Delevski Earns All-Star MVP

March 10, 2003 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2) News Release

Kansas City Comets superstar Dino Delevski scored eight points, including the game-winning 3pg at 13:01 of the fourth quarter, to lead the Western Conference All-Stars to a 20-13 win over the Eastern Conference side in the 2003 MISL All-Star Game, held on Sunday, March 9, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI. Delevski's heroics earned him the All-Star Most Valuable Player Award.

In front of 8,429 fans, the Eastern Conference took a 13-12 lead at 9:48 of the fourth quarter with a 3pg from Harrisburg Heat defender Genoni Martinez (his second score of the game). Delevski's three-point rip came just under four minutes later, and was the first of three unanswered goals by the West to finish the game.

Martinez led the East with five points (3pg, 2pg), and Baltimore's P.J. Wakefield, the only rookie in the contest, scored a pair of 2pgs. Todd Dusosky of the host Milwaukee Wave scored two 2pgs for the West team. Philadelphia's Peter Pappas (seven saves) and Cleveland's Jim Larkin (13 saves) split goalkeeping duties for the East, while the Wave's Victor Nogueira (13 saves) and San Diego's Nick Vorberg (10 saves) shared time in net for the West. None of them were credited with decisions, however: for the first time in All-Star Game history, sixth attackers received the win and the loss. Cleveland's John Ball took the loss, and Milwaukee's Troy Dusosky got the win.

The weekend's All-Star festivities were underscored by Friday's announcement that the League's governing body had granted conditional approval to ownership groups in St. Louis, MO, and Laredo, TX, to field expansion teams for the 2003-04 season.

The St. Louis franchise will be called the Steamers (as the city's team in the original MISL was known from 1980-88) and will play in the Family Arena in nearby St. Charles. St. Louis was also home to the Storm of the original MISL from 1989-92, the Ambush of the National Professional Soccer League from 1992-2000, and the Steamers of the World Indoor Soccer League in 2000 and 2001. Daryl Doran, who starred as a defender on all of St. Louis' indoor teams, will coach the squad.

The "Texas Outlaws of Laredo" will play at the Laredo Entertainment Center. Laredo, noted as the second-fastest growing city in the United States, is situated along the border with Mexico, approximately 130 miles south of San Antonio.

The MISL will return to regular game action this weekend with seven contests. Primarily at stake is the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference; with a win in either of its games this weekend or a Harrisburg loss, the Baltimore Blast would clinch the spot, joining Philadelphia and Cleveland in the postseason. In the West, Kansas City can clinch second place (and home field advantage in the first round) with a victory or San Diego loss.

DELEVSKI AND CECCARELLI WIN WEEKLY HONORS: Offensive:

Kansas City Comets All-Star Dino Delevski has been named the MISL Offensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending March 9.

Delevski, the MISL's 2001-02 SPALDING Scoring Champion and Most Valuable Player, scored four points in the Comets' 26-6 win over Philadelphia in a School Day Game at Kemper Arena last Tuesday morning, and earned All-Star Most Valuable Player honors for his three-goal, eight-point performance in Sunday's All-Star Game.

The 26-year-old striker leads the MISL with 136 points this season, and is first with 48 total goals and 40 2pgs, second with 32 assists, and tied for second with eight 3pgs. The native of Macedonia has now earned Offensive Player of the Week honors six times this season.

Defensive:

Kansas City Comets goalkeeper Paolo Ceccarelli has been named the MISL Defensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending March 9.

Ceccarelli saved 12 of 14 shots and allowed only four points in Kansas City's 26-6 win over Philadelphia in a School Day Game at Kemper Arena last Tuesday.

For the season, Ceccarelli is now 17-9 with an 11.57 points against average (seventh in the League). He is second in the MISL in both minutes played (1,695) and save percentage (.753), tied for second in wins, and leads the League with 478 saves.

This marks the fourth time this season that Ceccarelli has snagged weekly honors.

