Long Island Rough Riders (UWS) Wyant, the former face of the team, stepped down from her role as general manager. The Long Island Rough Riders acquired the W-League franchise, formerly known as the Long Island Lady Riders. This season was the first season since 1997 that both the men's and women's teams would be known as the Rough Riders. Under the leadership of co-head coaches John Fitzgerald and Declan McSheffrey, the team finished in sixth place in the Northeast Division at 5-7-2 (17 points). The team did not secure a berth into the playoffs. The Rough Riders went 9-3-2 (29 points) the following season and
Black Star Riders brought in Jimmy DeGrasso on drums, but no keyboard player has been recruited, with Gorham stating, "I don't think we are actually going to have keyboards in Black Star Riders. You never know what's going to happen down the road but that is the set-up right now with that." All the founding members are American with the exception of Warwick who is from Northern Ireland. Each had previously achieved success with other acts – Gorham with all incarnations of Thin Lizzy since 1974 and with 21 Guns; Warwick with The Almighty; Johnson with Brother Cane and Alice Cooper; Mendoza with