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Force returns to action for home weekend games

March 8, 2005 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Cleveland Force News Release


CLEVELAND, OHIO - The Cleveland Force will return to action this weekend to play two home contests. The Force will play host to the two-time defending Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Champion Baltimore Blast on Friday, March 11 then will host the expansion Chicago Storm on Sunday, March 13 at the Wolstein Convocation Center.

Both games can be heard live on WHK 1420 AM or 1440 AM in Warren/Youngstown or live worldwide on the Internet at www.thesportsking.com. Friday's game, which is Mascot Mania Game, is scheduled to begin at 7:35 and Sunday's contest will start at 3:05.

Cleveland sits in fifth place in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) standings with a record of 12-13 overall (7-6 at home and 5-7 on the road). The Force trails the expansion Chicago Storm by a half games for the fourth and final playoff spot and is a half game a head of the two-time defending Baltimore Blast in sixth and 1.5 games in front of the Kansas City Comets in seventh place. Cleveland also trails the Milwaukee Wave a top the standings by four games.

Baltimore comes into the match-up on a two-game winning streak and with a record of 13-15 overall, 9-7 at the 1st Mariner Arena and 4-8 on the road, including two victories at the Wolstein Center. The Blast played one game last weekend and defeated the Philadelphia KiXX by a final score of 5-4 at home on Tuesday night.

The game between the Force and the Blast will mark the fifth of eight meetings this season between the two squads as well as the third of four meetings at the Wolstein Center. The contest will mark the 134th meeting between the two squads with Baltimore holding a 69-64 advantage. The Blast leads the series season 3-1 but Cleveland won the last meeting by a final score of 6-4 on February 19 and snapped a 10-game losing skid to Baltimore.

In the series with the Blast, the Force is led by forward and team captain John Ball with six points on two goals and four assists. Forwards Chris Dore and Antonio Sutton are tied for second with four points each in the season series. Dore has recorded four goals, including the game-winner in the last meeting while Sutton has notched three goals and an assist.

The Blast are paced by the second leading scorer in the MISL in forward Carlos "Chile" Farias with 11 points in the season series. Farias has accounted for four goals and seven assists in the four games. Forwards David Bascome and Giuliano Celenza are tied for second with eight points apiece in the series. Bascome has tallied five goals and three assists while Celenza has seven goals and one assist.

Chicago, who plays the Kansas City Comets on Saturday night, enters the weekend with a record of 14-14 overall, 10-5 at home and 4-9 on the road. The Storm posted an 8-7 victory over the Comets last Wednesday night at Kemper Arena.

The game between Cleveland and Chicago will mark the fifth of seven meetings this season between the two squads as well as the third of four meetings at the Wolstein Center. The contest will mark the 51st meeting between the two squads with the Force holding a 31-18 advantage. The season series is tied at 2-2 after the Storm recorded an 8-4 victory on January 21 at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion.

In the season series with the Chicago, the Force is led by Ball with nine points on six goals and three assists. Defender Rene Rivas is second on the team with seven points on three goals and four assists. Midfielder Gary DePalma and forward Chris Handsor are tied for third with four points each. DePalma has netted two goals and two assists while Handsor has four goals.

The Storm is led by midfielder Matthew Stewart and forward Novica "Novi" Marojevic with five points each. Stewart has tallied four goals and one assist while Marojevic has been credited with two goals and three assists. Forward Bryon Alvarez is second on the team with four points on three goals and one assist.

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