THIS WEEK'S MISL SCHEDULE:

Friday, March 14 Philadelphia at Cleveland 7:35 p.m. ET
Dallas at Kansas City 8:05 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 15 Dallas at Milwaukee 1:05 p.m. CT
Baltimore at Kansas City 8:05 p.m. CT
Harrisburg at San Diego 7:05 p.m. PT
Sunday, March 16 Philadelphia at Milwaukee 1:05 p.m. CT
Baltimore at Cleveland 3:05 p.m. ET

MISL GAME RECAPS (March 3 – March 9, 2003)

Games of 03/04/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Cleveland 13 4-0-7-2 5,184 21 9 0-1 Larkin (17-21)
DALLAS 8 0-0-4-4 31 17 1-2 Llamas (6-12)

Cleveland scored the first 11 points of the contest en route to a 13-8 win over Dallas at Reunion Arena on Tuesday night. Jim Larkin made 17 saves on 21 shots in net, and Chris Stathopoulos and Giuliano Oliviero both scored a pair of goals for the Force. Nevio Pizzolitto's 3pg at 7:10 of the third served as the game-winner. David Doyle scored four points (2pg, two assists) for the Sidekicks, and Jesse Llamas took the loss in goal with six saves. Cleveland's win, combined with Harrisburg's loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, allowed the Force to clinch a playoff berth.

(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
KANSAS CITY 26 8-8-6-4 5,669 20 2 2-4 Ceccarelli (12-14)
Philadelphia 6 2-2-2-0 25 23 0-0 Pappas (2-10) Kansas City exploded for an MISL season-high 26 points in a Tuesday morning School Day victory over Philadelphia. Nate Houser led all scorers with six points (3pg, 2pg, assist), and Nick Corneli and Nino DaSilva scored five points apiece for the Comets. Paolo Ceccarelli saved 12 of 14 shots in goal for the win. Philadelphia's Kevin Sloan scored the first goal of the contest, but the Comets scored the game's next 11 points and had constructed a 22-6 lead by the end of three quarters. Kansas City scored 12 goals on only 20 shots. Peter Pappas made only two saves against 10 shots faced, and was replaced by Stuart Dobson in the third quarter; Dobson finished with one save on five shots.

Games of 03/05/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Milwaukee 22 2-8-12-0 3,552 38 2 1-1 Nogueira (14-20)
HARRISBURG 14 0-3-0-11 29 2 1-1 Damico (13-24)

A 3pg from Harrisburg's Genoni Martinez cut Milwaukee's lead to 6-3 at 7:56 of the second quarter, but the Wave then proceeded to go on a 16-0 run to assume a 22-3 advantage after three quarters en route to a School Day victory in Harrisburg on Wednesday morning. The Heat scored the final 11 points of the game, all in the fourth, to produce the final outcome. Eight different Wave players scored goals, and Todd Dusosky finished with six points (two 2pgs, two assists). Chris Morman scored five points (3pg, 2pg), including the final two goals of the game. Victor Nogueira went the distance in goal for the Wave, saving 14 of 20 shots, and Chris Damico took the loss with 13 saves on 24 shots.

Games of 03/09/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
WEST ALL-STARS 20 5-2-5-8 8,429 32 6 0-0 Tr. Dusosky (0-0)
East All-Stars 13 2-2-2-7 44 0 0-2 Ball (0-2)

