Ignition's Danny Waltman Named Mvp
April 9, 2009 - Xtreme Soccer League (XSL)
Detroit Ignition News Release
CHICAGO (April 9, 2009) - On the evening when his team claimed the first Xtreme Soccer League championship, Detroit Ignition coach Matt Johnson paid tribute to his team's chemistry.
But he also knew that chemistry earns a lot more mileage when the guy behind it all is standing on his head.
"There's no question in my mind, (Danny Waltman is) the league MVP," Johnson said. "He won some games for us early in the year, games we had no business winning."
On Wednesday, that belief was confirmed when the 27-year-old native of Gig Harbor, Wash., was named the Xtreme Soccer League Most Valuable Player for 2008-09. He also was named Goalkeeper of the Year and leads the All-XSL team, in balloting done by coaches, team public relations representatives and media members in all four league cities.
He is the first goalkeeper to win the MVP since the legendary Victor Nogueira in 1998. Nogueira was a two-time MVP and nine-time Goalkeeper of the Year.
"I'm completely shocked, there's no other way to put it," Waltman said. "Both of those awards are team awards; it's a reflection on the hard work of the guys in front of me. Being in the position I'm in, I'm going to reap the benefits of their dedication to the game.
"It's such an honor to be even be compared to Victor. Whenever anyone talks about indoor goalkeepers, they talk about Victor - it's a shadow all indoor keepers live in. To even be put on the same level as him is unreal to me."
Waltman was the only keeper in the XSL to play all 20 games, and led the league in wins (12), minutes, (11:98:01), saves (319) and shots faced (414). He was second in save percentage at .770, just behind Chicago's Jeff Richey, and third in the league in points allowed at 11.02.
Statistics fail to tell the full story of Waltman's season, however. Game after game, Waltman made a half-dozen spectacular saves that represented almost sure points for the opposing side. In front of him, the Ignition played with attacking confidence, sparked by his aggressive outlet passes.
Additional individual honors belonged to:
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lucio Gonzaga, New Jersey -- After an 18-point, two-game homestand in January, Gonzaga took over the league scoring race and was never challenged. He led the XSL in 3-point goals (eight), total goals (23) and scoring (63 points). His four game-winning goals shared the league lead with Detroit's Mike Apple.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Josh Rife, Detroit - The 29-year-old from Honolulu topped the league with 31 blocks and added 25 points, including two game-winning goals. Rife also spent just four minutes in the penalty box this season.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Marco Terminesi, Milwaukee - The Wave's roster was heavily populated with rookies, but it was the 24-year-old from the University of Louisville who made the biggest mark. With 52 points (2 3PG, 17 2PG, 12 A), Terminesi was second in the league in scoring and had exactly twice as many points as the next-best rookie, Milwaukee's Pernambuco.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Matt Johnson, Detroit: Who else? A rookie coach in a league populated with experienced mentors, Johnson guided the Ignition through major injuries to the midfield and forward spots and a 1-2 start to a 12-8 mark and the league championship.
The complete All-XSL team includes:
Goalkeeper: Waltman
Defenders: Rife; Troy Dusosky, Milwaukee.
Midfielders/forwards: Gonzaga; Terminesi; Adauto Neto, New Jersey
Dusosky, in his 14th professional season, remains one of the toughest man-on markers and dangerous left-footed shooters in the game. He finished with 27 blocks, fourth in the league, and added 25 points for the Wave, who were in first place as late as March 19.
Neto, the onetime league MVP, was twice named Offensive Player of the Month. He scored a point in 12 consecutive games at one stretch, and notched six points three separate times. Neto finished with 46 points (15 2PG, 16 A), third in the XSL.
Founded last summer by the Milwaukee Wave, Detroit Ignition, New Jersey Ironmen and Chicago Storm, the Xtreme Soccer League is more than an indoor soccer league. The Xtreme Soccer Xperience is an energetic and innovative 12-month sports lifestyle brand built around skilled soccer professionals, entertainment and fan participation - both live and online. For more information, visit XtremeSL.net.
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Xtreme Soccer League Stories from April 9, 2009
- Lucio Gonzaga Named Offensive Player Of The Year - New Jersey Ironmen
- XSL postseason awards announced - XSL
- Ignition's Danny Waltman Named Mvp - Detroit Ignition
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