Vamos! Sonora visits Mexico City, Raptors challenge Hawks, and here comes the Heat

CLICK HERE FOR MASL 2 WEEK 11 PREVIEW

TAMPA, Florida -- For those shivering still in the Mid Atlantic region of the country, fear not: Here comes the Heat!

The Harrisburg Heat will make their long-awaited Major Arena Soccer League 2 debut this weekend as part of a  package of Week 11 games that offers something special to fans on both sides of the border.

The Heat, which traces its indoor soccer lineage all the way back to their 1991 debut in the National Professional Soccer League, will play a President's Day doubleheader against United Elite Krajisnik at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica this weekend, with games Sunday at 6:30 p.m. and again Monday at 10:30 a.m. They are sandwiched between two MASL games hosted by United Elite's parent team, Utica City FC, who will entertain the Baltimore Blast on Sunday and the St. Louis Ambush in their holiday matinee on Monday giving Utica fans four MASL games within a 24-hour period.

Many MASL 2 fans have been waiting as well for a showdown south of the border, another of which comes this weekend as undefeated Mexico City hosts the talented-laden Soles de Sonora. Franck Tayou, one of the greats in the history of the sport, is expected to be available for Sonora this week, on a roster that also starts such MASL standouts as Cristhian Segura, Bryan Macias and Hiram Ruiz. Mexico City, however, counters with two former MASL heavyweights in goal in Diego Reynoso and Berna Valdavinos.

There's also a huge matchup in the Midwest Division when the Iowa Demon Hawks, themselves undefeated and looking for their second league championship after winning their first in 2023-24, will host the one-loss Iowa Raptors who will make the trip from Cedar Rapids to Des Moines on Saturday. Elsewhere, the Texas Spurs will look to throw a big scare at the undefeated OKC Certified Lions in Oklahoma City after doing so last week in suburban Dallas, and the Guadalajara Mariachis will make their California swing this weekend with stops in Turlock and to Northern Cali against the Soccer Central Black Hawks.

Next weekend, the Demon Hawks have another big showdown, this one in Wichita against the Wings, while the Iowa Raptors travel to Omaha for a pair of weekend starts and Spice City returns to action as they host Baltimore.