The MISL's Eastern Conference All-Stars went on a 7-0 spurt to take a 13-12 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Western Conference scored the final three goals of the game, including Dino Delevski's game-winning 3pg at 13:01, to capture a 20-13 win in the 2003 MISL All-Star Game at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon. The West had built a 12-6 lead through three quarters before Philadelphia's Pat Morris (a 2pg at 3:15) and Harrisburg's Genoni Martinez (a penalty kick at 6:50 and a 3pg at 9:48) incited a fourth-quarter rally that gave the East its first lead of the contest. Delevski finished with a 3pg, two 2pgs, and an assist for eight points and the game-winner, earning All-Star MVP honors for his efforts. Milwaukee's Todd Dusosky (two 2pgs, four points) and Kansas City's Nino DaSilva (3pg, assist) scored four points for the Western Conference. Martinez led the East with five points, and Baltimore rookie P.J. Wakefield added a pair of 2pgs for four points. The game marks the first time in All-Star history that sixth attackers were credited with the decision in goal for both teams; Cleveland's John Ball took the loss for the East, and Milwaukee's Troy Dusosky recorded the win for the West.

TEAM CAPSULES (March 3 – March 9, 2003)

BALTIMORE BLAST (15-17)

The Blast was idle prior to the All-Star Game last week, and enters the week one game behind third-place Cleveland in the MISL's Eastern Conference; Baltimore faces a magic number of one to clinch the third and final playoff spot in the East. Rookie forward P.J. Wakefield scored a pair of goals on Sunday in the MISL All-Star Game on Sunday in Milwaukee; fellow All-Star Denison Cabral assisted on two scores, while Sean Bowers went scoreless. Bowers ranks third in the League with 74 blocks entering the week, while Cabral is tied for 20th in the League with 58 points. Keeper Scott Hileman is fourth in the League with a 10.37 points against average and fifth in the League with a .732 save percentage. The Blast plays its final four games on the road, beginning this Saturday in Kansas City and Sunday in Cleveland.

For The Record:
Home: 11-7 Road: 4-10 vs. Eastern Conference: 9-8 vs. Western Conference: 6-9

Up Next: Saturday 3/15 at Kansas City; Sunday 3/16 at Cleveland; Friday 3/21 Baltimore at San Diego; Sunday 3/23 at Dallas

CLEVELAND FORCE (16-16)

The Force defeated Dallas in its only game last week, winning 13-8 at Reunion Arena on Tuesday night. Chris Stathopoulos and Giuliano Oliviero both scored a pair of 2pgs in the win, and Jim Larkin made 17 saves in the win. The victory, combined with Harrisburg's loss against Milwaukee on Wednesday morning, made Cleveland the second team to clinch a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. John Ball scored a 2pg in Sunday's All-Star Game in Milwaukee and actually took the loss in goal as the sixth attacker, while Oliviero went scoreless. Larkin played 28:01 in the second half of the contest, surrendering eight points and saving 13 of 16 shots in goal. Oliviero ranks ninth in the League with 73 points, and Stathopoulos is 13th with 65 points. Defender D.J. Newsom is fifth with 57 blocks. Larkin is eighth in the MISL with an 11.91 PAA, leads the League with 1,783 minutes played, and is second with 462 saves. The Force leads third-place Baltimore by one game heading into the week, and will play its next two games at home (versus Philadelphia this Friday and Baltimore on Sunday) before traveling to Harrisburg (March 22) and Philadelphia (March 23) for its final two games of the regular season.

For The Record:
Home: 11-5 Road: 5-11 vs. Eastern Conference: 6-8 vs. Western Conference: 10-8

Up Next: Friday 3/14 vs. Philadelphia; Sunday 3/16 vs. Baltimore; Saturday 3/22 at Harrisburg; Sunday 3/23 at Philadelphia

DALLAS SIDEKICKS (7-25)

The Sidekicks fell 13-8 against Cleveland on Tuesday night at Reunion Arena, falling to 7-25 with their sixth straight loss. David Doyle scored four points (2pg, two assists) in the game, and Jesse Llamas took the loss in goal with six saves on 12 shots. Tatu was held without a point in Sunday's All-Star Game in Milwaukee. The legendary player/coach, who has announced his plans to retire as a player after this season, was recognized for his superlative career in a special halftime ceremony at the Bradley Center. Doyle ranks eighth in the League with 76 points, while Tatu is tied for 16th with 60 points. Tatu is also tied for fourth with 26 assists. Nick Stavrou places 19th with 59 points on the year. Goalkeeper Sagu is sixth in the MISL with a 10.69 PAA, fourth with 1,533 minutes played, and third with 327 saves. The Sidekicks, eliminated from playoff contention will play their next two games on the road (at Kansas City this Friday and in Milwaukee this Saturday), before wrapping up their season with home games against San Diego and Baltimore on March 22 and 23, respectively.

