
Milwaukee Grabs Another Guarantee
February 3, 2003 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2) News Release
Fans spent a great deal of time on the edges of their seats and scoreboard watchers had plenty to keep track of in the latest weekend of MISL action, which saw seven games decided by a total of 25 points. None of the weekend¡¦s final four contests were decided by more than two points, wrapping up a three-day span brimming with playoff implications.
The Milwaukee Wave decided it wasn¡¦t content with a mere playoff berth, which the team clinched last week; the Western Conference leaders used a perfect 2-0 weekend to guarantee themselves at least a second-place finish and a home game in the first round of the 2003 MISL Playoffs.
The Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia KiXX went 1-1 over the weekend, but with a magic number of only one going into their game Saturday in Dallas, the KiXX are on the verge of joining the Wave in the postseason. Philadelphia¡¦s magic number to clinch a first-round home game is just two.
The Baltimore Blast held the KiXX to just two points in a 7-2 win at 1st Mariner Arena on Friday night, marking the first time since January 6-12, 2002, that the Blast had won three games in a row. Though Baltimore dropped a 16-14 decision to the Wave on Saturday, the Charm City contingent pulled out of last place in the League¡¦s Eastern Conference, nudging past the Harrisburg Heat into third place.
Harrisburg lost a pair of games in as many days to Milwaukee and Philadelphia to drop into fourth in the East, while Cleveland beat San Diego 15-10 on Friday night and fell 16-14 against Kansas City on Sunday. As a result, Baltimore trails Cleveland by two and one-half games in the East, while Harrisburg is a full three games behind the Force. Philadelphia¡¦s lead over Cleveland is seven games.
Milwaukee leads the second-place Comets by seven and one-half games in the West. San Diego trails Kansas City by two and one-half games, and the Dallas Sidekicks (losers of eight straight) find themselves four games out of third place as the week opens.
This week¡¦s MISL action kicks in on Wednesday morning, as Milwaukee heads to The Convo in Cleveland to take on the Force in a School Day Game (10:35 a.m.). Thursday (Harrisburg at San Diego) and Friday (Dallas at Kansas City) will feature one game apiece, before four Saturday night games wrap up the week¡¦s MISL slate.
But on-field exploits won¡¦t be the only focus for MISL faithful this week: over the next two days, the League will announce the selections for the 2003 MISL All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, March 9, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The Eastern Conference team will be announced on Tuesday, February 4, and the Western Conference side will be introduced on Wednesday, February 5.
EDGERTON, HILEMAN GARNER WEEKLY HONORS: Offensive:
Cleveland Force forward Lee Edgerton has been named the MISL Offensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending February 2. Edgerton recorded three goals and three assists for nine points in two weekend games.
The 28-year-old assisted on three goals in Cleveland¡¦s 15-10 win over the San Diego Sockers on Friday night, and followed up with a three-goal performance in a 16-14 loss to Kansas City on Sunday. Edgerton¡¦s productive weekend continues a recent hot streak that has seen him score 10 goals and assist on seven others for 27 points in his last seven games.
The native of Merced, CA, is now second on the team and tied for 18th in the MISL with 46 points this season. Edgerton joins Giuliano Oliviero (Nov. 24, 2002) and Chris Stathopoulos (Dec. 8, 2002) as Force players to win weekly Offensive honors this season.
Others Receiving Consideration:
San Diego¡¦s Carlos ¡§Chile¡¨ Farias scored eight points (3pg, two 2pgs, assist) in two games over the weekend. Farias enters the week with 93 points, second in the MISL.
Kansas City¡¦s Dino Delevski scored seven points in the Comets¡¦ 16-14 win over Cleveland on Sunday.
Defensive:
Baltimore Blast goalkeeper Scott Hileman has won the MISL Defensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending February 2, marking the second consecutive week that a Blast netminder has won weekly honors (Brett Phillips won the award on January 27). Hileman went 1-1 over the weekend, saving 38 of 47 shots (for a remarkable .826 save percentage) and allowing 18 points.
Hileman was outstanding on Friday in a 7-2 Blast win over the Conference-leading Philadelphia KiXX, turning away 22 of 23 shots (.957 save percentage) and surrendering only Edgar Bartolomeu¡¦s 2pg at 8:50 of the third quarter. The native of Phoenix, AZ, saved 16 of 23 shots in a 16-14 loss to the Milwaukee Wave on Saturday.
For the season, Hileman is 6-10 with a 10.85 points against average (fifth in the League). The 30-year-old recorded the 120th victory of his career on Friday night, moving into a tie with Carlos Pena on the MISL¡¦s all-time wins list.
Others Receiving Consideration:
Blast defender Sean Bowers scored six points (3pg, 2pg, assist) and blocked seven shots in Baltimore¡¦s two weekend games. His trey on Friday night against Philadelphia served as the game-winner and moved him into a tie with Gino DiFlorio on the League¡¦s all-time list with 54 3pgs. Bowers is now third in the MISL with 52 blocks.
