, the briefly rechristened Storm rebounded to an 8-6 season in 2010, before losing to the Harrisburg Stampede in the playoffs.[5] Dinkins retired at the end of the season.[6]

On May 5, 2010, Lake Erie College based in Painesville, Ohio asked a court judge to order the Erie Storm not use the Erie Storm name due to similarities with their own name the Lake Erie College whose athletic nickname is the Storm.[7] In July 2010, the name "Storm" was dropped, and the team began functioning under the name "Erie Professional Football," which remains the name of the team's corporate entity.

Schedule

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Regular season

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Date Opponent Home/Away Result
March 7 Reading Express Home Won 41-28
March 14 Harrisburg Stampede Home Lost 34-41
March 27 Reading Express Away Lost 51-53
April 3 Harrisburg Stampede Away Lost 19-58
April 16 Richmond Raiders Home Won 44-35
April 25 Reading Express Home Won 41-34
April 30 Richmond Raiders Away Won 53-39
May 8 Harrisburg Stampede Away Lost 35-54
May 14 New Jersey Revolution Home Won 40-38
May 22 Fayetteville Guard Home Won 55-52
May 29 New Jersey Revolution Away Won 68-58
June 5 Baltimore Mariners Away Lost 51-34
June 13 Baltimore Mariners Home Lost 39-37
June 19 Fayetteville Guard Away Won 65-58

Standings

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Team Overall Division
Wins Losses Percentage Wins Losses Percentage
Eastern Division
Baltimore Mariners 14 0 1.000 14 0 1.000
Harrisburg Stampede 11 3 0.786 11 3 0.786
Erie Storm 8 6 0.571 8 6 0.571
Reading Express 8 6 0.571 8 6 0.571
Richmond Raiders 6 8 0.429 6 8 0.429
Fayetteville Guard 2 12 0.143 2 12 0.143
New Jersey Revolution 0 14 0.000 0 14 0.000
Western Division
Wyoming Cavalry 13 1 0.989 13 1 0.989
San Jose Wolves 9 5 0.643 9 5 0.643
Wenatchee Valley Venom 8 6 0.571 8 6 0.571
Yakima Valley Warriors 7 7 0.500 7 7 0.500
Arctic Predators 4 10 0.286 4 10 0.286
Ogden Knights 1 13 0.071 1 13 0.071
  • Green indicates clinched playoff berth
  • Purple indicates division champion
  • Grey indicates best league record

References

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  1. ^ "Liotta returns to coach RiverRats". www.goerie.com. CyberInk LP and the Erie Times-News. September 8, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  2. ^ "Professional Football Continues in Erie Under New Ownership". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. December 29, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  3. ^ "Indoor football a go in Erie for 2010". www.goerie.com. CyberInk LP and the Erie Times-News. December 29, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  4. ^ "New Erie football nickname: Storm". www.goerie.com. CyberInk LP and the Erie Times-News. January 14, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  5. ^ "Storm squander lead, fall in AIFA playoffs". www.goerie.com. CyberInk LP and the Erie Times-News. July 3, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  6. ^ Shawn Liotta (September 27, 2010). "Congratulations to David Dinkins". www.shawnliotta.com. Shawn Liotta. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  7. ^ Victor Fernandes (May 7, 2010). "Lake Erie College sues Storm over nickname". www.goerie.com. CyberInk LP and the Erie Times-News. Retrieved December 27, 2013.