For The Record: Home: 5-11 Road: 2-14 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-12 vs. Western Conference: 2-13

Up Next: Friday 3/14 at Kansas City; Saturday 3/15 at Milwaukee; Saturday 3/22 vs. San Diego; Sunday 3/23 vs. Baltimore

HARRISBURG HEAT (12-21)

The Heat's 22-14 loss to Milwaukee in a Wednesday morning School Day Game at the Farm Show Arena was the team's fifth in a row, putting Harrisburg's playoff hopes in jeopardy: with either a loss or a Baltimore win, the Heat will be eliminated from postseason contention. The Heat trailed 22-3 through three quarters of the loss to the Wave before ringing off 11 unanswered points in the fourth. Chris Morman (who went without a point or block in Sunday's All-Star Game at the Bradley Center) scored five points (3pg, 2pg) on Wednesday. Genoni Martinez scored four points (3pg, assist) and blocked three shots against Milwaukee; with his first block, he set a new Heat single-season record. He remains the highest-scoring defender in the League with 72 points (10th overall) and also leads the League with 80 rejections. Martinez led the Eastern Conference in scoring on Sunday with a two-point penalty kick goal and a 3pg. David Bascome and Ato Leone were both held scoreless in the All-Star Game; Bascome leads the team and ranks seventh in the League with 80 points, while Leone is tied for 10th with 72 points. Bascome leads the League with 13 power play goals, is tied for second with 36 total goals, and is second with 35 2pgs. Leone is third with 29 assists. Marco Coria is tied for 16th with 60 points. Harrisburg heads to San Diego this Saturday night to face the Sockers, then returns to the Farm Show Arena for its final two games of the season, on March 22 against Cleveland and March 23 against Kansas City.

For The Record: Home: 8-8 Road: 4-13 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-12 vs. Western Conference: 7-9

Up Next: Saturday 3/15 at San Diego; Saturday 3/22 vs. Cleveland; Sunday 3/23 vs. Kansas City

KANSAS CITY COMETS (17-15)

The Comets scored an MISL season-high 26 points in a 26-6 win over Philadelphia last Tuesday in a School Day Game at Kemper Arena. Nate Houser (3pg, 2pg, assist) led the way with six points, and Nick Corneli and Nino DaSilva added five points apiece. Jeff Davis, Goran Hunjak, Miodrag Djerisilo, Bill Sedgewick, Dino Delevski, Wes Wade, and Alex Zotinca also recorded goals. Paolo Ceccarelli saved 12 of 14 shots in net for the win. Kansas City was well-represented in Sunday's All-Star Game in Milwaukee: Zotinca (3pg) and DaSilva (3pg, assist) both notched goals, Jeff Davis tied the game high with three blocks, and Delevski snagged MVP honors for his eight-point (3pg, two 2pgs, assist) performance, including the game-winner at 13:01 of the fourth. Delevski continues to lead the MISL in scoring with 136 points; he is also first with 48 total goals and 40 2pgs, tied for second with eight 3pgs, and second with 32 assists. DaSilva is fifth with 86 points, and is fourth with 29 2pgs. Nick Corneli is now 12th in the MISL with 67 points. Davis is fourth with 63 blocks. Ceccarelli is seventh in the League with an 11.57 PAA, tied for second with 17 wins, is second in both minutes played (1,695) and save percentage (.753), and leads the MISL in saves with 478. The Comets play their next two games at home, versus Dallas this Friday and Baltimore this Saturday, before heading to Milwaukee (March 21) and Harrisburg (March 23) to close out the regular season. The Comets can clinch second place in the Western Conference, and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, with one victory or San Diego loss.

