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Kings Advance In Open Cup Play, Move Into Playoff Chase

January 29, 2012 - Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL)
Cincinnati Kings News Release


Detroit - The Cincinnati Kings are back in the playoff hunt, and advance to the semifinals of the US Open, by defeating the Detroit Waza, 7-6, before a soldout crowd at Taylor Sportsplex in Detroit Saturday night.

The win over the Eastern Division leading Waza puts the Kings into the fourth playoff spot with three games to go.

The Kings drew first blood against Detroit on a goal by former UC Bearcat Kwame Sarkodie in the first period, but the Waza evened it up just before the end of the quarter on a Ryan Mack power play goal. The Kings scored three times in the second quarter on two goals from Nik Djokic and a second by Sarkodie, but Detroit scored twice themselves to make it 4-3 Kings at the half.

Shawn Rockey scored halfway through the third period to stretch the Kings lead to 5-3, but Detroit answered with two in the third to even the game at 5-5 at the end of three. The Kings broke it open in the fourth with a power play goal by Matt Breines and another goal four minutes later by Allen Eller, then hung on to survive a Waza goal with 17 seconds left in the game to win, 7-6.

The game also doubled as a quarterfinal match for the US Open. With the win, the Kings advance to the semifinals to play Vitesse Dallas of the Premier Arena Soccer League, who defeated the Denver Dynamite, 11-6, in the quarterfinals. The winner plays the San Diego Sockers for the US Open title. The Kings fell to the Sockers in last year's Open Cup final, 13-6.

The Kings next home game is Saturday, February 4 at 7:35 p.m. against Kansas at the Cincinnati Gardens.

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