June 20 (2000)

Dr. Abe Hawatmeh, owner of the professional indoor St. Louis Ambush, tells Keith Schildroth of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Ambush have been kicked out of the Kiel Center. Mark Sauer, chief executive and president of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, canceled the Ambush’s lease effective immediately, according to Hawatmeh. Hawatmeh says that losing the lease leaves him with three options: sell the team, sit out next season, or fold the franchise. Hawatmeh will opt for the third choice, ending the team’s nine years of existence — one in Tulsa and the rest in St. Louis. During their eight seasons in St. Louis, the Ambush captured the NPSL title in 1995, the only team in the history of St. Louis soccer to win the title of a national professional soccer league. The Ambush lost in the finals three other times and led the league in attendance for three consecutive seasons. Pro indoor soccer will continue in 2000 with the new St. Louis Steamers, who will play at the Family Arena in St. Charles and later at the Scottrade Center (the former Kiel Center and today’s Enterprise Center). The Steamers will go out of business in 2006. St. Louis will be without pro indoor soccer until the new St. Louis Ambush debut at a press conference on June 18, 2013. The current Ambush have played at the Family Arena since the 2013-14 season.