Crunch continues late-season surge
by MISL Press Release
March 18, 2002 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
The Cleveland Crunch won a pair of contests last week to extend the club's current winning streak to four games while climbing within two games of the Baltimore Blast and the Major Indoor Soccer League's fourth and final playoff berth. Cleveland (13-23) has eight games remaining on its 2001-02 schedule, including a contest at Baltimore on April 13. The Blast (14-20) has 10 games left to play, with five contests scheduled for the Baltimore Arena and five slated for the road. The Crunch claimed a pair of games vs. Harrisburg last week to extend the club's longest winning streak of the season as Otto Orf made 37 saves during the home-in-home series. Cleveland posted a 20-12 win at Harrisburg on Saturday, March 16 and a 17-14 home win vs. the Heat on Sunday, March 17.
Kansas City also enjoyed a perfect 2-0 week. The Comets improved to 20-14 overall and 16-0 at Kemper Arena with a 20-13 victory over Milwaukee on Friday, March 15 and a 21-12 triumph over Baltimore on March 17. Kansas City's magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now two while the club's magic number to clinch third place is five.
Milwaukee (27-9) rebounded from the loss at Kansas City to post a 14-4 victory over Philadelphia on March 17. The Wave's magic number to clinch home field for the first round of the MISL Playoffs is three.
Despite the loss at Milwaukee, Philadelphia (24-12) remained within striking distance of the Wave with a 16-6 victory at Harrisburg (8-28) on Thursday, March 14. The Kixx currently hold a three-game lead on third-place Kansas City while trailing first-place Milwaukee by three games with eight contests to play.
After a 0-3 week, the Heat's playoff chances have faded considerably. Any combination of Heat losses or Baltimore wins that equals two will eliminate Harrisburg from postseason contention.
REINIGER'S STREAK SNAPPED AT 105 GAMES
The second longest scoring streak in League history was snapped in Milwaukee on March 17 when Wave forward Joe Reiniger failed to record a point during Milwaukee's 14-4 win vs. Philadelphia. The 31-year old forward entered the game riding a 105-games scoring streak, which began on March 13, 1999 when Reiniger, playing for the St. Louis Ambush, recorded three assists in a 16-14 victory over the Detroit Rockers. Zoran Karic, currently of the Harrisburg Heat, owns the League mark for consecutive games with a point at 159. Karic set the mark from 1992-97 while playing for the Cleveland Crunch.
DELEVSKI AND ORF EARN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Offensive:
Kansas City forward Dino Delevski has been named the MISL Offensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending March 17. Delevski receives the award after recording a 3-point goal, three 2-point goals, a 1-point goal, three assists, and 13 points in two outings last week.
Delevski opened his week by registering a 2-point goal and three assists for five points in Kansas City's 20-13 victory vs. the Milwaukee Wave on March 15. The 25-year old striker then added a 3-point goal, two 2-point goals, a 1-point score, and eight points in the Comets' 21-12 triumph over the Baltimore Blast on March 17.
The native of Macedonia currently ranks second in the MISL in scoring with 146 points while leading the League in 3-point goals (14), 2-point goals (38), and total goals (60).
The naming of Delevski as the MISL Offensive Player of the Week marks the fourth time that the three-year veteran has received the award this season. Delevski was also honored for the seven-day periods ending December 2, January 13, and March 13.
Honorable Mention:
Milwaukee midfielder Marcelo Fontana registered five 2-point goals for 10 points in two games last week. The five-year veteran posted three 2-point goals in Milwaukee's 20-13 loss at Kansas City on March 15 before adding a pair of 2-point tallies during the Wave's 14-4 victory over Philadelphia on March 17.
Fontana has posted 11 goals, 13 assists, and 35 points in 36 games played this season.
Defensive:
Cleveland goalkeeper Otto Orf has been named the MISL Defensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending March 17. Orf receives the award after posting a 2-0 record last week with a 20-12 victory at Harrisburg on March 16 and a 17-14 triumph vs. the Heat on March 17.