For The Record: Home: 7-9 Road: 10-6 vs. Eastern Conference: 10-6 vs. Western Conference: 7-9

Up Next: Friday 3/14 vs. Dallas; Saturday 3/15 vs. Baltimore; Friday 3/21 at Milwaukee; Sunday 3/23 at Harrisburg

MILWAUKEE WAVE (26-6)

Milwaukee improved to a League-best 26-6 with a 22-14 win over Harrisburg in a School Day Game last Wednesday morning at the Farm Show Arena. The Wave led 22-3 at the end of three quarters before surrendering 11 fourth-quarter points to the Heat. Todd Dusosky (two 2pgs, two assists) led all scorers with six points, and Brian Loftin (two 2pgs), Greg Howes (two 2pgs), and Joe Reiniger (2pg, two assists) added four points apiece. Victor Nogueira saved 14 of 20 shots in goal for the win. Loftin, Howes, and Troy Dusosky all went scoreless in Sunday's All-Star Game at the Bradley Center. Todd Dusosky scored twice, Joe Reiniger recorded an assist, and Lovelace Ackah recorded a 3pg in the contest. Nogueira saved 13 of 15 shots in the first half of the Game, allowing only four points. Reiniger leads the team and is third in the League with 95 points, while Howes ranks fourth with 90 points. Reiniger is tied for second in the MISL with eight 3pgs and is fifth with 34 total goals. Howes is tied for second in total goals with 36, and third with 32 2pgs. He also leads the League with seven game-winning goals. Todd Dusosky is sixth in the League with 83 points, and leads the circuit with 39 assists. Nogueira continues to lead the League in points against average at 7.82, and is also first in both wins (23) and save percentage (.767). The Wave will play its next three games at home before traveling to Philadelphia to end the regular season on March 22.

For The Record:
Home: 13-2 Road: 13-4 vs. Eastern Conference: 13-3 vs. Western Conference: 13-3

Up Next: Saturday 3/15 vs. Dallas; Sunday 3/16 vs. Philadelphia; Friday 3/21 vs. Kansas City; Saturday 3/22 at Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA KIXX (22-10)

The KiXX fell 26-6 to Kansas City in a School Day Game at Kemper Arena last Tuesday morning to fall to 7-9 on the road this season. Kevin Sloan scored twice in the loss, and Drew Kopp added the other score. Peter Pappas played the first 35 minutes in goal, saving two of 10 shots, and Stuart Dobson finished the game with one save on five shots. Defenders Glenn Carbonara and Pat Morris, forwards Kevin Sloan and Don D'Ambra (in his All-Star debut), and Pappas all played in Sunday's All-Star Game in Milwaukee. D'Ambra recorded an assist and Morris scored a 2pg, while Pappas saved seven of 10 shots in goal in the first half. Joel Shanker, who was voted into the game but remained home because of injury, continues to lead the team in scoring with 64 points, good for 14th in the League. D'Ambra and Morris are tied for second in the MISL with five game-winning goals. Pappas is second in the League with a 9.75 points against average, tied for second with 17 wins, and is fifth with 1,525 minutes played and 298 saves. The KiXX will play their next two games on the road, in Cleveland this Friday and in Milwaukee this Sunday, before facing Milwaukee (March 22) and Cleveland (March 23) at home to end the regular season.

