Ironmen Feature: Kevin Sloan
January 14, 2008 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
New Jersey Ironmen News Release
This past Friday night, a Prudential Center crowd and international Fox Soccer Channel audience got a glimpse at what has been a brilliant career for New Jersey player/ assistant coach Kevin Sloan. At the 13:22 mark of the final frame, Baltimore forward Guiliano Celenza hit a two-point goal to put the Blast up, 12-11. With his club down by one point, Sloan buried the game-winning goal with 55 seconds left to elevate the Ironmen to a thrilling 13-12 victory.
"Once they scored, I looked at it as an opportunity," Sloan recounted. "I knew this would be a true test of character for our team, and this could be a defining moment in our season. Our intent was to keep the ball moving to keep the Baltimore defense off balance. Freddy Moojen gave me a great ball, and it went where it needed to go."
Scoring goals is nothing new to the veteran forward who has accumulated 1108 points over his 15-season indoor career. In 2003 he became only the 12th player in Major Indoor Soccer League history to surpass 1000 career points. He is currently tenth all-time in points and eight all-time in goals scored (497).
"I have always felt that if I was not creating opportunities, then I wasn't doing my job," he commented about his offensive success throughout his career. "I feel that success is a result of building relationships. I have always tried to anticipate what a teammate will do, and I have been fortunate in getting myself into the right position to score some goals."
Sloan was a three-time NCAA All-America selectee while acquiring his degree in International Business at Catawba (NC) College, and he has been an All-Star in every league in which he has played. He was a member of the 1990 American Professional Soccer League (APSL) national champion Maryland Bays outdoor team, and he won an MISL championship following the 2001-02 season with the Philadelphia KiXX under the tutelage of then KiXX and current Ironmen head coach, Omid Namazi.
"One of my most memorable goals was during the 01-02 season in the MISL Finals against the Milwaukee Wave," Sloan reflected. "Their goalkeeper was shielded, and I managed to bend a shot around the defense to push the series to a final game."
Putting on the coach's whistle is also familiar territory to Sloan who served as an assistant coach with the KiXX and Philadelphia University, and he is also the current head coach for the men's soccer team at Neumann College in Ashton, Pennsylvania. He commented on some of the difficulties of coaching a player through the transition from outdoor soccer to the indoor version of the beautiful game.
"The most challenging aspect of coaching indoor soccer is getting everyone to buy into defending," he stated. "Players must learn to be well-rounded and learn that you must defend to last in this league."
Sloan also commented on some differences that the indoor game of today has to that of the game he first played with the Dayton Dynamo during the 1988-89 season.
"When I first got into this league, it was a much slower and technical game," he said. "The game today is much more athletic and physical. The speed of play is much quicker, and the game seems to have more of a 'run-and-gun' style. I feel this is attributed to the fact that players are so much more athletic."
The New Jersey Ironmen improved to 9-5 after the win over the Baltimore Blast this past Friday, and Sloan feels that the dramatic victory could not have come at a better time.
"That win was like a shot in the arm," he commented. "Those types of games create composure and poise. I feel that the next time we are faced with a similar situation, we won't panic because we have been there before."
Sloan and the Ironmen next play this Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark when they face the California Cougars at 2:00 p.m. Do not miss your opportunity to see the veteran Sloan go for his 500th career goal! Fans ordering two or more advanced tickets at the $20 level or higher will receive a free soccer ball. Get your free ball today by calling 1-800-IRONMEN!
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from January 14, 2008
- Ironmen Feature: Kevin Sloan - New Jersey Ironmen
- MISL-AISL clash set between Storm, Rampage - Chicago Storm
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