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Heat Falls in O.T. To Archrivals

November 30, 2002 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Harrisburg Heat News Release


Harrisburg, PA - For the third time in as many outings this season, Saturday night's Harrisburg Heat-Baltimore Blast game at the Farm Show Arena ended in dramatic fashion. Unlike the first two games, however, the Blast prevailed in this one, with Giuliano Celenza scoring the game-winning goal at 2:57 of overtime to lift the visiting Blast over the Heat by the score of 10-8 in front of 2,921 fans. Harrisburg falls to 4-7 with the team's fourth consecutive loss.

Just as he closed the night's scoring, Celenza opened it, with a 2pg at 9:52 of the first to account for the quarter's only points. David Bascome tied the game at 4:10 of the second when his poke from the middle of the box rang off the crossbar and a Baltimore defender before nestling in the back of the net for a 2pg. But the Blast wrapped up the first half with the momentum when former Heat star Gino DiFlorio pounded home a Sean Bowers restart feed at 10:49 for a 4-2 halftime lead.

Harrisburg tied things up again in the third at 8:27, when Ato Leone's restart service from deep in the left corner hit off Baltimore's Lee Tschantret and rolled past Blast keeper Brett Phillips for a 4-4 tie going into the fourth. Then things got interesting.

Sean Bowers cleaned up a loose ball on the left wing and slotted home a 2pg just 39 seconds into the stanza to put the Blast up 6-4. The Heat answered at 4:12, with Baltimore's Dewan Bader in the penalty box for holding, as Marco Lopez popped a cross through the box and onto the foot of a stretching David Bascome, who nudged it home for a 6-6 draw. Just over two minutes later, at 6:40, Genoni Martinez took a quick restart and drilled a two-point restart goal through Baltimore's defense, and Harrisburg had its first lead of the night at 8-6.

But the Blast countered at 7:14 when Jason Dieter swiveled in the middle of the box and poked a 2pg over Heat goalie Doug Petras, and the game was tied at 8-8. Baltimore had the better opportunities as the clock wound down, most notably with Harrisburg's Lopez serving a two minute penalty after receiving his fourth foul of the half with just over a minute to play, but the clubs were headed to overtime.

Celenza ended the night at 2:57 of the extra stanza when he controlled a cross field pass from Danny Barber and rifled a shot just inside the far post for a 2pg and the 10-8 Blast win.

The Heat's Petras (20 saves) takes the loss, falling to 3-4 on the year, while Baltimore's Phillips (1-1, 15 saves) gets the win.

NOTES: Bascome led the Heat with a pair of 2pgs for 4 points...Harrisburg outshot Baltimore 36-30 in the game...The Heat committed 19 fouls to Baltimore's 8...The Heat returns to action tomorrow night, Sunday, December 1, when the San Diego Sockers come to town. Game time is 6:05 p.m.

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Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from November 30, 2002


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