Baltimore Blast v. Milwaukee Wave & Utica City Game Preview
February 21, 2019 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Baltimore Blast News Release
Baltimore Blast vs. Utica City FC
Sunday, February 24th @ SECU Arena 3:00 p.m. EST
You can watch this game on MASLTV at: https://www.maslsoccer.com/masltv
Baltimore Blast: 9-5
Second place in the Eastern Division
Milwaukee Wave: 12-2
First place in the South Central Division
Season Series: Milwaukee leads 1-0
Utica City FC: 11-4
First place in the Eastern Division
Season Series: Utica City leads 3-1
Baltimore Players to Watch:
The Blast enter the weekend with a 9-5 record and sit 1.5 games back from division leaders Utica City FC. The Blast will have to go through the two most productive offensive teams in the MASL this weekend in the Milwaukee Wave and division rivals Utica City FC.
Blast Forward Vini Dantas recorded his third hat-trick of the season in the 6-3 win over Mississauga last Friday night. Dantas leads the team in goals scored with fifteen and ranks second in the Eastern Division in points per game (2.0). Forward Jamie Thomas was able to accumulate one goal and an assist last game versus Mississauga, taking his season total in points to nine. Defender Adriano Dos Santos returns after serving a one-game suspension last Friday and currently leads all Blast defenders in points scored with twelve this season. Midfielder Jonatas Melo leads the team in points scored this season (21) and also ranks fifth in the Eastern Division. Melo recorded one goal in the victory versus Mississauga.
Tony Donatelli is now tied for the team lead in assists with nine this season, thanks to his one assist in the win versus the Metrostars. William Vanzela continues to be one of the best goalkeepers in the MASL with a 4.50 goals against average and a .714 save percentage, which rank fifth and fourth in the MASL respectively. The Blast have one of the best defensive units in the MASL, ranking fifth in goals allowed average with 4.85 per game. At home this season, the Blast are 6-1, only falling to Utica City FC on February 8th by a score of 9-1. The Blast will be without Lucas Roque and Daniel Peruzzi as they recover from their knee injuries. Blast midfielder Mohamed N'diaye will miss his second consecutive game as he serves the remainder of his suspension. The Blast are coached by Head Coach Danny Kelly and Assistant Coach David Bascome.
The Competition- Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee has the best offense in the MASL in terms of goals scored per game (7.64). The Wave are led by a number of key contributors including forward Ian Bennett who leads the MASL in goals with 26 and is ranked sixth in the league in points with 31. Bennett also ranks fifth in the MASL with 2.8 points per game. Forward Max Ferdinand plays alongside Bennett and is tied for third in the MASL in assists with 19 on the season. A staggering ten players on the Wave have recorded ten or more points so far this season; showcasing an impressive amount of depth within the team.
The Wave also boast a strong defense that ranks fourth in the MASL in goals allowed average (4.57). Defender Jonatan Santos is instrumental to the Wave's defense, as he ranks fourth in the MASL in blocked shots with twenty so far. Midfielder Angel Curiel is a complete midfielder for the Wave, recording fifteen points and fourteen blocked shots in fourteen games this season. Goalkeeper Josh Lemos has proven he belongs in the conversation of elite goalkeepers in the MASL, allowing 4.39 goals per game and a .698 save percentage this season, which ranks fourth and sixth in the league respectively.
The Wave won the only competition against the Blast this season by a margin of 4-2. Former Blast midfielder Max Ferdinand recorded a hat-trick of assists while goalkeeper Josh Lemos allowed only two goals and compiled a .846 save percentage in their best defensive showing of the season. The Wave boast one of the best away records in the MASL winning six out of their seven road games so far this season. The Milwaukee Wave are coached by Head Coach Guiliano Oliviero and Assistant Coach Marcelo Fontana.
The Competition- Utica City FC
Utica City showcase the second best offense in the MASL, only behind Milwaukee, with a 7.26 goals scored per game average. Forward Slavisa Ubiparipovic leads the team in points with 35 and assists with 19, which place him in third place in the league for both categories. Slavisa Ubiparipovic also ranks ninth in the MASL with 2.3 points per game. Ubiparipovic is also tied for first in the Eastern Division in goals (16) with fellow teammate Joey Tavernese. Bo Jelovac rounds out a forward partnership that has accumulated 86 points between the three players this season.
The Utica City defense have the seventh best defense in terms of goals allowed with 5.13 per game. Defender Darren Toby has been rock solid for Utica City this season with twenty-three blocked shots, which ranks second in the MASL. Defenders Ben Ramin, Jake Schindler, and Nate Bordeau have all accumulated double-digit blocked shots so far this season. Goalkeeper Andrew Coughlin only allows 4.89 goals per game and has recorded a .665 save percentage, which both rank second in the Eastern Division.
Utica City FC handed the Baltimore Blast their first home loss since moving into SECU Arena by a score of 9-1. Forward Bo Jelovac grabbed four points in a one goal and three assist performance against the Blast last time out. Defender Logan Roberts recorded a hat-trick against the Blast while goalkeeper Andrew Coughlin scored two goals in the fourth quarter. Utica City has only allowed thirteen goals in the four games versus the Blast this season. Utica City FC is coached by Head Coach Ryan Hall.
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from February 21, 2019
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- MetroStars Face Utica & Heat this Weekend - Mississauga MetroStars
- Ambush Host SeaWolves Friday, Tropics Sunday - St. Louis Ambush
- Ontario's Quiroz Named to MASL Team of the Week for Week 12 - Ontario Fury
- Game Preview - Milwaukee Wave vs. Harrisburg Heat - Harrisburg Heat
- Baltimore Blast v. Milwaukee Wave & Utica City Game Preview - Baltimore Blast
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