MASL Weekly - Week 7
Published on December 10, 2014 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) News Release
Reversals of Fortune
12/10/14 - For several of the returning teams who made the transition from the PASL moniker to the MASL this offseason, the name change isn't all that's different this year. For three of the teams from last year's Newman Cup Championship Weekend, the change has not been good on the scoreboard.
The Chicago Mustangs (2-4), Hidalgo La Fiera (3-3) and Las Vegas Legends (2-4) have already lost more games this season than they did in the entire 2013/14 season. The Mustangs (16-0 last year) have had to face teams that came over from the MISL, but Hidalgo (14-2) and Las Vegas (13-3) have not.
Two teams, though, are trending upward. Oxford City FC of Texas improved to 4-3 last weekend, which matches the win total for the first two years of the franchise which was known as the Texas Strikers while playing to a combined 4-28 record.
The Ontario Fury are riding an impressive three game winning streak in which they trailed by two or more goals in all three games and rallied for victories. The Fury are 4-3 after finishing 5-11 last year.
MASL Team of the Week
GK - Joey Kapinos, Rochester Lancers - The former Waza Flo goalkeeper has improved upon his already impressive winning percentage with a 3-0 start to improve his lifetime record to 26-5. Kapinos held the Harrisburg Heat to two goals as the Lancers moved two games over .500 for the first time in franchise history.
D - Costea Decu, Detroit Waza Flo - Decu gave the Waza Flo a big lift with a goal and two assists in their 8-6 win against the Syracuse Silver Knights. The win kept Detroit firmly in the division playoff race despite a 3-4 start.
D - Stephen Basso, Ontario Fury - Basso was acquired from the Rochester Lancers before the season and is the second leading scorer for Ontario. He had a goal and two assists in the Fury's two wins last week.
F - Max Touloute, Missouri Comets - The "Haitian Sensation" was messaging teams on Facebook this time last year just trying to find someone to give him a chance. He signed with the Pennsylvania Roar and finished as their second leading scorer in just five games before being dealt to the Comets. Touloute (pronounced Too-LOOT) has thrived in Missouri. He currently sits 7th in the MASL in points with 17 and had four goals and five assists in two wins last weekend.
F - Tiguinho Dias, Ontario Fury - Tiguinho, who has been Mr. Clutch for the Fury this year, scored his third straight hat trick on Sunday and has 11 goals during Ontario's three game winning streak.
F - Leo Gibson, Missouri Comets - Gibson returns to the Team of the Week again after widening his league lead in points. With five goals and three assists in two games, Gibson now has 31 points this year and he also broke the league record for power play goals when he notched his 11th on Friday.
Kick Starters - Conversations you should be having about the MASL
MASL Taps GoLive for Live Webcasts
Every MASL game will be broadcast live on GoLive Sports Cast this year. All games will also be archived on GoLive at http://golivesportscast.com/your-masl-teams/.
Nestor Hernandez Due to Make Season Debut
The Sidekicks leading scorer and young superstar Nestor Hernandez is scheduled to play his first game of the season on Sunday against the Tulsa Revolution. Hernandez was injured before the season and missed the first six games while rehabbing from knee surgery. Hernandez had 49 points last year.
Dallas 4K
The Sidekicks are 16 goals away from a combined 4,000 goals between the "original" and "arena soccer" era franchises. The team has a contest on their Facebook page offering fans the chance to win the game ball Goal 4,000 is scored with if they correctly guess the game, the player, and the half it is scored in.
Wave/Blast Set for Two
The Milwaukee Wave come to Baltimore this weekend for two games against the Blast. The two longest running indoor soccer cities have been doing battle since 1992, but played in different leagues before that. Baltimore has had continuous indoor soccer since 1980 and the Wave have been playing since 1984. When the Baltimore Spirit succeeded the original Blast in 1992 the first game they played in the NPSL was against the Wave and the two cities would go on to meet four times in the MISL championship.
The Week Ahead
Milwaukee
Baltimore
Fri, Dec 12 7:35 pm Royal Farms
Hidalgo Saltillo Fri, Dec 12 7:35 pm Deportivo RSS
Las Vegas Turlock Fri, Dec 12 7:35 pm Turlock IS
Harrisburg Syracuse Sat, Dec 13 7:00 pm Oncenter
Seattle San Diego Sat, Dec 13 7:05 pm VV Casino Arena
Las Vegas Sacramento Sat, Dec 13 7:05 pm McClellan Park
Wichita Missouri Sat, Dec 13 7:05 pm Independence EC
Tulsa Texas Sat, Dec 13 7:05 pm Ford Arena
Milwaukee Baltimore Sat, Dec 13 7:35 pm Royal Farms
Detroit St. Louis Sat, Dec 13 7:35 pm Family Arena
Texas Hidalgo Sun, Dec 14 3:00 pm State Farm
Tulsa Dallas Sun, Dec 14 3:00 pm Allen EC
Seattle Ontario Sun, Dec 14 3:05 pm Citizens Bank
Detroit Chicago Sun, Dec 14 3:05 pm Sears Centre
All times Eastern
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from December 10, 2014
- MASL Weekly - Week 7 - MASL
- Ambush to Host Detroit on Saturday - St. Louis Ambush
- Lancers Announce Wall of Fame Inductees - Rochester Lancers
- Blast vs. Wave Preview - Baltimore Blast
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