The 10-year veteran allowed 26 points in 119:07 for a 13.10 points against average while stopping 37 of 50 shots faced for a .740 save percentage.
Orf, who claims the Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week, is currently tied for fourth in the MISL in save percentage at .714 and ranks fifth in both points against average at 13.29 and in saves with 325.
Honorable Mention:
Comets goalkeeper Chris Damico went 2-0 last week with a pair of home victories over the Milwaukee Wave (20-13) and the Baltimore Blast (21-12).
Damico allowed 25 points in 120 minutes of action for a 12.50 points against average while stopping 22 of 35 shots faced.
The nine-year veteran is second in the MISL in saves with 411 while ranking third in both wins (18) and minutes played (1,676).
THIS WEEK'S MISL SCHEDULE (all times local)
Wednesday, March 20 Philadelphia at Kansas City 7:05 p.m. Friday, March 22: Philadelphia Baltimore 7:35 p.m. Milwaukee at Harrisburg 7:35 p.m. Saturday, March 23: Milwaukee at Philadelphia 7:05 p.m. Cleveland at Kansas City 7:35 p.m. Baltimore at Harrisburg 7:35 p.m. Sunday, March 24: Kansas City at Cleveland 2:05 p.m. Harrisburg at Baltimore 3:05 p.m.
MISL GAME RECAPS
GAMES OF 03/14/2002 (Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF) Philadelphia 16 6-4-4-2 2,587 24 13 2-2 Pappas (20-23) HARRISBURG 6 0-6-0-0 38 4 1-3 Petras (8-16)
Peter Pappas made 20 saves as the Philadelphia Kixx defeated the Harrisburg Heat, 16-6, at the PA State Farm Show Arena on Thursday, March 14. The Kixx took a first quarter lead as Don D'Ambra (12 seconds), Joel Shanker (58 seconds), and Kevin Sloan (11:08) produced a 6-0 Philadelphia advantage through one quarter of play. Pat Morris (22 seconds) made it an 8-0 game before Mat Tanzini (6:29) and Wendell Regis (8:36) answered for Harrisburg. After Shanker made the score 10-4, Philly, with his second 2-pointer of the contest at 9:02, Zoran Karic (13:38) concluded the first half scoring with a deuce to bring the Heat within four at 10-6. Unfortunately for Harrisburg, the second half belonged to Philadelphia. Joe Scigliano (3:47) and Jim Hesch (9:45) each notched third quarter goals before D'Ambra concluded the scoring with a deuce at the 51-second mark of the fourth frame to produce the 16-6 final. D'Ambra led the Kixx in scoring with two 2-point goals and an assist for five points. Karic, Regis, and Tanzini each posted 2-point goals for the Heat. Pappas got the win while Doug Petras (eight saves) took the loss.
GAMES OF 03/15/2002 (Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF) KANSAS CITY 20 3-4-2-11 4,117 28 4 0-0 Damico (11-18) Milwaukee 13 3-0-8-2 25 4 0-0 Nogueira (11-19)
Nino DaSilva posted five points as the Kansas City Comets defeated the Milwaukee Wave, 20-13, at Kemper Arena on Friday, March 15. Wes Wade opened the scoring with a 3-point goal at the 51-second mark before Troy Dusosky answered for the Wave with a 3-pointer of his own at 3:49. In the second, Goran Hunjak (7:57) and Nate Houser (8:45) posted 2-point goals to give the Comets a 7-3 halftime lead. Marcelo Fontana opened the second half with a 2-point goal at 2:17 of the third before Wade answered with a deuce at 6:18. Fontana then notched his second 2-pointer at 6:31 before Martin Dugas tied the score at nine with a 2-point tally at 8:04. Fontana gave Milwaukee the club's first lead with his third 2-pointer at 12:00 before DaSilva tied the game with a 2-pointer at the 43-second mark of the fourth quarter. Greg Howes reclaimed the lead for the Wave at 13-11 with a deuce at the 58-secod mark, however, his goal would signal the end of the scoring for the visitors as Kansas City went on a 9-0 run to end the game. Hunjak (9:59), DaSilva (10:57), and Dino Delevski (13:26) each posted 2-point goals before Vlatko Andonovski hit a 3-point score at 13:43 to seal the win. DaSilva (two 2-point goals, assist), Hunjak (two 2-point goals, assist), and Wade (3-point goal, 2-point goal) led the Comets offense with five points while Fontana (three 2-point scores) paced the Wave with six points. Chris Damico earned the win with 11 saves while Victor Nogueira took the loss with 11 stops on the night.
