Arnie Mausser

In 1975, Mausser joined the Hartford Bicentennials of the North American Soccer League (NASL). He remained with the team for only a single season before moving to the Tampa Bay Rowdies before the start of the 1976 indoor season. He led the Rowdies to the 1976 indoor title, winning all of his starts. Outdoors in 1976, his excellent play with the Rowdies (six shutouts and 28 goals scored against him in 24 games) led to his selection as a first team NASL All Star and the North American player of the year. Despite his success with the Rowdies, the Tampa Bay coach Eddie Firmani preferred English goalkeeper Paul Hammond who had spent the 1975 season with the Rowdies. As a result, Firmani traded Mausser in 1977 to the Vancouver Whitecaps after the Rowdies signed Hammond. Although this move was not the result of Mausser's actions, a pattern had been set which continued throughout his career and earned Mausser a reputation as a mercenary playing for whoever offered the best pay. From Vancouver, he moved to the Colorado Caribous, again after only a single season. After only one season in Colorado, he moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, then was traded to the New England Teamen during the 1980 season. At the end of the season, the Teamen moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where Mausser spent the next two seasons as part of the Jacksonville Tea Men. In the winter of 1983, he briefly returned to the Rowdies for the indoor Grand Prix, making one appearance. From there Mausser joined Team…

Growing up in Queens, New York, with two younger brothers, Mausser played numerous sports, his favorite being basketball. However, in the eighth grade, he began playing goalkeeper because of his size. Most of his early experience he got playing for Blau-Weiss Gottschee in Ridgewood, Queens. He graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. As Mausser got older, he trained with numerous local teams, eventually catching the eye of the coach of the Rhode Island Oceaneers of the American Soccer League (ASL). He signed with the team in 1974 and played a single season before moving to the NASL.