Comets Continue Hot Streak
Published on January 6, 2003 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2) News Release
The Kansas City Comets continued their recent hot streak with a pair of wins against the Harrisburg Heat last week, 19-8 at Kemper Arena on Tuesday and 20-14 in Harrisburg on Saturday night. With the wins, Kansas City stretched their winning streak to four straight games and improved to 7-3 in their last 10. The Comets are now 9-8 on the season, 3.5 games out of first place in the Western Conference.
While reigning Defensive Player of the Month Paolo Ceccarelli played well in goal for the Comets, it was 2001-02 MISL MVP Dino Delevski who shouldered the bulk of the burden for Kansas City. Delevski scored 14 points in those two games, including 11 on Saturday night, to move into the MISL scoring lead (74 points on the year).
Philadelphia found themselves down 7-4 to the Dallas Sidekicks in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game at the First Union Spectrum but recovered thanks to a pair of 2pgs from Pat Morris and ultimately secured a 10-7 win. The KiXX remain the only team in the MISL to be undefeated at home (11-0), and have now won eight straight games, the longest winning streak in the MISL this season.
The KiXX maintain their firm hold on first place in the Eastern Conference at 15-3, while the Cleveland Force sit in second place with a 9-8 record (5.5 games behind) after a 1-1 week. Harrisburg, now 9-11, is in third place (7.0 games behind), followed by the Baltimore Blast at 6-13 and nine games out of first. Baltimore also went 1-1 last week.
Thanks to a 2-1 record last week, Milwaukee enters this week with a 13-5 mark to top the Western Conference. Kansas City remains in second place, followed by San Diego (8-12, 6 games out) and Dallas (6-15, 8.5 games out). The Sockers defeated the Wave for the first time this season with a 10-8 win on January 2, while the Sidekicks went 0-3 last week and have now dropped four straight.
The MISL will be jumping this weekend, with three games on both Friday and Saturday nights, and one Sunday evening contest. The Comets, who won their first home game of the season on December 31, host a pair of home contests this weekend (Milwaukee on Friday, Cleveland on Saturday), while the Sidekicks wrap up their current seven-game road trip with games in Baltimore (Friday) and San Diego (Sunday).
DELEVSKI AND NOGUEIRA EARN WEEKLY HONORS: Offensive:
Kansas City Comets forward Dino Delevski has been named the MISL Offensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending January 5. Delevski scored 14 points (two 3pgs, three 2pgs, two assists) in two Comets wins last week to give him 74 points on the year and allow him to take the lead in the MISL Spalding Scoring Race.
Delevski scored three points (2pg, assist) in Kansas City's 19-8 win over Harrisburg at Kemper Arena on December 31, and tallied 11 points on two 3pgs, two 2pgs, and an assist in the Comet's 20-14 victory over the Heat on January 4 in Harrisburg.
Delevski, the reigning MISL MVP, has now won Offensive Player of the Week honors four times season. The 26-year-old striker also won the award for the seven-day periods ending October 27, November 10, and December 1.
Others Receiving Consideration:
Milwaukee Wave forward Greg Howes scored 11 points (five 2pgs, assist) in the team's three games last week.
Dallas Sidekicks forward Tatu posted nine points (two 2pgs, five assists) in three games last week. He now has 720 assists in his career, the second-most in indoor soccer history.
Defensive:
Milwaukee Wave goalkeeper Victor Nogueira has been named the MISL Defensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending January 5. Nogueira nabs the award after going 2-1 with a 7.01 points against average and an. 804 save percentage (41 saves on 51 shots) last week.
Nogeuira saved 9 of 13 shots in Milwaukee's 19-8 win over Dallas on December 31, and took the loss in San Diego against the Sockers on January 2 despite saving 21 of 25 shots and allowing only eight points. He then stopped 11 of 13 shots in Milwaukee's 14-5 victory over Baltimore on January 5.
Nogueira continues to lead the MISL in wins (13) and points against average (7.77), and is ranked third in save percentage. The 43-year-old was also the League's Defensive Player of the Week for the seven-day periods ending September 29, October 27, and December 8.