THIS WEEK¡¦S MISL SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, February 5 Milwaukee at Cleveland 10:35 a.m. ET
Thursday, February 6 Harrisburg at San Diego 7:05 p.m. PT
Friday, February 7 Dallas at Kansas City 8:05 p.m. CT
Saturday, February 8 San Diego at Milwaukee 1:05 p.m. CT
Baltimore at Cleveland 7:05 p.m. ET
Dallas at Philadelphia 7:05 p.m. ET
Harrisburg at Kansas City 8:05 p.m. CT
MISL GAME RECAPS (January 27 ¡V February 2, 2003)
Games of 1/31/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Milwaukee 15 5-4-4-2 2,806 31 2 0-0 Nogueira (22-25)
HARRISBURG 6 0-4-0-2 35 0 0-1 Damico (15-22)
Marcelo Fontana¡¦s 2pg with 27 seconds to go in the first half gave Milwaukee a 9-4 lead, and two third-quarter 3pgs, from Todd Dusosky at 12:40 and Brian Loftin at 14:31, made it 13-4 and locked up a 15-6 win for the Wave at the Farm Show Arena on Friday night. David Bascome, Ze Roberto, and David Barbosa scored the three Heat goals against Victor Nogueira, who turned away 22 of 25 shots in the victory. Chris Damico took the loss for Harrisburg, with 15 saves on 22 shots. Fontana finished the night with a pair of 2pgs for four points, and Todd Dusosky added two 2pgs and an assist for five points.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
BALTIMORE 7 5-0-2-0 3,896 23 8 0-3 Hileman (22-23)
Philadelphia 2 0-0-2-0 35 11 0-4 Pappas (10-13)
Scott Hileman saved 22 of 23 shots, allowing only Edgar Bartolomeu¡¦s 2pg at 8:50 of the third, as the Baltimore Blast logged a 7-2 victory over the Conference-leading Philadelphia KiXX at 1st Mariner Arena and won its third consecutive game for the first time since January 6-13, 2002. Sean Bowers¡¦ 3pg at 5:15 of the first quarter stood as the game-winner. Denison Cabral added a 2pg just 23 seconds later, and after that neither team scored for a span of almost 30 minutes. Rich Daughtridge followed Bartolomeu¡¦s score with a 2pg of his own at 9:54 to wrap up the night¡¦s scoring. Peter Pappas saved 10 of 13 shots in goal for Philadelphia. The Blast and KiXX were a combined 0-7 on the power play for the night; Philadelphia outshot Baltimore 35-23 in the contest.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
CLEVELAND 15 4-4-0-7 6,051 34 2 0-1 Larkin (14-18)
San Diego 10 2-3-2-3 37 2 1-2 Vorberg (14-21)
San Diego¡¦s Carlos ¡§Chile¡¨ Farias tied the game at 10-10 with a 3pg at 5:48 of the fourth quarter, but Cleveland¡¦s Justin Evans answered with a 3pg at 9:30 to make it 13-10 and allow the Force to improve to 8-2 at The Convo this season. D.J. Newsom¡¦s second goal of the game, a 2pg at 9:52, made it 15-10 and secured the victory. Jim Larkin saved 14 of 18 shots in the win, and Otto Orf made his first appearance of the season, saving all three shots he faced while Larkin served a second-quarter tripping penalty. Aaron Susi scored a 3pg, a 2pg, and an assist for six points to lead San Diego; Newsom and Giuliano Oliviero finished with two 2pgs apiece for Cleveland.
Games of 2/1/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Milwaukee 16 0-6-4-6 8,539 39 6 1-2 Green (13-20)
BALTIMORE 14 6-0-4-4 30 4 1-3 Hileman (16-23)
In a game of surges, Baltimore¡¦s final surge came up two points short as the Milwaukee Wave finished a 2-0 weekend and extended its winning streak to eight games with a 16-14 win at 1st Mariner Arena. The two clubs exchanged scoring spurts throughout, and Milwaukee¡¦s three-goal run, featuring a 2pg from Marcelo Fontana (12:54 of the third), a 3pg from Greg Howes (at 4:12 of the fourth), and a 3pg from Sean Reti (the game-winner at 9:44 of the fourth), put the Wave up 16-10. Baltimore¡¦s P.J. Wakefield responded with two consecutive sixth-attacker goals, at 10:04 and 10:51, to bring the Blast within two, but the hosts could not muster a final tally. The Blast led 6-0 at the end of one, but Milwaukee took an 8-6 lead early in the third after an 8-0 run. Baltimore then registered two straight goals to assume a 10-8 advantage before the Wave¡¦s decisive 6-0 eruption. Dan Green (13 saves on 20 shots) recorded the win, and Scott Hileman saved 16 of 23 shots for the Blast.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Philadelphia 17 3-9-5-0 4,562 32 9 2-2 Pappas (15-23)
HARRISBURG 16 2-4-4-6 39 9 3-3 Salas (8-10)
Harrisburg scored three consecutive fourth-quarter goals, the last two coming 16 seconds apart with just over a minute to play, but the Philadelphia KiXX held on for a 17-16 win at the Farm Show Arena. Third-quarter goals from Kevin Sloan and Les Lunsford gave Philly a 17-10 lead heading into the fourth, but the Heat began to rally with a 2pg from Ato Leone at 4:48 of the fourth. David Bascome converted a penalty kick chance at 13:23 and Matt Tanzini added a 2pg at 13:39 to make it 17-16, forcing the Philadelphia defense and goalkeeper Peter Pappas (15 saves in the win) to buckle down as the clock ran out. Three 3pgs (from Sloan, Don D¡¦Ambra, and Shawn Boney) made a substantial difference for the KiXX; Harrisburg actually scored more goals (eight) than Philadelphia (seven) in the game. Chris Damico (seven saves) got the start for the Heat but was replaced at halftime by Raul Salas, who took the loss with eight saves. Sloan and Boney both scored a 3pg and a 2pg for five points for the KiXX, and Leone (two 2pgs, assist) and Marco Coria (2pg, three assists) finished with five points for Harrisburg.