GAMES OF 03/16/2002 (Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF) Cleveland 20 6-2-7-5 4,457 36 6 2-2 Orf (19-25) HARRISBURG 12 0-2-4-6 38 9 1-3 Petras (19-27)
Giuliano Oliviero posted eight points as the Cleveland Crunch defeated the Harrisburg Heat, 20-12, at the PA State Farm Show Arena on Saturday, March 16. Oliviero (9:41), Lee Edgerton (10:11), and Justin Evans (14:11) each posted 2-point goals to give the Crunch an early lead. In the second, Cleveland made it 8-0 on a Edgerton 2-pointer at 11:52 before Mat Tanzini scored the final goal of the half at 13:46 to produce an 8-2 count. Harrisburg's Zoran Karic (2:16) and Allen Eller (6:54) each notched 2-point goals to bring the Heat within two at 8-6 early in the third. The Crunch responded, though, with a decisive 7-0 run. Bill Sedgewick (8:11), Oliviero (3-point goal, 11:13), and Edgerton (12:14) each notched scores to put Cleveland ahead, 15-6. David Bascome (1:17) and Chris Morman (7:01) notched early fourth quarter goals as the Heat got back within five, but an Oliviero tally at 9:28 made it 17-10, Cleveland. After Matt Knowles (13:14) connected for Harrisburg, Otto Orf scored a 3-pointer against the Heat sixth attacker offense at 13:59 to seal the victory. Oliviero (3-point goal, two 2-point goals, assist) led all scorers while Karic and Tanzini paced Harrisburg with three points each. Orf (19 saves) got the win while Doug Petras (19 saves) took the loss.
GAMES OF 03/17/02 (Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF) MILWAUKEE 14 0-5-4-5 9,818 35 4 1-2 Nogueira (16-88) Philadelphia 4 0-0-0-4 40 4 0-2 Pappas (21-28)
Victor Nogueira played over 47 minutes of shutout soccer as the Milwaukee Wave defeated the Philadelphia Kixx, 14-4, in front of 9,818 fans at the Bradley Center on Sunday, March 17. After a scoreless first quarter, the Wave took a 5-0 halftime lead as Sipho Sibiya (2-pointer, 4:24) and Michael King (3-pointer, 12:00) notched second quarter goals. In the third, Marcelo Fontana added a pair of two pointers at 6:54 and 9:40 to give Milwaukee a 9-0 advantage. Don D'Ambra finally got Philadelphia on the board with a 2-pointer at 2:31 of the fourth before Chris Handsor added a deuce at 7:00 to make it a 9-4 game. Martin Dugas would notch a 2-pointer for the Wave at 13:10, however, and Pat White would add a 3-point goal at 14:21 to give Milwaukee the 14-4 victory. Fontana led the Wave with two 2-point goals and four points while D'Ambra and Handsor each notched two points for the Kixx. Nogueira (16 saves) got the win while Peter Pappas (21 saves) took the loss.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF) KANSAS CITY 21 0-11-4-6 3,245 27 0 0-0 Damico (11-17) Baltimore 12 4-2-2-4 36 5 0-0 Mounban (13-23)
Dino Delevski recorded eight points as the Kansas City Comets defeated the Baltimore Blast, 21-12, at Kemper Arena on Sunday, March 17. The Blast took an early lead on 2-point goals from Lance Johnson (2:03) and Denison Cabral (4:07), but, Brian Hinkey responded at the 22-second mark of the second for Kansas City before Delevski (1:42) and Alex Zotinca (7:01) each nailed 3-point goals to give the Comets an 8-4 lead. After Paul Wright registered a 2-pointer for Baltimore at 7:23, Jake Dancy scored a deuce at 11:29 and Delevski hit a 1-point shootout goal at 11:31 to close the first half. In the