KiXX closes out 2005 at 3-4 overall
Published on January 2, 2006 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Philadelphia KiXX News Release
Philadelphia, PA, January 2, 2006 - The Philadelphia KiXX (3-4) continued their road woes this season, closing out 2005 with an 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Blast at the 1st Mariner Arena on December 30. The club returns to the City of Brotherly Love to bring in the New Year versus former player/coach Omid Namazi and the second-place St. Louis Steamers on Saturday, January 7. Game-time at the Wachovia Spectrum is scheduled for 7:05 pm ET with the doors opening at 6:00 pm ET. For ticket information, contact the club's Executive Office at 1-888-888-KIXX (5499).
This Week's Itinerary:
Monday, January 2, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Tuesday, January 3, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Wednesday, January 4, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Thursday, January 5, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Friday, January 6, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Saturday, January 7, KiXX vs. St. Louis Steamers, Wachovia Spectrum, 7:05 pm
Sunday, January 8, Off Day
*all times are Eastern and subject to change
Injury Report:
Player Injury Status
Don D'Ambra Hamstring Questionable
KiXX vs. Steamers
2005-06 Series: 0-1 (home 0-0, away 0-1) Overall: 4-5 (home 2-2, away 2-3)
The Philadelphia KiXX and the St. Louis Steamers met for the first time in franchise history on November 14, 2003 ... the club defeated the Steamers, 7-3, in that contest and split the series (2-2) in each of the past two seasons ... the Steamers, who earned an 8-4 win in the first meeting between the two clubs this season on November 26, are led by former KiXX player/coach Omid Namazi ... six different scorers for St. Louis recorded multiple points in the contest, while forward John Barry Nusum was the lone KiXX representative to register more than one point ... Namazi led the Cleveland Force team that knocked-off Philadelphia in the semifinals last season, but then fell to the Milwaukee Wave in the two-game Finals ... with Cleveland becoming inactive this season, Namazi was hired to replace player/coach Daryl Doran who is now listed as the club's Vice President of Corporate Sales and Alumni Relations ... former Kansas City Head Coach Zoran Savic also joined the Steamers this past off-season as the team's President ... former Force defender Genoni Martinez and St. Louis native Joe Reiniger currently lead the Steamers with two points.
Defender Honored by Fans: Defender Drew Kopp was voted, by the fans via an online poll, the Collector's Corner KiXX Player of the Month for his play throughout the month of December ... the poll was conducted throughout the month on the team's official website www.kixxonline.com ... Kopp, a native of Bridgeport, CT was rewarded after posting a team-high five-points on three goals and a pair of assists in the club's four games in December ... the six-year veteran notched a season-high three points (two goals, assist) versus California on December 3 and then added a score versus Chicago on December 10 and an assist in Baltimore on December 30 ... fellow backliner Ptah Myers was named the Collector's Corner Player of the Month for November.
All-Star Defender Joins KiXX: Philadelphia acquired all-star defender Vlatko Andonovski (AND-oh-NOV-skee) from the expansion California Cougars in exchange for forward Gary Brooks on December 28... Andonovski, who will make his debut with Philadelphia versus the St. Louis Steamers on Saturday, January 7, was originally acquired by California with their fourth selection in the 2005 MISL Expansion Draft on June 22, 2005 ... the native of Skopje, Macedonia registered one goal and four blocks in six games with the Cougars this season ... the six-year veteran made his professional indoor career with the Wichita Wings of the NPSL in 2000 and was awarded a spot on the League's All-Rookie Second Team for his 22-point, 48-block performance ... Andonovski then joined the Kansas City Comets, where he spent each of the next four seasons ... with the Comets, he recorded 114 points and 153 blocks, of which 42 points (17 goals and 25 assists) and 45 blocks came in the 2004-05 campaign ... the 29-year-old defender represented Team International in the 2004 MISL All-Star Game and was also named to the All-MISL Second Team for his performance during the 2004-05 campaign.