Others Receiving Consideration:
Kansas City Comets goalkeeper Paolo Ceccarelli went 2-0 with an 11.00 points against average and .776 save percentage (38 saves on 49 shots) in two Comets victories last week.
Baltimore Blast goalkeeper Scott Hileman stopped 12 of 15 shots (.800 save percentage) in Baltimore's 15-6 win over Cleveland on January 4.
THIS WEEK'S MISL SCHEDULE:
Friday, January 10 Dallas at Baltimore 7:35 p.m. ET
Harrisburg at Cleveland 7:35 p.m. ET
Milwaukee at Kansas City 8:05 p.m. CT
Saturday, January 11 Harrisburg at Milwaukee 1:05 p.m. CT
Philadelphia at Baltimore 7:35 p.m. ET
Cleveland at Kansas City 8:05 p.m. CT
Sunday, January 12 Dallas at San Diego 6:05 p.m. PT
MISL GAME RECAPS (December 30, 2002 â January 5, 2003)
Games of 12/31/2002
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
MILWAUKEE 19 7-2-4-6 6,723 31 9 0-0 Nogueira (9-13)
Dallas 8 0-0-6-2 24 0 0-2 Llamas (7-11)
Milwaukee received goals from five different players as the Wave jumped out to an 11-0 lead and held Dallas scoreless for the first 40:43 of the game on their way to a 19-8 victory at the Bradley Center. Greg Howes, Todd Dusosky, Matt Schmidt, Leighton O'Brien, and Carl Schmitt all found the net before the Sidekicks' Nick Stavrou scored a 2pg at 10:43 of the third quarter. Sagu started in goal for the Sidekicks and played the first 21:00, allowing nine points, before Jesse Llamas entered the contest. Llamas finished with seven saves on 11 shots and took the loss. Victor Nogueira went the distance for the Wave, saving nine of 13 shots. Howes led Milwaukee with a pair of 2pgs and an assist for five points, and O'Brien added two 2pgs (including the game-winner 43 seconds in the second quarter) and four points. Tatu led Dallas in scoring with five points on two 2pgs and an assist.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
KANSAS CITY 19 0-2-2-6 4,202 30 4 0-0 Ceccarelli (13-17)
Harrisburg 8 4-0-4-0 26 0 0-2 Petras (17-24)
Harrisburg pulled to within 10-8 at one point in the third quarter, but Kansas City exploded for nine fourth-quarter points to soar past the Heat 19-8 on Tuesday at Kemper Arena. The Comets built an 8-2 halftime lead and led 10-4 early in the third, but the Heat's Marco Coria (4:49) and Mike Henning (11:49) scored 2pgs to bring the Heat to within two as the final stanza opened. Kansas City put the game out of reach with two goals just 11 seconds apart in the fourth, a 2pg from Dino Delevski at 10:13 and a 3pg from Nino DaSilva (against sixth-attacker Martin Hernandez) at 10:24 to make it 15-8. K.C.'s Nate Houser led all scorers on the night with three 2pgs and an assist for seven points, while DaSilva added five points (3pg, 2pg). Nick Corneli and Goran Hunjak (twice, including the 500th goal of his career) also found the net for the Comets. Coria, Henning, David Barbosa, and Matt Tanzini scored the Heat goals. Paolo Ceccarelli, the MISL's Defensive Player of the Month for December, saved 13 of 17 shots in the win. Harrisburg's Doug Petras, playing his final game in a Heat uniform, made 17 stops in the loss.
