The Thunder also purchased a W-League team in 2005. The team was eventually named the Minnesota Lightning in 2006 before their opening season. 2005 was the only season the Thunder turned a profit, making $6,000 which was immediately paid in taxes to the state of Minnesota. The Thunder defeated four MLS teams over the course of the 2004 and 2005 U.S. Open Cup competitions. Final years (2005–2009) Beginning in August 2007 the team spent $400,000 on a beer garden called the Thunder Lounge and started the Minnesota Thunder Academy. The team also founded the Rochester Thunder in the Premier Development League. Magee resigned as Thunder manager on July 22, 2008, halfway through the 2008 season. In November 2009 the Thunder announced their intent to leave the USL First Division to become the co-founders of a new North American Soccer League. Minnesota's participation in this new league was, however, not to be. In early November 2009 they released all players from their contracts, partly in response to heavy debts and unpaid bills, including wages. The organization was operating with a skeleton staff of 3 people as they tried to reorganize in their final days. In January 2010, the National Sports Center announced the formation of a new club, the NSC Minnesota Stars that functioned as a replacement for the Thunder. Colors and badge A new logo using the colors of navy blue, light blue, and silver was unveiled for the 2008 season. The identity was designed by the Minneapolis design firm Capsule. The previous Thunder badge incorporated the logo of a capital 'T' and an active soccer ball on a shield reading "Minnesota Thunder". When on the team uniform, it also is adorned atop by a gold star commemorating the 1999 championship season. The initial Thunder crest was a soccer ball with a thunderbolt crossing it followed by the text "Minnesota Thunder". When the team became a professional organization, a new logo was created, consisting of an image of the state of Minnesota background with a soccer ball and thunderbolt imposed upon it. In 2002, the Thunder undertook a marketing re-branding endeavor, where a new logo was created consisting of a soccer ball with movement lines and a T below the words of team's name. In 2006, a new navy and gold "shield" logo was created by the Minneapolis design firm CAPSULE. The official mascot of the Minnesota Thunder was Thor.