1998 saw an improvement in regular season play from the Iowans, as they finished second in the Central Division behind the Colorado Comets with a 9–4–3 record, and qualified for the post-season for the fourth consecutive time. They beat Twin Cities Tornado 1–0 in overtime in the divisional semi-finals, and then dispatched Kansas City Brass on penalty kicks in the divisional final to reach the national tournament once more; Menace again faced Cocoa Expos in the regional round, but this time emerged from the encounter 3–1 winners, and were now just 90 minutes from the championship game. Des Moines' opponents were the on form San Gabriel Valley Highlanders from Glendale, California, who won 3–1 and went on to take the title, while Menace were left to console themselves with a 4–1 win over Kalamazoo Kingdom in the 3rd/4th place playoff.