The New Jersey Rockets were an indoor soccer

Indoor soccer

Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...

 team based out of East Rutherford, New Jersey

East Rutherford, New Jersey

East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....

 that played in the Major Soccer League

Major Soccer League

The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...

 for the 1981 season. Their home arena was the Brendan Byrne Arena, now known as the Izod Center. One of the owners was Timothy Sullivan, who was later asked if he wanted to be a part-owner of the New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, to which he replied, "hockey is too big a risk."

1981-1982 Roster

Brian Alderson

Brian Alderson

Brian Alderson was a Scottish footballer. He predominantly played as a winger, but was also able to play as a striker....

 32 Apps 7 Goals Craig Allen Ian Anderson (Scottish footballer)

Ian Anderson (Scottish footballer)

Ian Anderson was a Scottish professional football defender who spent most of his career playing in the United States....

 39 Apps 18 Goals Ruben Astigarraga

Ruben Astigarraga

Rubén Astigarraga is a retired Argentine soccer forward who played in the North American Soccer League, second and third American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association and National Soccer League of Chicago.-Player:In 1979, he signed with the Cleveland Force...

 4 Apps 0 Goals Howie Charbonneau

Howie Charbonneau

Howie Charbonneau is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League....

 18 Apps 0 Goals Lou Cioffi

Lou Cioffi

Lou Cioffi is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and third American Soccer League....

 2 Apps 0 Goals George Dewsnip

George Dewsnip

George Dewsnip is a retired English professional footballer who played in the Football League, North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League....

 Charlie Greene

Charlie Greene

Charles Patrick Greene is a former backup catcher who played in Major League Baseball with four different teams from 1996 through 2000. Listed at 6' 1", 170 lbs., he batted and threw right-handed....

 40 Apps 17 Goals  Independent State of Croatia Fred Grgurev

Fred Grgurev

Ferdo "Fred" Grgurev is a retired Yugoslavian-American football forward who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League...

 40 Apps 25 Goals Neils Gulbjerg 39 Apps 20 goals Joe Horvath 27 Apps 10 Goals Stewart Jump

Stewart Jump

Stewart Jump was an English professional footballer in the 1970s. Chosen as the MVP of the 1975 Soccer Bowl-Career:...

 32 Apps 5 Goals Mark MacKain

Mark MacKain

Mark MacKain is a retired American soccer defender who played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League. He is currently a youth soccer coach...

 18 Apps 0 Goals Norberto A. Luna 9 Apps 19 goals Alan Mayer

Alan Mayer

Alan Mayer, a native of Islip, New York is a retired soccer goalkeeper from the United States. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League and earned six caps with the United States men's national soccer team....

 27 Apps Branko Radovic 38 Apps 1 Goal Wolfgang Rausch

Wolfgang Rausch

Wolfgang Rausch is a retired German footballer who made a total of 257 appearances in the Fußball-Bundesliga during his playing career....

 44 Apps 32 Goals Craig Reynolds 30 Apps 4 Goals Chris Vaccaro 19 Apps 0 Goals Gary Vogel

Gary Vogel

Gary Vogel is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and the Major Indoor Soccer League....

 40 Apps 7 Goals Tom Grippo 6 Apps 1 Goal