KiXX collide with Interstate-95 rival Baltimore Blast on Saturday, January 31

January 28, 2009 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Philadelphia KiXX News Release


Philadelphia, PA, January 28, 2009 - The Philadelphia KiXX (4-5) head south on Interstate-95 to battle the top-seeded Baltimore Blast (7-1) on Saturday, January 31. The contest will be the third of five meetings between the two rivalries this season. Baltimore earned the victory in each of the previous two matchups, 16-10 and 18-6, on December 20 and January 17 respectively. Saturday's game-time at the 1st Mariner Arena is scheduled for 7:35 pm ET and can be heard live via webcast at www.wmssfm.com. Veteran play-by-play man John Wilsbach will provide the call.

This Week's Itinerary:

Thursday, January 29, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Friday, January 30, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Saturday, January 31, @ Baltimore Blast, 1st Mariner Arena, 7:35 pm

Sunday, February 1, Off Day

Monday, February 2, Off Day

Tuesday, February 3, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

*all times are Eastern and subject to change

University of Penn Health Systems Injury Report: Player Injury Status

Ryan Heins Quad Questionable

Anthony Maher Hamstring Questionable

John Barry Nusum Hamstring Doubtful

Meet the Opponent: Baltimore Blast

2008-09 Series: 0-2 (home 0-1, away 0-1)

Overall: 42-38 (home 25-15, away 17-23)

Saturday's contest will be the third of five meetings between the KiXX and Baltimore this season. Despite a hat trick and seven points from Philadelphia native Pat Morris, the Blast earned the victory, 16-10, in the first meeting at the 1st Mariner Arena on December 20. Machel Millwod also posted seven points, while Guiliano Celenza and Denison Cabral each registered six for Baltimore. The Blast then earned a 16-8 win the City of Brotherly Love on January 17 thanks to a balanced attack that saw five different players record at least three points. Forward Hewerton Moreira led Philadelphia with three points. Baltimore enters the contest with the top-ranked defensive unit, allowing a mere 5.9 points per game, while the KiXX garner the most proficient offense, scoring 16.7 per outing.

Last Week's Outings:

PHI 16, MON 8 (1/25/09) - Forward Hewerton Moreira registered a season-best 10 points on a team-high five two-point goals to lead Philadelphia past the visiting Monterrey La RaZa, 16-8 and avoid the season-sweep. The KiXX jumped to an early 6-0 lead after one period, thanks to two-point scores from Moreira (2) and Ortiz, before Monterrey's Joel Busti connected on the only score of the second stanza at 5:46. The La RaZa then registered a pair of unanswered three-point goals from Ivan Medina and Jose Luiz Birche to take their first lead of the contest, 8-6, but Philadelphia responded with five consecutive two-point tallies to seal the victory. Moreira registered three more scores over the final quarter and half, while player/coach Don D'Ambra, Ricardinho and Ptah Myers each deposited a tally. Defender Clay Roberts appeared in the 50th game of his career.

Familiar Foes: Saturday's contest will be another chapter in the long-storied rivalry between the Philadelphia KiXX and the Baltimore Blast. The KiXX hold a slight advantage in all-time head-to-head meetings, 42-38, but post a 17-23 record at the 1st Mariner Arena including 0-1 this season. The two clubs have combined to win six of the last seven League championships, the Blast with four and Philadelphia with titles in 2002 and 2007. The two also rank one and two, respectively, in attendance and have done so each of the last two seasons.

Dance Team Clinic: The Philadelphia KiXX will be holding the Second Annual Dance Clinic on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at Tri-State Sports. This clinic will be instructed by our professional dancers and staff for dancers, ages 7-18 from the Tri-State area, interested in learning great new skills and techniques. The clinic is open to all dance levels, gymnasts, cheer, dance, and pom teams. All participants will learn a dynamic high-energy, hip-hop jazz routine that will be performed during halftime of the Philadelphia KiXX home game on Sunday, March 1. Kick-off is 4:05 pm.

Night to Remember: Sunday, January 25 is definitely a night KiXX fans will remember. Philadelphia avoided the season sweep at the hands of the Monterrey La RaZa with a 16-8 victory, but that's not what's memorable. Most patrons on their way out of the historic Wachovia Spectrum were talking about the impressive individual performance turned out by forward Hewerton Moreira. The native of Santos, Brazil registered a season-best 10 points on five two-point goals, each score followed by his trademarked back flip. For his efforts, Moreira was named the NISL Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending January 25, his second such honor after receiving the League's first weekly accolade for the period ending November 16. The five-year veteran currently leads all NISL scorers with 41 points.

Well-Represented: The KiXX are well represented on the NISL Leaderboard, holding three of the top five scorers. After his season-best 10-point performance versus Monterrey on January 25, forward Hewerton Moreira ranks first overall with 41 points. Philadelphia native Pat Morris fell from first to third (32 points) after failing to record a point versus the La RaZa. Cape May Court House native Anthony Maher was inactive for the contest and as such, slid back into a tie for the fifth position with 27 total points. In addition, midfielder Ptah Myers and Ricardinho are tied for ninth with 23 points and player/coach Don D'Ambra is tied for 12th with 21.

Still Counting: KiXX midfielder Ptah Myers is well on his way to becoming Philadelphia's Ironman. The Columbus, OH native appeared in his 101st consecutive regular-season game versus Monterrey on January 25 and has now appeared in 107 consecutive contests including playoffs. The UMASS product has played in every game each of the last three seasons and last missed an outing when he did not participate in the team's contest versus the Milwaukee Wave on February 9, 2005. Scott Henderson holds the team's all-time mark with 147 consecutive outings.



Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from January 28, 2009


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