Lancers Rally to Defeat Soul

Published on February 11, 2013 under Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) News Release

CHICAGO - The Rochester Lancers boosted their playoff hopes as they completed a season sweep of the Chicago Soul as Mauricio Salles recorded a hat trick in a 19-15 victory on Friday night at the Sears Centre Arena. The win pulled the Lancers within a game of the Soul for the fourth and final playoff berth as the regular season entered its final month.

Rochester took an early lead as Gary Boughton scored on his return from injury, but the Soul responded with a pair of 3-point goals by Carlos Muñoz just more than two minutes apart to take a 6-2 lead. Alex Megson added another goal for the Soul before the end of the quarter before both teams went scoreless in the second quarter.

The Lancers got back into the game midway through the third as Stephen Basso first struck from 3-point range before Salles scored his first, cutting the Soul's lead to 8-7. Doug Miller then gave his side the lead, only for Chicago's Tijani Ayegbusi to respond with a 3-point goal in the final minute of the third to give the Soul an 11-9 lead at the end of the quarter.

Rochester quickly regained control, however, as Salles scored twice in the opening five minutes of the fourth, around a goal by Jeremy Ortiz, to give the Lancers a 15-11 lead. Chicago quickly got a goal back through Megson's second, and then tied the game with just more than a minute to play as Matt Stewart found the net. Miller, though, capitalized on a breakaway with 51 seconds to play to restore the Lancers' lead before Boughton capped the victory, adding an insurance goal shortly after.

FRIDAY

BALTIMORE 17, WICHITA 11: The Baltimore Blast scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as they put a dent in the Wichita Wings' playoffs hopes with victory at Hartman Arena. Ptah Myers had a hat trick for the Blast, who rallied from a five-point deficit to claim victory.

After a tight opening to the game, Wichita reeled off three consecutive goals late in the first quarter to gain the upper hand. Frederico Moojen had a pair of them, opening the scoring with a little more than five minutes to play, and his effort was followed by a 3-pointer from Miguel Ferrer before Moojen struck again to make it 7-0.

Baltimore roared back in the second quarter, though, as Myers and Max Ferdinand cut the deficit to 7-4 within the opening four minutes. Lucas Roque then added a third with 21 seconds to play in the quarter, making it a one-point game at the break.

Wichita solidified its lead in the third with Moojen completing his hat trick, and Adrian Gonzalez gave his side an 11-6 lead with less than 10 minutes to play in the game as the Wings appeared to be on course for a vital win. The Blast rallied, however, J.T. Noone starting the run of five consecutive goals with just more than five minutes remaining. Myers then scored his second before Lucio Gonzaga's 3-pointer gave Baltimore its first lead of the game with 3:18 to play. Myers completed his hat trick 28 seconds later before Ferdinand added his second to complete the scoring into an empty net.

SUNDAY

MILWAUKEE 14, ROCHESTER 11: The Milwaukee Wave held off a strong second-half rally by the Rochester Lancers at U.S. Cellular Arena to claim their 16th consecutive victory and remain a half-game ahead of the Baltimore Blast for first place in the MISL standings. Israel Sesay and Nick Perera each scored twice for the Wave.

Sesay opened the scoring for the Wave just more than five minutes in, and Milwaukee doubled its advantage when Giuliano Oliviero redirected home a shot by Marcio Leite less than two minutes later. Rochester got on the board through Mauricio Salles, but the Wave extended their lead with a pair of goals in the opening minute of the second quarter by JP Rodrigues and Perera to make it 8-2.

Salles scored his fifth goal of the weekend to keep the Lancers in striking distance, but Milwaukee held a six-point lead at the break thanks to Sesay's second of the game with a little more than a minute to play in the half. Rochester stormed back in the third quarter, however, with Pedrinho scoring on the power play before Paul Craig drove home a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game, the Lancers shutting out the Wave in the period.

Milwaukee was able to regain control in the fourth, though, as Perera's second made it 12-9 less than a minute in, and Ian Bennett was able to get an insurance goal with less than five minutes to play to make it a five-point game. Rochester quickly made it a one-goal game again, Doug Miller scoring his league-leading 41st goal of the season, but the Lancers were unable to take advantage of a late power play opportunity as the Wave held on for victory.

BALTIMORE 27, MISSOURI 13: The Baltimore Blast scored eight second-half goals as they pulled away from the Missouri Comets at the Independence Events Center. Five players had at least six points for the Blast, with Adauto Neto and Ptah Myers each recording hat tricks.

The Comets opened strongly, with Cristiano giving his side the lead after 63 seconds. Leo Gibson then added to the lead with a 3-pointer, but the Blast were able to get back on even terms before the end of the quarter, J.T. Noone answering with a 3-pointer of his own before Max Ferdinand tied the game a minute later.

Neto then gave the Blast their first lead early in the second, but goals by Cristiano and Ramone Palmer pushed the Comets back in front with less than five minutes to play in the half. The Blast regained the lead before the break, however, as Neto and Myers scored a minute apart for an 11-9 lead.

The Blast then scored the opening three goals of the second half, Lucio Gonzaga striking 90 seconds in before Stephen DeRoux and Neto made it 17-9. The Comets pulled within four through goals by Ryan Junge and Vahid Assadpour less than a minute apart, but that was as close as they would get as Myers scored twice in the fourth quarter, once shorthanded, while Pat Healey added a goal to his four assists.

STANDINGS

Team W L Pct. PF PA

x-Milwaukee 17 2 .895 242 164

x-Baltimore 19 5 .792 357 216

Missouri 10 12 .455 288 324

Chicago 9 13 .409 247 277

Rochester 8 15 .348 291 350

Wichita 7 14 .333 217 274

Syracuse 6 15 .286 227 264

x-clinched playoff berth

RESULTS

Friday, February 8

Rochester 19, Chicago 15

Baltimore 17, Wichita 11

Sunday, February 10

Milwaukee 14, Rochester 11

Baltimore 27, Missouri 13

SCHEDULE

Saturday, February 16

Syracuse at Rochester, 1 p.m. ET

Wichita at Baltimore, 7:35 p.m. ET

Sunday, February 17

Milwaukee at Missouri, 4:10 p.m. ET

Monday, February 18

Wichita at Rochester, 7 p.m. ET

Milwaukee at Chicago, 8 p.m. ET

Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from February 11, 2013

• Playoff Tickets and 2013-14 Season Ticket Packages Now Available - Milwaukee Wave
• Abby Wambach at Rochester Lancers Game - Rochester Lancers
• Lancers Rally to Defeat Soul - MISL

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