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Force Falls To Harrisburg

December 7, 2002 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Cleveland Force News Release


HARRISBURG, PA. -- The Cleveland Force traveled to the Keystone State for the third time this season but made its first trip to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Force had its three game winning streaked snapped as they were defeated the Harrisburg Heat, 14-13, tonight at the Farm Show Arena in a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Eastern Conference showdown. With the loss, Cleveland fell to 7-5 overall and 3-4 versus Eastern Conference opponents. With the victory, the Heat improved to 6-7 overall and evened the season series at 1-1.

Harrisburg opened the scoring (0-2) when Marco Lopez took three shots and put the ball in the back of the net for the two-point goal at 5:43 of the first quarter. The Heat added to its lead (0-4) when David Bascome scored the two-point power play goal off the assist from Ato Leone at 11:43. The Force cut into the lead and scored its first points of the game (3-4) when Kiley Couch scored his first three-point goal of the season off the pass from Steve Butcher at 14:41.

Harrisburg opened up the second quarter scoring (3-6) when Genoni Martinez scored the two-point goal just 17 second into the period. The Heat increased their lead (3-8) when Bascome scored his second goal of the game as he knocked the ball over a sliding Jim Larkin for the two-point goal at the 2:25 mark. Harrisburg added to its lead (3-10) when Bascome netted the power play goal for the hat trick off the second assist of the game for Leone at 5:48. Cleveland snapped a 6-0 run by the Heat (5-10) when Chris Stathopoulos scored the two-point goal off the cross from Lee Edgerton at 7:20. The Force cut into the lead (7-10) when Edgerton scored the two-point goal off the feed from Stathopoulos at 8:02. Cleveland got to within one point (9-10) when Stathopoulos scored his second goal of the game on the power play at the 10:01 mark. Harrisburg ended a 6-0 run by the Force (9-12) when Matt Tanzini scored the two-point restart goal off the pass from Martinez at 14:42.

The two teams battled to a scoreless third quarter.

Cleveland got the first points of the second half (11-12) when Giuliano Oliviero scored the unassisted two-point goal at 11:18 of the final period. The Force took its first lead of the game (13-12) when Stathopoulos recorded his first hat trick of the season of the second assist of the game from Edgerton at 12:53. The Heat regained the lead (14-13) when Martinez scored the two-point goal from the assist of Lopez as Harrisburg had the sixth attacker on at the 13:18 mark.

Cleveland will next travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to face the Western Conference leading Milwaukee Wave in a MISL game on Saturday, December 14th at the Bradley Center. The game will be televised on WUAB TV-43 The Block and is scheduled to start at 2:05 p.m. In addition, all the action can be heard on WHK 1220 AM in Cleveland and WHKW 1440 AM in Warren or worldwide on the Internet at www.thesportsking.com.

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