third, Brian Hinkey (49 seconds) and Giuliano Celenza traded 2-point scores before Nino DaSilva ended the quarter's scoring with a deuce at 4:53. Lee Tschantret made it a 15-10 game with a 2-pointer at 1:07 of the fourth, but Delevski answered at 3:19. Following a Danny Santoro tally at 4:24, Goran Hunjak (10:18) and Delevski (11:51) ended the scoring with a pair of 2-point goals to give the Comets a 21-12 win. Delevski (3-point goal, two 2-point goals, 1-point score) led all scorers while Cabral paced Baltimore with a 2-point goal and two assists for four points. Chris Damico (11 saves) got the win while Karim Mounban (13 saves) took the loss.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF) CLEVELAND 17 2-9-4-2 3,969 36 2 0-0 Orf (18-25) Harrisburg 14 0-6-6-2 44 0 0-0 Petras (16-24)
Steve Butcher scored three goals as the Cleveland Crunch defeated the Harrisburg Heat, 17-14, at the CSU Convocation Center on Sunday, March 17. Butcher opened the scoring with a 2-point goal at 1:57 of the first. Nick Corneli then connected on a 3-point score at 5:04 of the second frame to give the Heat a 3-2 lead. Lee Edgerton (6:47), Hector Marinaro (7:35), and Chad James (7:51) each notched 2-point goals though to put the Crunch back on top, 8-3. After Matt Tanzini (2-pointer, 8:39) and Butcher (3-pointer, 11:41) exchanged goals, Zoran Karic ended the first half scoring with a 1-point shootout goal at 13:53, which made the score, 11-6 in favor of the home team. In the third, Justin Evans (3:34) and Nevio Pizzolitto (6:54) each tallied 2-point goals before Allen Eller (8:35, 12:35) and Chris Morman (10:08) answered for Harrisburg to get within three at 15-12. Butcher responded for the Crunch though, with a 2-point goal at 6:02 before Tanzini concluded the scoring with his second deuce at 14:07. Butcher (3-point goal, two 2-point goals) led all scorers with eight points while Corneli, Eller, and Tanzini each posted four points for the Heat. Otto Orf (18 saves) earned the win while Doug Petras (16 stops) took the loss.
TEAM CAPSULES
Baltimore Blast (14-20)
The Blast dropped a 21-12 decision at Kansas City on March 17 in the club's only action last week. Denison Cabral led the Baltimore offense with four points. Cabral is tied for fifth in MISL scoring with 90 points while ranking third in 2-point goals with 31 and fourth in 1-point goals with seven. The midfielder is also tied for fourth in total goals with 39. Paul Wright is tied for eighth in scoring with 86 points while being tied for fourth in assists with 32. Sean Bowers is 15th in scoring with 74 points and is second in 3-point goals with 12. Lee Tschantret is 17th in scoring with 66 points while Giuliano Celenza and Tarik Walker are tied for 18th with 65 points. Scott Hileman remains the MISL leader in minutes played (1,818), saves (466), and save percentage (.732) while ranking third in points against average at 12.01. The Blast leads the League on the penalty kill (16-25, 64%) while ranking second on the power play (21-35, 60%). Baltimore has 10 games remaining (five home, five away). The Blast will play three of the club's next four contests at home before playing four of the team's final six games on the road. Baltimore will play three games in three days beginning on Friday, March 22 vs. Philadelphia and ending on Sunday, March 24 vs. Harrisburg.