Games of 01/02/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
SAN DIEGO 10 0-2-2-6 2,571 35 4 3-6 Vorberg (15-23)
Milwaukee 8 4-0-4-0 23 12 1-2 Nogueira (21-29)
Down 8-4 late in the third, San Diego's Aaron Susi scored a pair of two-point power play goals (at 12:38 of the third and 25 seconds into the fourth) to tie the game at 8-8, setting the stage for Carlos "Chile" Farias' game-winning 2pg at 8:42 of the fourth quarter as the Sockers defeated the Wave for the first time this season. Milwaukee's Greg Howes scored three of the Wave's four goals (Matt Schmidt had the other), as the Wave fell to 12-5 on the season. Three of the Sockers' five goals came on the power play, including Susi's two important tallies and a 2pg from Mariano Bollella at 7:22 of the third. Milwaukee also scored a power play goal in a game which featured eight in-game penalties and four postgame cards, including the ejections of San Diego's Paul Wright and Milwaukee's Lovelace Ackah. Nick Vorberg made 15 saves for the win in goal, while Victor Nogueira (21 saves) took the loss. Howes led all scorers with three 2pgs for six points, while Susi and Farias both scored two 2pgs for four points to lead San Diego.
Games of 01/03/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
CLEVELAND 16 6-4-2-4 3,637 37 4 0-2 Larkin (16-24)
Dallas 8 2-4-2-0 31 4 1-2 Sagu (15-29)
A 2pg from Leo Pernia at 1:11 of the first gave Dallas an early 2-0 lead, but the host Force rattled off eight unanswered points to build an 8-2 lead and never looked back. 2pgs from David Doyle (4:02) and Giampaulo Pedroso (6:03) in the second brought Dallas to within 8-6, but Cleveland responded shortly thereafter with a 2pg from Nevio Pizzolitto (the eventual game-winner) at 9:22 of the second. The Force outscored the Sidekicks 6-2 in the second half. Hector Marinaro assisted on four goals to run his scoring streak to 54 consecutive games. Giuliano Oliviero led all scorers with five points (two 2pgs, assist). Jim Larkin made 16 saves in the win, while Sagu made 15 stops in the loss. Dallas' David Doyle scored the 600th goal of his indoor career, and Sidekicks player/coach Tatu registered two assists to give him 718 for his career, the second-most in indoor soccer history.
Games of 01/04/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
BALTIMORE 15 8-2-2-3 6,403 27 5 1-1 Hileman (12-18)
Cleveland 6 0-2-2-2 22 7 0-0 Larkin (7-19)
The Baltimore Blast snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday, January 4, with a 15-6 win over the Force at 1st Mariner Arena. With 2pgs from Danny Kelly, Giuliano Celenza, Craig Scheer, and Billy Nelson (the game-winner at 12:41 of the first), the Blast constructed an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, and led 10-2 at the half. After Cleveland's Giuliano Oliviero and Baltimore's Andy Wells traded third-quarter 2pgs to make it 12-4, the Force inserted sixth attacker John Ball to generate some offense and received a 2pg from Nevio Pizzolitto at 12:39 to make it 12-6 â but just under a minute later, Blast rookie P.J. Wakefield bagged an empty-net 3pg to seal the final 15-6 score. Scott Hileman made 12 saves on 15 shots in net for Baltimore, and Jim Larkin stopped 7 of 13 shots in goal for the Force. Cleveland's Hector Marinaro assisted on a third-quarter goal to extend his scoring streak to 55 straight games.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Kansas City 20 2-9-5-4 4,199 32 9 1-1 Ceccarelli (25-39)
HARRISBURG 14 6-2-4-2 45 2 1-2 Salas (11-29)
