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2014 MISL Playoffs Kick off Friday

March 7, 2014 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - The 2014 Major Indoor Soccer League Playoffs kick off on Friday night as the defending champion Baltimore Blast face playoff debutante the Syracuse Silver Knights in one semifinal, and the Milwaukee Wave face the Missouri Comets in the other for a place in the MISL Championship Series.

Syracuse will host its first playoff game in club history tonight as it welcomes Baltimore for Game 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET at The Oncenter War Memorial. The Silver Knights claimed victory in the first meeting between the two teams this season before Baltimore ran off three consecutive wins on its way to closing the season on a nine-game winning streak that allowed the Blast to claim the regular season championship.

All four meetings between the two teams have been tense affairs, with two one-point games and another decided by two points. Syracuse has been led by Kenardo Forbes, who finished second in the MISL with 67 points, while former Blast player Machel Millwood also added 58 points, including a team-high 21 assists.

Baltimore, meanwhile, has relied on a tough defense and balanced attack in the pursuit of its second consecutive title. Captain Mike Lookingland led from the back, as the veteran finished with a team-high 56 points and a league-high 33 blocked shots, while goalkeeper William Vanzela set a current-era MISL record with a 5.57 points-against average. Tony Donatelli has also played well offensively, finishing with 48 points, as 10 Blast players accumulated more than 20 points.

The Wave and Comets meet for a second consecutive season in the semifinals, with Missouri aiming to return to the MISL Championship Series again after its shock upset of Milwaukee a year ago. The Comets also claimed the season series against the Wave this season and host Game 1 on Sunday afternoon at the Independence Events Center at 4:10 p.m. ET.

The Comets have been led by the league's leading scorer, Leo Gibson, who finished with 76 points and a league-best 25 assists. The Comets had the most potent attack in the league as they finished 329 points in the regular season. Captain Vahid Assadpour added 57 points, while Lucas Rodriguez, John Sosa and Brian Harris also recorded more than 40 points.

Milwaukee finished just behind the Comets with 324 points, and was led by the league's Golden Boot winner, Ian Bennett, who had 27 goals and 64 points. Marcio Leite (57 points), Nick Perera (51) and Carlos Munoz (49) also finished in the league's Top 10 scorers. The goalkeepers on both teams also had strong seasons, with Milwaukee's Marcel Feenstra (10.06) finishing just ahead of Missouri's Danny Waltman (10.29) in points-against average.

Fans can keep up to date with all of the action in the 2014 MISL Playoffs via Twitter (@MISLSoccer), Facebook and Google+. All of the postseason action will also be streamed live on YouTube, including the 2014 MISL Championship Series next weekend.

2014 MISL Playoffs

Semifinals

No.1 Baltimore Blast vs. No. 4 Syracuse Silver Knights

Game 1: at The Oncenter War Memorial - Friday, March 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

Game 2: at Baltimore Arena - Tuesday, March 11, 7:35 p.m. ET

No. 2 Milwaukee Wave vs. No. 3 Missouri Comets

Game 1: at the Independence Events Center - Sunday, March 9, 3:10 p.m. CT

Game 2: at the U.S. Cellular Arena - Monday, March 10, 7 p.m. CT



Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from March 7, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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