run-in, losing three of their final five games, including a devastating 5–4 loss to Thunder Bay Chill in which the Canadians scored a last-minute winner having been down 4–3 with 20 minutes to go. The end of season stutter cost Des Moines dearly, as they eventually finished the year third in the Heartland Division behind Chicago Fire Premier and out of the playoffs. Boltnar was Menace's top scorer, with 9 goals, while Edwin Disang contributed 7 assists. Grune paid for his failure with his job, as Menace hired former standout goalkeeper Casey Mann as their new head coach. Mann's impact on the Menace was felt almost immediately; they started the season six wins in seven games, including a 5–1 hammering of Kansas City Brass, a 3–0 win on the road over Colorado Springs Blizzard, and a 3–0 victory at home over their increasingly bitter rivals Thunder Bay Chill. Once again, Des Moines' excellent early form took them to the US Open Cup, and on their first cup run: they beat USL Second Division side Pittsburgh Riverhounds on penalties in the first round, USL First Division side Charleston Battery 3–2 in the second round, and absolutely destroyed USL First Division's Atlanta Silverbacks 5–1 in a game which saw Michael Kraus hit a brace. Menace played their first ever competitive match against a Major League Soccer team in the fourth round, away at the Kansas City Wizards, and although the fairytale was ended by a comprehensive 6–1 defeat, it was testament to Des Moines' increasingly high standard of play that they got as far as they did. Back in PDL league play, and despite a couple of mid-season losses, both to Thunder Bay, Des Moines continued to provide value for money and goalscoring prowess as the season reached its conclusion: they hit Sioux Falls Spitfire for ten in their two games in early July, with Boltnar and Disangagain doing the damage, and coasted into the playoffs off the back of a 5–0 final day demolition of nine-man Colorado Springs Blizzard, with another two goals from Disang. The Menace faced Great Lakes Division winners Chicago Fire Premier in the Central Conference Semifinals, and walked away with a resounding 4–0 victory; they then took the Conference title with ease, outplaying the Michigan Bucks to the tune of a comprehensive 4–1 scoreline. Menace moved on to the national stage for the first time since 2001,