When Wave coach Keith Tozer and his players reflect on the 2009-'10 season, they'll remember one of the wildest trips of their lives -- one that nothing to do with planes, trains, buses or automobiles.

In roughly six months, the oldest continuously operating pro soccer team in North America has traveled from the brink of extinction to the cusp of exhilaration.

The Wave faces La Raza de Monterrey for the Major Indoor Soccer League championship at 5 p.m. Sunday at U.S. Cellular Arena. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Wisconsin.

While the action on the field promises to be dramatic, it may not compare to the drama that took place this summer, when new owner Jim Lindenberg stepped up and a "Save the Wave" campaign guaranteed that the franchise would continue.

"If you go from Day One, with the doors almost being shut, to now... I think it's an unbelievable story," said Tozer, who has led the Wave to four championships in 16 years and hopes to win a fifth on his birthday.

"And then, to bring guys from Brazil and Argentina and Holland and Canada and Italy and Cedarburg and pull them all together in five months and win another regular season championship and to be where we are now, it's a great book. Hopefully, it's a great ending."

Monterrey earned its berth in the final by sweeping a two-game semifinal series against Baltimore, which ended with a 10-8 overtime victory Monday night.

Milwaukee and Monterrey split a six-game series this season, with each team winning twice on the road.

"It was probably our toughest team to play this year," Wave forward Giuliano Oliviero said. "It's definitely the two best teams (playing for a title)."

The Wave opened the season in Monterrey and rewarded Lindenberg with a 15-0 victory -- the first road shutout in the team's 26-year history. La Raza came back to spoil the Wave's home opener two weeks later, 15-4.

On March 14, the Wave beat Monterrey to clinch the regular-season title and a berth in the final.

"I think they're a dangerous team," Tozer said of Monterrey. "They're quick. They're agile. They're going to want to come here. They beat us twice here and they feel comfortable."

The "winner take all" format left the Wave with a two-week layoff before the final game. Neither Tozer nor the players seem concerned about any rust.

"We really feel we became healthier, we became fitter, we became smarter and we became stronger," Tozer said.

Defender Troy Dusosky, who has celebrated titles with the Wave in the past, agreed. "We've won eight (games) in a row," he said. "We're gelling at the right time. It's kind of like March Madness. The hottest team at this time usually ends up winning the tournament. This is our tournament."

Tickets for the game are $25, $20 and $16 and are on sale at the door. The Wave is hoping for a crowd of 5,000 to 6,000, despite the Easter holiday.

"When we looked at this weekend, we saw the Brewers playing an exhibition on Friday night and the Admirals playing at the Bradley Center," Tozer said. "On Saturday, the Bucks are playing and the Final Four games were on TV. Monday is opening day for the Brewers. We just thought that if we played on Sunday, people could go to church and then brunch and then come and watch our game.

"It's not often you get to see two teams play for a championship. Any time you can see a deciding game or a Game 7, which is what this is, essentially, it's special."