Leading Scorers: Cabral (90 points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Hileman (12-18; 12.01 paa; .732 save percentage)
Up Next: Fri. March 22 vs. Philadelphia, Sat. March 23 at Harrisburg, Sun. March 24 vs. Harrisburg
Cleveland Crunch (13-23)
Cleveland is the hottest team in the League, going 2-0 last week to push the club's season-high winning streak to four games. The Crunch posted a 20-12 win at Harrisburg on March 16 and a 17-14 home victory over the Heat on March 17. Hector Marinaro posted five points in the two wins and continues to pace the MISL in scoring with 150 points and in assists with 62. John Ball is 16th in scoring with 72 points. Otto Orf went 2-0 last week and is now tied for fourth in the MISL in save percentage at .714 and ranks fifth in saves with 325. Kiley Couch leads the League in blocks with 78. The Crunch is just two games behind Baltimore for the MISL's fourth and final playoff berth. Cleveland has eight games left, with six of those contests, including the final five of the season, on the road. Cleveland will play its next to last game of the season in Baltimore on April 13 before traveling to Harrisburg to end the 2001-02 campaign on April 14. The Crunch currently leads the season series with the Blast by a 4-3 margin.
Leading Scorer: Marinaro (150 points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Orf (8-13; 13.29 paa; .714 save percentage)
Up Next: Sat. March 23 at Kansas City, Sun. March 24 vs. Kansas City, Fri. March 29 vs. Milwaukee
Harrisburg Heat (8-28)
The Heat went 0-3 last week with home losses to Philadelphia (16-6 on March 14) and Cleveland (20-12 on March 16) before falling, 17-14 to the Crunch at the CSU Convocation Center on March 17. Harrisburg sits seven games out of playoff contention with eight games remaining on the club's 2001-02 schedule. David Bascome continues to fight through injury and ranks seventh in MISL scoring with 88 points. Chris Morman is fourth in blocks with 57. Doug Petras ranks third in saves with 392 and fifth in minutes with 1,538. Matt Tanzini enjoyed his most productive week of the season, posting four goals and an assist for nine points. The Heat could play a big role in the MISL playoff picture. Harrisburg has three games left with Baltimore and one remaining with Cleveland. The Heat will play a home-and-home series with the Blast this weekend after hosting Milwaukee on Friday, March 22.
Leading Scorer: Bascome (88 points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Petras (7-18; 13.61 paa; .711 save percentage)
Up Next: Fri. March 22 vs. Milwaukee, Sat. March 23 vs. Baltimore, Sun. March 24 at Baltimore
Kansas City Comets (20-14)
The Comets claimed a pair of home games last week with a 20-13 win over Milwaukee on March 15 and a 21-12 victory over Baltimore on March 17. Dino Delevski posted 13 points in the two victories and is second in MISL scoring with 146 points while ranking first in 3-point goals (14), 2-point goals (38), and total goals (60). Wes Wade is tied for fifth in League scoring with 90 points and ranks second in assists with 34. Nino DaSilva is 10th in scoring with 82 points while Alex Zotinca is 14th with 75 points. Chris Damico is second in the MISL in saves with 411 while ranking third in minutes (1,676) and wins (18). The Comets lead the MISL on the power play (20-30, 66.7%) while ranking second on the penalty kill (19-32, 59.4%). Kansas City's magic number to clinch a playoff spot is one. The Comets magic number to clinch third place is five. Kansas City trails second-place Philadelphia by three games and will play the Kixx twice in the final four weeks of the season. The Comets host Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 20 and will travel to Philadelphia for the final game of the season on April 14. Kansas City is now 18-8 since opening the season at 2-6.
Leading Scorers: Delevski (146 points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Damico (18-11; 13.06 paa; .698 save percentage)
Up Next: Wed. March 20 vs. Philadelphia, Sat. March 23 vs. Cleveland, Sun. March 24 at Cleveland
Milwaukee Wave (27-9)
The Wave split a pair of games last week with a 20-13 loss at Kansas City on March 15 and a 14-4 home victory over Philadelphia on March 17. Joe Reiniger returned from injury for the contest vs. the Kixx, but did not score, snapping his scoring streak at 105 games. Reiniger remains third in MISL scoring with 123 points while ranking third in assists with 33. The forward also leads the MISL in 1-point goals with 12. Brian Loftin is fourth in League scoring with 93 points and ranks second in 2-point goals with 34. Michael King is tied for eighth in MISL scoring with 86 points, Todd Dusosky is tied for 12th with 76 points, and Greg Howes is tied for 18th with 65 points. Victor Nogueira went 1-1 last week to push his record to 23-4 on the season. Nogueira leads the League in wins, and points against average (9.19) while ranking second in save percentage (.727). The Wave's magic number to clinch home field for the first round of the MISL Playoffs is three and the club's magic number to clinch home field throughout the playoffs is six. Milwaukee will play its next three outings on the road before returning to the Bradley Center for four straight contests beginning on March 30.