Harrisburg built a 6-2 first-quarter lead on Saturday at the Farm Show Arena, but Kansas City's volatile offense proved too much for the hosts as the Comets outscored the Heat 18-8 the rest of the way en route to a 20-14 victory. Reigning MISL MVP Dino Delevski stole the spotlight in this one â the Comets striker finished with two 3pgs, two 2pgs, and an assist for 11 points on the night to assume the MISL scoring lead. Down by that early 6-2 deficit, Kansas City rang off seven unanswered points to take a 9-6 lead and never trailed again. Harrisburg kept it close throughout, pulling to within one point twice in the second half: Mike Henning's 2pg at 3:30 of the third made it 11-10, and a Genoni Martinez deuce at 9:26 made it 13-12. But Delevski's three-point restart rocket at 13:24 made it 16-12 and quelled the Heat rally. Martinez led Harrisburg with a 2pg and three assists for five points. Bill Sedgewick scored a pair of 2pgs for the Comets, who also received three assists from Nick Corneli. Former Heater Paolo Ceccarelli got the win in goal, saving 25 shots, and Raul Salas (11 saves) took the loss.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
PHILADELPHIA 10 0-4-0-6 4,134 30 7 0-0 Dobson (6-13)
Dallas 7 3-2-2-0 19 5 0-1 Sagu (12-20)
The Dallas Sidekicks gave the defending champion KiXX a scare Saturday night at the First Union Spectrum: Dallas led throughout the game and held a 7-4 advantage in the fourth quarter, but Philly's Pat Morris responded with two straight 2pgs, at 1:37 and 8:51, to put the KiXX ahead 8-7. Morris' output sent the KiXX to their eighth straight victory and allowed the team to remain perfect (11-0) at home this season. Dallas built the 7-4 lead thanks to a 3pg from David Doyle and 2pgs from Nick Stavrou and Brad Flanagan, while Philadelphia's first four points came from Chris Handsor and Joel Shanker. Edgar Bartolomeu added a 2pg against sixth attacker Doyle with nine seconds left to produce the final score. Stuart Dobson got the nod in net for the KiXX, finishing with 6 saves on 9 shots, and Sagu took the loss with 12 saves for Dallas.
Games of 01/05/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
MILWAUKEE 14 2-5-5-2 5,719 37 9 0-2 Nogueira (11-16)
Baltimore 5 0-0-2-3 23 16 0-3 Phillips (19-33)
The Milwaukee Wave put the defensive clamps on the visiting Blast on Sunday at the Bradley Center, holding Baltimore to just two points (a 2pg from Danny Kelly at 7:06 of the third) through the first 59:54 of the game on their way to a 14-5 win. The Blast's Lee Tschantret added a three-point restart goal with six seconds left for the final score. Milwaukee jumped out to a 7-0 halftime lead thanks to 2pgs from Marcelo Fontana (9:41 of the first) and Joe Reiniger (the game-winner at 7:14 of the second) sandwiched around a trey from Leighton O'Brien at 3:38 of the second, and upped their advantage to 10-0 when Pat White drilled a 3pg just 20 seconds into the third quarter. After Kelly's third-quarter score, White (11:09 of the third) and Brian Loftin (8:34 of the fourth) responded with 2pgs to make it 14-2 as the clock wound down. Brett Phillips saved 19 shots in goal for Baltimore, and Victor Nogueira saved 11 of 13 shots for the Wave. White led all scorers with a 2pg and a 3pg on the day.
TEAM CAPSULES (December 30, 2002 â January 5, 2003)
BALTIMORE BLAST (6-13)
The Blast snapped a three-game losing streak with a 15-6 win over Cleveland on January 4, then fell 14-5 to the Wave in Milwaukee on Sunday. Baltimore is now 2-4 under head coach Bobby McAvan, who assumed the post on December 9. Baltimore remains last in the League on the power play (5-23, 21.7%) and penalty kill (15-29, 51.7%). Tarik Walker broke into the top five on Baltimore's all-time games played list on Sunday in Milwaukee; it was his 231st game in a Baltimore uniform. Denison Cabral continues to lead the Blast in scoring; he ranks 17th in the League with 36 points. Cabral is also tied for third in the League with three restart goals. Defender Sean Bowers ranks third in the League with 40 blocked shots; Jason Dieter is tied for fifth with 32. Goalkeeper Scott Hileman, who allowed only three goals in the Blast's win on the 4th, ranks seventh in the League with an 11.12 points against average.
