Indoor Women’s Soccer coming to the Civic Arena this winter
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- During the St. Joseph Goats' home regular-season finale, another sports team soon announced it will call the Civic Arena home.
The Astras are a team in the MASLW (Major Arena Soccer League Women).
The team originally called Kansas City home when they entered the league. However, after games in Des Moines, Iowa, they now believe St. Joseph is a perfect spot for the team to call home in the future.
With original ties to Kansas, the official motto of the state is “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” Latin for “To the stars through difficulties.” President/Owner/Captain/Player Elizabeth Serago picked the name and believes it's a perfect one to lead this team into the future.
"Just thinking about the whole women's sports platform right now, there's nothing better to define it than that," Serago shared. "The story of the Astras is, I (myself) have been looking for somewhere to play and compete myself. And nobody has taken the step to do it. So that's where I stepped in and just created the team."
Sergo has seen a long journey since making her college career at Lakeland Community College in Ohio. After a few stops, she finished her college soccer career at the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas, where she earned her master's degree in counseling psychology.
In 2024, she gained international experience playing in Germany. Eventually, she moved to pursue more soccer opportunities.
Recently, the team became aware of the opportunity to play at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph. Serago stated that the reception she and the team have received from the get-go has been heartwarming as they look for a community to sink into.
"We had 5 or 6 people come up and show interest in sponsorships (at the St. Joseph Goats game), and that alone just changed the entire trajectory of the season," said Serago. "To see the fans that were just glowing when we handed them the soccer balls, from the sponsorship talks to even the little kids that, you know, came up to us and asked for autographs, it was just unlike anything we've experienced."
Sergo told KQ2 that the team is made up of soccer athletes aged 16 and older. She shared most of their athletes reside in the KC Metro area, so St. Joseph is a perfect spot for their team to not only play but dive into the community.
She believes fans will be entertained by the field's close proximity, which offers different scoring chances. Along with the league's rules, which create intrigue and a multitude of possibilities for a great game.
"It's a 6v6 style, very fast-paced, very aggressive. There's never a dull moment. A team could be winning 13 to nothing and end up losing the game in the third quarter or so."
She also noted that in the MASLW, a game is separated into four quarters.
She said the league schedule is still being finalized for the upcoming season, but those interested in the team and which games will be coming to St. Joseph can click here to visit their Facebook page.