Leading Scorers: Reiniger (123 points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Nogueira (23-4; 9.19 paa; .727 save percentage)
Up Next: Fri. March 22 at Harrisburg, Sat. March 23 at Philadelphia, Fri. March 29 at Cleveland
Philadelphia Kixx (24-12)
The Kixx split a pair of games last week with a 16-6 win at Harrisburg on March 14 and a 14-4 loss at Milwaukee on March 17. Chris Handsor recorded four points in the two games and is ranked 11th in MISL scoring with 81 points. Joel Shanker is tied for 12th with 76 points. Peter Pappas is second in the MISL in wins (21), points against average (10.71), and minutes (1,815). The Kixx remain the only MISL team with a road record above .500 at 10-8. Despite the loss at Milwaukee, Philadelphia remains within striking distance of the Wave and has gone 8-2 in the club's last 10 games. The Kixx are three games behind Milwaukee with eight games to play. Philadelphia's magic number to clinch home field for the first round of the MISL Playoffs is seven. The Kixx will play three of the club's next five games on the road before enjoying two of the club's final three outings at home.
Leading Scorer: Handsor (81 points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Pappas (21-10; 10.71 paa; .714 save percentage)
Up Next: Wed. March 20 at Kansas City, Fri. March 22 at Baltimore, Sat. March 23 vs. Milwaukee
MISL NOTES
- The Philadelphia at Kansas City game originally scheduled for Friday, February 1 in Wichita, KS, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 20; Game time at Kemper Arena is 7:05 CST
- The Milwaukee Wave held the team's annual St. Patrick's Day Jersey Auction on March 17; Wave players wore special green game jerseys, which were then auctioned off at the conclusion of the Milwaukee-Philadelphia contest; the event raised $8,250 for the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
- The MISL held its Amateur Draft on Tuesday, March 12 with 45 collegiate players being selected during the five-round event; A total of 17 midfielders, 14 forwards, 10 defenders, three midfielder/forwards, and one goalkeeper were selected
- The United States Futsal National Team is currently conducting a training camp in Washington, D.C. with 12 MISL players in attendance; the camp, which runs March 17-22, includes Milwaukee's Troy Dusosky, Dewayne Gilpatrick, Dan Green, Greg Howes, Johnny Torres, and Pat White as well as Cleveland's John Ball, Steve Butcher, Lee Edgerton, and Otto Orf; also tabbed for the camp are Harrisburg's Chris Morman and Matt Tanzini
- Home teams went 4-2 last week and now stand at 71-35 on the season, which equates to a .670 winning percentage
QUOTE CORNER
"In a way I'm kind of glad it's over...it was a great accomplishment but now we can just concentrate on what we want to do as a team."
- Milwaukee forward Joe Reiniger after his 105-game scoring streak came to an end during the Wave's 14-4 victory over Philadelphia on March 17
"It's unbelievable...we're taking quality shots... Otto (Orf) played unbelievable tonight and the other night it was (Peter) Pappas."
- Harrisburg acting head coach Gino DiFlorio after the Heat's 20-12 loss to Cleveland on March 16
"It was great to be back, great to see some old friends again."
- Harrisburg forward Zoran Karic following the Heat's 17-14 loss at Cleveland on March 17; the contest marked Karic's first contest at the CSU Convocation Center since his final game with the Crunch during the 1999-00 season
• Discuss this story on the Major Indoor Soccer League 2 message board...
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from March 18, 2002
- Crunch continues late-season surge - OSC Original by MISL Press Release
- Heat Weekly - Harrisburg Heat
- MISL DISCIPLINES PHILADELPHIA'S NAMAZI - MISL 2
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
