The 2010 Erie Storm season was the 4th season for the American Indoor Football Association franchise.
On September 8, 2009 the RiverRats announced that Liotta would return to Erie as the head coach for the 2010 season. 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. 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.
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.
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. Dinkins retired at the end of the season.
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. 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
Regular season DateOpponentHome/AwayResultMarch 7Reading ExpressHomeWon 41-28March 14Harrisburg StampedeHomeLost 34-41March 27Reading ExpressAwayLost 51-53April 3Harrisburg StampedeAwayLost 19-58April 16Richmond RaidersHomeWon 44-35April 25Reading ExpressHomeWon 41-34April 30Richmond RaidersAwayWon 53-39May 8Harrisburg StampedeAwayLost 35-54May 14New Jersey RevolutionHomeWon 40-38May 22Fayetteville GuardHomeWon 55-52May 29New Jersey RevolutionAwayWon 68-58June 5Baltimore MarinersAwayLost 51-34June 13Baltimore MarinersHomeLost 39-37June 19Fayetteville GuardAwayWon 65-58
Standings Team Overall DivisionWinsLossesPercentageWinsLossesPercentage Eastern Division Baltimore Mariners1401.0001401.000 Harrisburg Stampede1130.7861130.786 Erie Storm860.571860.571 Reading Express860.571860.571 Richmond Raiders680.429680.429 Fayetteville Guard2120.1432120.143 New Jersey Revolution0140.0000140.000 Western Division Wyoming Cavalry1310.9891310.989 San Jose Wolves950.643950.643 Wenatchee Valley Venom860.571860.571 Yakima Valley Warriors770.500770.500 Arctic Predators4100.2864100.286 Ogden Knights1130.0711130.071
Green indicates clinched playoff berth Purple indicates division champion Grey indicates best league record
References