For The Record:
Home: 4-5 Road: 2-8 vs. Eastern Conference: 4-7 vs. Western Conference: 2-6
Up Next: Friday 1/10 vs. Dallas; Saturday 1/11 vs. Philadelphia; Friday 1/24 vs. Kansas City; Saturday 1/25 vs. San Diego
CLEVELAND FORCE (9-8)
Cleveland doubled up Dallas 16-8 on January 3 at The Convo (improving to 5-1 at home), and fell 15-6 in Baltimore on January 4. Hector Marinaro recorded four assists against Dallas and one against Baltimore to give him 42 points on the year; he ranks 10th in the League. Giuliano Oliviero, who scored seven points over the weekend, ranks 12th in the League with 40 points. Forward Chris Stathopoulos is fourth in the MISL with four power play goals. Defender D.J. Newsom leads the team and is fourth in the League with 34 blocks. Netminder Jim Larkin, who has started all 17 of the Force's games, leads the MISL with 259 saves and is second with 1,001 minutes played. He's ranked third with nine wins, and his PAA of 11.80 is ninth in the League.
For The Record:
Home: 5-1 Road: 4-7 vs. Eastern Conference: 3-5 vs. Western Conference: 6-3
Up Next: Friday 1/10 vs. Harrisburg; Saturday 1/11 at Kansas City; Saturday 1/18 vs. Milwaukee; Friday 1/24 vs. Philadelphia
DALLAS SIDEKICKS (6-15)
The Sidekicks' losing streak stretched to four games with a 19-8 loss in Milwaukee on December 31, a 16-8 defeat in Cleveland on January 3, and a 10-7 loss in Philadelphia on January 4. Dallas is now 1-9 on the road this season. Veteran forward David Doyle scored eight points in two games to give him 55 on the year, fourth-most in the MISL. He's third in the League with six power play goals, ranks fourth with 21 total goals, and tied for third with four 3pgs. Doyle scored the 600th goal of his indoor career on the 3rd. Sidekicks legend Tatu recorded nine points including five assists over the week to give him a League-leading 21 helpers this season and 720 for his career, the second-most in indoor soccer history. Tatu is tied for sixth in the League with 49 points, while Nick Stavrou (38) ranks 14th and Patrick Shamu (37) is tied for 15th. Goalkeeper Sagu ranks sixth in the MISL with an 11.02 PAA, ranks third with 238 saves, and leads the League with 1,105 minutes played. The Sidekicks will wrap up their current seven-game road trip this week with games in Baltimore (January 10) and San Diego (January 12) before coming home to take on Milwaukee at home (January 25).
For The Record:
Home: 5-6 Road: 1-9 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-6 vs. Western Conference: 1-9
Up Next: Friday 1/10 at Baltimore; Sunday 1/12 at San Diego; Saturday 1/25 vs. Milwaukee; Saturday 2/1 vs. San Diego
HARRISBURG HEAT (9-11)
Harrisburg lost a pair of games to the Kansas City Comets last week, 19-8 at Kemper Arena on December 31 and 20-14 at the Farm Show Arena on January 4. Genoni Martinez led the team scoring last week with a 2pg and five assists for seven points; he remains the League's highest-scoring defender with 51 points (fifth-most in the MISL), and ranks second in the League with 41 blocks and four restart goals. David Bascome leads the team in scoring with 56 points (third in the League); Bascome leads the MISL with 25 2pgs and 11 power play goals, and is second with 25 total goals. Marco Lopez (38 points, T-13th) and Marco Coria (34 points, 19th) also appear on the League leaderboard. Ato Leone is third in the League with 17 assists. Harrisburg's penalty kill continues to excel (15-22, 70.6%, ranked second), but the Heat's power play has dropped to fifth (17-44, 38.6%, ranked fifth). Doug Petras played his final game with the Heat on December 31; he remains the club's leading goalkeeper and is fourth in the League with a 10.69 PAA, 970 minutes played, and 236 saves.
