Force KIXX Past Philadelphia To Secure Second Place And Home Playoff Game

Published on March 23, 2003 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Cleveland Force News Release


PHILADELPHIA, PA. – The Cleveland Force traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to face the Philadelphia KiXX in the final regular season game for both squads. Cleveland defeated the KiXX 11-8 in a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Eastern Conference game at the First Union Spectrum.

With the win, the Force secured second place in the Eastern Conference as well as the home field advantage for the Eastern Conference Semifinal game. Cleveland ends the regular season with a record of 19-17, 9-9 versus Eastern Conference opponents and 6-12 on the road. With the loss, Philadelphia ends the regular season as the Eastern Conference regular season champions with a record of 24-12, 17-2 at home and fell in the season series 2-4.

The Eastern Conference Semi-Final game versus the Baltimore Blast will be played on Friday, March 28th at 7:35 p.m. at the Convocation Center at Cleveland State University.

The two teams battled to a scoreless first quarter. It marked the fourth time this season that KiXX have not registered a goal in the first quarter against the Force. In the previous three meetings, Cleveland won all three games.

Philadelphia was the first to score (0-2) when Kevin Sloan found the back of the net off the pass from Shawn Boney just 20 seconds into the second quarter. The Force responded just 14 seconds later to tie the game (2-2) when Kiley Couch hit the top right corner off a feed from Lee Edgerton. Cleveland took its first lead of the game (4-2) when Braeden Cloutier scored a two-point goal that beat KiXX goalkeeper Stuart Dobson at the near post off a pass from Justin Evans at 6:29. Philadelphia tied the game for the second time (4-4) when Goran Vasic scored a two-point goal off the rebound shot of Don D'Ambra at 9:41. The KiXX regained the lead (4-6) when D'Ambra found the back of the net off the rebound shot of Cesidio Colasante at 13:51.

The Force regained the lead (7-6) when Eric Kvello scored a three-point goal between the legs of Dobson off the cross from Chris Stathopoulos at 3:27 of the third quarter. Philadelphia once again took the lead (7-8) when Matt Brooks scored a two-point goal off a pass from Gary DePalma that threaded two Force defenders to give Brooks a break away on the Cleveland net. Cleveland went back on top (9-8) when Stathopoulos scored a two-point goal on a flurry of shots by the Force off the assist from Zoran Karic at 12:21.

The Force added to its lead (11-8) when John Ball found the back of the net off a board pass from Edgerton at 10:48 of the fourth quarter.

Cleveland will next play the Baltimore Blast in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final on Friday, March 28th in Cleveland at 7:35 p.m.. Catch all the action on WHK 1220 AM in Cleveland and WHKW 1440 AM in Warren or Worldwide on the Internet Home of LIVE Cleveland Force Soccer games at the www.thesportsking.com.

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Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from March 23, 2003


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