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Heat Playoff Prospects Take Hit in Charm City

March 1, 2003 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Harrisburg Heat News Release


Baltimore, MD - The Harrisburg Heat's playoff hopes took another blow at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on Saturday night, as Harrisburg surrendered 13 unanswered points from the second through the fourth quarters in a 15-10 loss to the Baltimore Blast. With the loss (the team's fourth straight), Harrisburg falls to 12-20 on the season and remains in fourth place, while third place Baltimore improves to 15-17. As a result, both Baltimore and the Cleveland Force face magic numbers of two to lock the Heat out of the playoffs.

The teams traded first-quarter goals: Tarik Walker scored for the Blast at 7:29, and Ato Leone ripped a 2pg past winning keeper Brett Phillips (10 saves) at 12:51 for Harrisburg.

The Heat tallied two unanswered goals to start the second and assume a 6-2 lead. At 1:35, Nikola Vignjevic cracked a 2pg from just inside the three-point line to make it 4-2, and at 5:03, Mike Henning set up Leone for his second 2pg to make it 6-2. Baltimore closed out the first half scoring when Sean Bowers pounded home a double from deep in the right corner; it was 6-4, Harrisburg, at halftime.

Former Heater Allen Eller tied the contest with a 2pg at 6:36 of the fourth, and Baltimore took a 9-6 lead at 11:51 when Denison Cabral picked off a wayward pass from Chris Morman and one-timed a long 3pg past Heat keeper Chris Damico (15 saves). Blast forward P.J. Wakefield extended the lead to 11-6 with a 2pg at 12:36, and Baltimore led by that margin heading into the fourth.

Tarik Walker extended the Blast run to 11-0 with a 2pg just 53 seconds into the fourth, and Danny Kelly's 2pg at 6:31 made it 15-6, Baltimore. Harrisburg ended the Blast run and mounted a last-minute comeback effort with two late 2pgs, from David Bascome at 12:45 and Vignjevic at 13:40, but the tallies were merely consolation as Baltimore notched the 15-10 win.

The season series between these two teams ends tied at 3-3. Harrisburg, however, outscored the Blast 62-59, meaning that if the teams are tied at the end of the regular season, the Heat would receive the playoff berth.

NOTES: Baltimore is idle this week and cannot clinch a playoff berth; Cleveland can clinch if they win on Tuesday night in Dallas, and the Heat loses on Wednesday...The Heat played without defender Genoni Martinez (suspended)...Harrisburg will be at home for three of its final four games, beginning next Wednesday, March 5, when the Milwaukee Wave visits the Farm Show for the Heat's first annual Got Milk? School Day Game. Game time is 10:35 a.m.

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