For The Record:
Home: 7-5 Road: 2-6 vs. Eastern Conference: 4-6 vs. Western Conference: 5-5
Up Next: Friday 1/10 at Cleveland; Saturday 1/11 at Milwaukee; Sunday 1/19 at Philadelphia; Saturday 1/25 vs. Cleveland
KANSAS CITY COMETS (9-8)
The Comets remained hot with two wins over the Harrisburg Heat last week: 19-8 at home on December 31 and 20-14 in Harrisburg on January 4. Dino Delevski totaled 14 points in those games (including 11 on Saturday night at the Farm Show) to give him a League-leading 74 this season. He also now leads the League with 26 total goals and six 3pgs; is second with 20 2pgs; and is tied for fourth with 16 assists. Delevski is joined on the League leaderboard by Nino DaSilva (47 points, ninth) and Nate Houser (37 points, tied for 15th). Paolo Ceccarelli won both games last week and is now tied for third in the MISL with 9 wins, ranks fifth with a 10.94 PAA, is second with 256 saves, and leads the League with a .780 save percentage. The Comets boast the best road record in the League at 8-3 (.727); their win against Harrisburg on Dec. 31 was their first home victory of the year. Kansas City leads the League in offense (14.0 points per game), but is last in defense (13.1 ppg). The Comets have now won four straight and seven of their last 10.
For The Record:
Home: 1-5 Road: 8-3 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-3 vs. Western Conference: 4-5
Up Next: Friday 1/10 vs. Milwaukee; Saturday 1/11 vs. Cleveland; Friday 1/17 vs. San Diego; Saturday 1/18 vs. San Diego
MILWAUKEE WAVE (13-5)
The Wave went 2-1 last week, defeating Dallas 19-8 on December 31, losing to San Diego 10-8 on January 2, and downing Baltimore 14-5 on January 5. Victor Nogueira started all three games, saving 41 of 51 shots. Nogueira leads the League with 13 wins and a 7.77 points against average; he is third with a .762 save percentage. Greg Howes led the Wave in scoring last week with 11 points on five 2pgs and an assist. He now has 48 points (eighth in the League) on the season, and is tied for the MISL lead with four game-winning scores. Joe Reiniger leads the Wave in scoring with 49 points (tied for sixth overall). Reiniger is second in the League with seven power play goals, is tied for third with four 3pgs, and leads the League with five restart goals. Todd Dusosky, who assisted on six goals over the team's three games last week, now leads the League with 22 assists. The Wave boasts the League's best defense (8.8 points per game) and is tied for the top spot in offense (14.0 ppg). Milwaukee also ranks first on the power play (19-34, 55.9%) and penalty kill (25-33, 75.8%).
For The Record:
Home: 7-2 Road: 6-3 vs. Eastern Conference: 4-3 vs. Western Conference: 9-2
Up Next: Friday 1/10 at Kansas City; Saturday 1/11 vs. Harrisburg; Saturday 1/18 at Cleveland; Friday 1/24 vs. San Diego
PHILADELPHIA KIXX (15-3)
Philadelphia improved to a perfect 11-0 at home with their only game of the week, a 10-7 win over Dallas on January 4 at the First Union Spectrum. The KiXX have now won eight consecutive games (the longest such streak in the League this year). Pat Morris scored four points (two 2pgs) to lead the KiXX in scoring, while Stuart Dobson nabbed the win in net (6 saves). Joel Shanker leads the team with 41 points on the year; he ranks 11th in the MISL. Don D'Ambra is tied for the League lead with four game-winning goals. Goalkeeper Peter Pappas did not play last week, but is ranked third in the League with a 9.04 points against average, and ranks second with 11 wins and fifth with a .735 save percentage. Philadelphia is third in the League offensively (11.7 points per game) and second defensively (8.9 ppg).