For The Record:
Home: 15-1 Road: 7-9 vs. Eastern Conference: 12-4 vs. Western Conference: 10-6

Up Next: Friday 3/14 at Cleveland; Sunday 3/16 at Milwaukee; Saturday 3/22 vs. Milwaukee; Sunday 3/23 vs. Cleveland

SAN DIEGO SOCKERS (14-19)

The Sockers were idle leading up to the All-Star Game. San Diego has already clinched the third and final playoff spot in the MISL's Western Conference, and entering the week the Sockers are three and one-half games behind second-place Kansas City. With either a loss or a Comets win, the Sockers will be locked out of second place and be forced to travel to Kansas City for a first-round playoff contest. Defender Gaston Pernia, goalkeeper Nick Vorberg, and forward Carlos "Chile" Farias all played in Sunday's All-Star Game in Milwaukee (defender Alejandro Cardenas was also selected but missed the game due to injury). Pernia and Farias both registered assists in the contest, while Vorberg saved 10 of 14 shots in goal in the second half. With 107 points, Farias is second in the League behind Kansas City's Dino Delevski. Farias leads the circuit with nine 3pgs, is second with 36 total goals, and is tied for fourth with 26 assists. Midfielder Mariano Bollella is tied for 16th in the League with 60 points. Vorberg is third in the MISL with a 10.36 PAA and ranks fourth with a .735 save percentage. The Sockers will play their next two games at home, versus Harrisburg this Saturday and Baltimore on March 21, before ending their regular season on March 22 in Dallas.

For The Record:
Home: 9-7 Road: 5-12 vs. Eastern Conference: 4-12 vs. Western Conference: 10-7

Up Next: Saturday 3/15 vs. Harrisburg; Friday 3/21 vs. Baltimore; Saturday 3/22 at Dallas

LEAGUE NOTES: - A team comprised of MISL Legends defeated a squad of Milwaukee Wave legends by a score of 4-3 in the 2003 Legends Game, held prior to Sunday's All-Star Game at the Bradley Center. Former Canton Invaders, Buffalo Blizzard, and St. Louis Ambush goalkeeper Jamie Swanner started for the MISL team and earned MVP honors.

- Three Milwaukee Wave players were dubbed champions in the SPALDING MISL All-Star Skills Competition, held on Saturday at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. The Wave's Joe Reiniger won the power shot competition, while Troy Dusosky won the slalom shootout and Todd Dusosky won the juggling contest. Cleveland's John Ball repeated as champion in the speed dribble, and Baltimore's Denison Cabral won the shooting accuracy contest.

QUOTE CORNER:

"We're professionals. This might be an exhibition, but once we lace up the shoes and get out there, we are competitors."

- Former Milwaukee Wave defender Steve Morris, who participated in the 2003 Legends Game at the Bradley Center on Sunday as a member of the Wave Legends squad

"Things kind of went 'retro' for me this morning. I was talking to old teammates and we were talking about old war stories. Then it was like I was taken in a time tunnel, and I was coaching the stars of the future."

- Milwaukee Wave head coach Keith Tozer, who participated in the Legends Game as part of the MISL Legends Team, then coached the Western Conference All-Stars to a 20-13 win

"There are so many greats here, that just being around these guys makes me want to perform the best I can."

- Kansas City Comets All-Star Dino Delevski, who scored eight points, including the game-winner, to earn the 2003 MISL All-Star MVP Award

"Those guys are just incredible. We have so much young talent in this league, and it showed today. The performance today shows the game is in good hands. Those guys are the ones who are going to carry the torch from now on."

- Dallas Sidekicks All-Star Tatu, 41, who was honored for his outstanding career at halftime of Sunday's All-Star Game

DELEVSKI ENTERS HOME STRETCH WITH HUGE LEAD...

As regular MISL action resumes following the All-Star Weekend, Kansas City's Dino Delevski maintains his decisive advantage in this season's SPALDING Scoring Race. Delevski leads San Diego's Carlos "Chile" Farias by 29 points entering the week. Delevski and Farias remain the only players in the MISL this season to crack the century mark; Milwaukee's duo of Joe Reiniger (95 points) and Greg Howes (90) follow on the scoring leaderboard.

Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from March 10, 2003

• Heat Weekly - Harrisburg Heat
• Delevski Earns All-Star MVP - MISL 2

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