Dynamic Duo: Forwards Goran Vasic and John Barry Nusum have become a potent one-two punch for the KiXX offense this season ... both players have opened the season with at least one point in each of the club's first six games ... Nusum extended his point streak to seven with one of the team's two tallies in Baltimore on December 30 ... Vasic, however, failed to record a point in Baltimore (12/30), snapping his point and assist streak at six ... Nusum, the 2005 MISL Rookie of the Year, has registered seven goals, including the game winner on December 10 and two assists, while Vasic has tallied a pair of goals and six assists ... Nusum finished his rookie campaign second on the club with 45 points ... Vasic, a native of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, concluded 2004-05 first on the team in assists (31) and fifth in points (42).
Power-Less: Philadelphia's power-play unit finally capitalized on a man-advantage opportunity, as player/coach Don D'Ambra blasted a right-footer into the back of the net versus California on December 3 ... the power-play tally marked the first of the season after failing to connect on their previous three opportunities ... forward Shawn Boney's penalty-kick goal (also scored as power-play) on December 10 marks the club's only other man-advantage tally as the unit is now fifth in the League with a 28.6 percent (2-of-7) success rate ... vice versa, the club's penalty-killing unit ranks last in the six-team League, blocking three-of-the-six (50.0) man-down situations they have faced ... last season, Philadelphia ranked third in power-play success rate (54.0) and first in kill rate (64.7).
Last Week's Outing(s):
Blast 8, KiXX 2 (12/30): Philadelphia closed out 2005 with an 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Blast on December 30. After a scoreless first quarter, Giuliano Celenza ended the drought connecting on a notch from current Major Indoor Soccer League's (MISL) points-leader Adauto Neto at 2:10 of the second period. KiXX forward John Barry Nusum, the League's Rookie of the Year last season, knotted the game back even, 1-1, knocking-in the rebound off a shot from teammate Drew Kopp at 4:38; the native of Devonshire, Bermuda has now tallied at least one point in each of the team's seven games this season. Defender Rich Daughtridge put the host club back on top, 2-1, blasting home a pass from Joel Bailey at 6:22. Two minutes later (8:22), Neto continued Baltimore's scoring binge, 3-1, with an unassisted notch. After seven minutes of play in the third stanza (7:03), Celenza extended the Blast advantage to three, 4-1, with an unassisted score. With KiXX defender Drew Kopp serving a two-minute tripping penalty, Celenza completed his hat trick with a nice header past Pappas at 12:34. Defender Danny Kelly recorded the assist on the play. Despite being shorthanded, the Blast further extended their lead, 6-1, as Neto found the back of the net for second time of the evening at 5:15 of the fourth quarter; Philadelphia received the man-advantage courtesy of a two-minute tripping infraction called on P.J. Wakefield. Midfielder Jonathan Steele then lengthened Baltimore's advantage, 7-1, with an unassisted goal at 7:33 of the period. KiXX midfielder Andy Guastaferro added the club's second score of the contest on an assist from Philadelphia native David Castellanos at 14:15, but Neto sealed the Blast victory with his third tally just eight seconds later at 14:23.
KiXX RECORD:
Overall: 3-4
Home: 3-1
Road: 0-3
PREVIOUS RESULTS:
12/30 @ Baltimore Blast - L, 2-8
THIS WEEK'S GAMES:
1/7 vs. St. Louis Steamers - 7:05 pm ET
MISL STANDINGS (through games of 12/31)
TEAM W L PCT GB STREAK
Milwaukee Wave 8 0 1.000 --- Won 8
St. Louis Steamers 7 2 .778 1.5 Won 6
Baltimore Blast 5 3 .625 3.0 Won 2
Philadelphia KiXX 3 4 .429 4.5 Lost 1
Chicago Storm 3 6 .333 5.5 Won 1
California Cougars 0 11 .000 9.5 Lost 11
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from January 2, 2006
- KiXX closes out 2005 at 3-4 overall - Philadelphia KiXX
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