For The Record:
Home: 11-0 Road: 4-3 vs. Eastern Conference: 8-1 vs. Western Conference: 7-2
Up Next: Saturday 1/11 at Baltimore; Sunday 1/19 vs. Harrisburg; Friday 1/24 at Cleveland; Saturday 1/25 vs. Kansas City
SAN DIEGO SOCKERS (8-12)
The Sockers came from behind to defeat the Milwaukee Wave 10-8 on January 2, the team's only game of the week. Aaron Susi and Carlos Farias both scored a pair of 2pgs in that game, and Nick Vorberg saved 15 shots in the contest, which marked the first time that the Sockers have defeated the Wave this season. The Sockers went 3-6 on the power play in the game. Farias' four points gave him 67 on the season; he has fallen out of the League's scoring lead and finds himself seven points behind Kansas City's Dino Delevski. He is third in the League with 23 total goals and tied for fourth with 16 assists. Gaston Pernia continues to lead the League in blocks with 44. Goalkeeper Nick Vorberg is second in the League with an 8.73 points against average and a .763 save percentage. The Sockers face Western Conference opponents in each of their next four games; San Diego is 6-4 against Conference foes so far this year.
For The Record:
Home: 5-6 Road: 3-6 vs. Eastern Conference: 2-8 vs. Western Conference: 6-4
Up Next: Sunday 1/12 vs. Dallas; Friday 1/17 at Kansas City; Saturday 1/18 at Kansas City; Friday 1/24 at Milwaukee
LEAGUE NOTES:
- Kansas City goalkeeper Paolo Ceccarelli and Harrisburg defender Genoni Martinez were named the MISL's Defensive and Offensive Players of the Month, respectively, last week; Ceccarelli went 3-2 with a 9.04 points against average and a .768 save percentage during the month, while Martinez scored 8 goals and 24 points while blocking 17 shots in December
- The Comets' Goran Hunjak scored the 500th goal of his indoor career with a fourth-quarter tally against Harrisburg on December 31
- Dallas Sidekicks forward David Doyle scored the 600th goal of his indoor career on January 3 in Cleveland; he is one of only eight players in the history of the game to hit that mark
- Sidekicks player/coach Tatu notched two assists on January 3 against the Force, giving him 718 for his legendary career; only Zoran Karic (821) has assisted on more goals in indoor soccer history
- Cleveland forward Hector Marinaro extended his scoring streak to 55 games with an assist in Cleveland's 15-6 loss in Baltimore on January 4
- Harrisburg Heat captain David Bascome served as the team's head coach on January 4 as Erich Geyer served a one-game suspension as a result of his ejection on December 31 in Kansas City
- Milwaukee defender Lovelace Ackah's streak of 122 consecutive games played was snapped at 122 when he did not play on January 5 against Baltimore; he had been red-carded on January 2 against San Diego. Ackah's streak goes down as the fourth-longest in team history
- Philadelphia forwards Joel Shanker and Chris Handsor both played their 200th career games against Dallas on January 4
- Baltimore forward Gino DiFlorio has amassed 496 career assists and needs just four more dishes to become the seventh player in indoor soccer history to collect 500 career assists
QUOTE CORNER:
"In a game like this I wish I wouldn't have gotten an assist. I don't like to get an assist and then my name gets mentioned when we played lousy. The streak should be over. It's extremely disappointing."
- Cleveland Force forward Hector Marinaro after Cleveland's 15-6 loss in Baltimore on January 4; Marinaro recorded an assist to extend his scoring streak to 55 consecutive games
"I'm absolutely ecstatic. Out with the old and in with the new. We want to get rid of all the bad stuff that's been going on, and this was a fresh start for us."
- Baltimore Blast head coach Bobby McAvan, after his team's 15-6 win over Cleveland on January 4
DELEVSKI USES BIG WEEK TO TAKE LEAD IN SPALDING SCORING RACE:
Kansas City Comets striker Dino Delevski scored 14 points in two games last week to assume the lead in the MISL's Spalding Scoring race. Delevski, who scored 210 points last year en route to the 2001-02 Most Valuable Player Award, now has 74 points on the year, seven points ahead of San Diego Sockers forward Carlos "Chile" Farias (67). Harrisburg's David Bascome (56) ranks third, followed by Dallas' David Doyle (55) and Harrisburg Heat defender Genoni Martinez (51).
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from January 6, 2003
- Comets Continue Hot Streak - MISL 2
- Force Weekly - Cleveland Force
- Heat Weekly - Harrisburg Heat
- Come Party With The Pros - San Diego Sockers
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.
