Knights Drop Heart Breaker to Wave, 12-11

December 26, 2012 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Syracuse Silver Knights News Release


SYRACUSE, NY - The Syracuse Silver Knights of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) lost a heart breaker to the league's defending champions, the Milwaukee Wave, on Wednesday night.

Having won four out of their last five contests, Tommy Tanner's side have displayed a new found confidence in recent weeks and continued there run of form on Boxing Day. The Knights fell behind in the game's first two minutes when Milwaukee's Tenzin Rampa pounced on a loose ball inside the box. The Knights responded quickly, however, and Nelson Santana put the home side in front 3-2 when he ripped a weak-footed effort from outside the arc just :30 later.

The Knights rallied behind the cheers of the 4,012 stir-crazy Syracuse faithful, and reigning MISL Player of the Week, Bryan Perez, increased the Syracuse lead when he finished a nifty feed from Santana on the power play As the first quarter came to a close, rookie Nate Bourdeau, who made his professional debut just two weeks prior, took a loose ball at midfield, beat a defender with fancy dribbling, and lofted a beautiful cross to Darren Toby who finished the play with a side footed volley to the top corner.

Trailing 7-2 after the first quarter, the defending champions took the game to the Silver Knights in the second quarter. Ian Bennett netted a gorgeous brace with two unassisted goals in the quarter, while Milwaukee's second leading scorer, Marcio Leite scored his first goal of the game.

Trailing 8-7 at the half, Syracuse took the field with the third quarter looking to gain back the momentum that they lost in the second. After a furious offensive onslaught, Santana slid a pass across to the MISL's third leading scorer, Neto, put up his 17th tally of the year when he one-timed Santana's pass low off the near post and into the net. Kenardo Forbes increased the Syracuse lead just moments later when he fired a long-range effort off goalkeeper Nick Vorberg's hands and into the net.

Carrying a one-point lead into the final quarter, Syracuse called to arms their defensive leaders and protected their own net at all costs. Goalkeeper Bryan O'Quinn put on a show for the hometown fans once again, finishing the game with 25 saves on 31 shots on goal. The Knights continued to nurse the one-point lead into the dying embers, and Milwaukee pulled Vorberg to bring on an extra attacker.

Syracuse was unable to gain possession and seal the game into the empty net, and Marcio Leite put the champs back on top with an unassisted blast into the top corner. Tanner put Santana on as an extra attacker to try for the game winner, but the home side was unable to muster any scoring chances.

The Knights will have to lick their wounds quickly as they embark on a five game road trip with visits to Wichita this Friday and Missouri on Saturday. The team will return home on January 18 when they host the first-place Baltimore Blast in the first of three consecutive tilts at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena.



Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from December 26, 2012


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