Spirits Sign Veteran Defender Chad Vandegriffe

Two-Time MASL Defender of the Year, 2019 Ron Newman Cup Champion, & 2025 All-Star Joins Lehigh Valley

Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Spirits have signed two-time MASL Defender of the Year, 2019 Ron Newman Cup Champion, and 2025 All-Star Chad Vandegriffe ahead of the club’s inaugural 2026-27 season.

Vandegriffe, 36, arrives in Lehigh Valley as one of the most decorated and respected veterans in MASL history. Across 12 professional indoor seasons with the St. Louis Ambush, Milwaukee Wave, Florida Tropics, and Kansas City Comets, he holds MASL records for both career games played (233) and career blocks (449), establishing himself among the league’s premier defensive players.

A two-time Defender of the Year honoree (2022 and 2025), he spent the last three seasons with the Kansas City Comets, appearing in 66 games and totaling 25 points on eight goals and 17 assists. In 2024-25, he earned All-Star honors after tying a career high with six goals while posting a career-best .353 scoring percentage.

The St. Louis, Missouri native began his professional indoor career in his hometown with the St. Louis Ambush during the club’s final season in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 2013-14. He earned All-Rookie Team honors in his debut campaign and returned the following year for St. Louis’ inaugural MASL season.

After three seasons in St. Louis, he signed with the Milwaukee Wave in 2016, where he played under current Spirits Sporting and Technical Director Giuliano Oliviero. During his tenure in Milwaukee, he helped the Wave capture the 2019 Ron Newman Cup, bringing proven championship success and familiarity with the Spirits’ leadership group to Lehigh Valley.

Before turning professional, he played NCAA Division I soccer at Southern Methodist University from 2008-09 before transferring to Saint Louis University for his final two years of eligibility. While with the Billikens, he earned Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team honors as a junior.

In addition to his indoor career, Vandegriffe appeared in 18 matches for Saint Louis FC of the United Soccer League (USL) during the 2015 season.

He also represented the United States on the international stage as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Minifootball Team in both six-on-six and indoor competition. In 2023, he helped the United States capture the European Minifootball Federation Nations Games Championship in Galanta, Slovakia, before competing in the World Minifootball Federation World Cup in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, he competed in The Soccer Tournament (TST), the nationally recognized winner take-all 7-on-7 competition featuring current and former professional players from around the world, in both 2023 and 2024.

With veteran leadership, championship experience, and one of the most accomplished defensive résumés in league history, Vandegriffe adds another foundational piece as the Spirits continue building their inaugural roster.

For more information, visit LVSpirits.com.