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
San Diego 11 5-2-4-0 6,612 25 14 1-2 Horvath (17-22)
DALLAS 10 4-2-2-2 35 14 0-2 Sagu (8-11)
Carlos ¡§Chile¡¨ Farias and Paul Wright scored back-to-back 2pgs, at 8:59 and 12:46 of the third, respectively, to erase an 8-7 deficit and lead the San Diego Sockers to an 11-10 win over the Sidekicks at Reunion Arena on Saturday night. The Sockers had built a 7-4 lead early in the second quarter, but 2pgs from Dallas¡¦ Nick Stavrou (14:29 of the second) and Larry Dube (3:12 of the third) gave the hosts an 8-7 lead before Farias and Wright bagged their goals. David Doyle¡¦s 2pg at 4:06 of the fourth brought the Sidekicks to within 11-10, but Dallas could pull no closer. D.J. Horvath got the win in goal with 17 saves on 22 shots, and Sagu took the loss with eight saves in 11 chances as the Sidekicks¡¦ losing streak reached eight games.
Games of 2/1/2003
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Kansas City 16 5-5-2-4 4,815 30 20 2-2 Ceccarelli (15-22)
CLEVELAND 14 8-2-4-4 29 14 3-5 Larkin (14-21)
Miodrag Djerisilo scored the game-winning 2pg at 10:04 of the fourth quarter to give visiting Kansas City a 16-14 win over Cleveland at The Convo. The loss is only the third of the season at home for the Force. The Comets fought back from a 10-5 second-quarter deficit to take a 12-10 lead on Dino Delevski¡¦s 2pg at 6:52 of the third. Cleveland answered with 2pgs from Lee Edgerton (1:15) and Kiley Couch (6:33) to take a 14-12 lead in the fourth. Jeff Davis¡¦ deuce at 9:06 tied the game at 14-14, and Djerisilo capped off a wild affair with his final two-pointer. The Comets and Force combined for 34 minutes in penalties and five power play goals. Paolo Ceccarelli saved 15 of 22 shots in goal for K.C., and Jim Larkin (14-21) took the loss. Delevski finished with a 3pg and two 2pgs for seven points to lead the Comets, and Lee Edgerton¡¦s six points (three 2pgs) led Cleveland.
TEAM CAPSULES (January 27 ¡V February 2, 2003)
BALTIMORE BLAST (10-15)
The Blast defeated the first-place Philadelphia KiXX 7-2 on Friday night, and dropped a 16-14 decision to the Milwaukee Wave on Saturday night. Baltimore¡¦s 1-1 weekend at 1st Mariner Arena, combined with two weekend losses for the Harrisburg Heat, pulls the Blast (10-15) out of last place in the MISL¡¦s Eastern Conference. Scott Hileman saved 22 of 23 shots against Philly on Friday night as Baltimore won three straight games for the first time since January 6-13, 2002. A late Blast comeback effort, sparked by a pair of P.J. Wakefield 2pgs in the fourth quarter, fell short against Milwaukee on Saturday. Baltimore built a 10-8 lead late in the third quarter against the Wave, but the Blast was ultimately undone by a 6-0 Wave run that began at 12:54 of the third. Scott Hileman started both games for the Blast, saving 38 of 46 shots. Hileman is now fifth in the MISL with a 10.85 points against average, and has moved into fifth with a .728 save percentage. Defender Sean Bowers leads the team and ranks third in the League with 52 blocks. Forward Denison Cabral enters the week 15th in the League with 47 points. Having completed a six-game homestand, Baltimore will now play four of its next five games on the road, where the team is 2-8 thus far.
For The Record: Home: 8-7 Road: 2-8 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-8 vs. Western Conference: 5-7
Up Next: Saturday 2/8 at Cleveland; Saturday 2/15 vs. Dallas; Friday 2/21 at Kansas City; Sunday 2/23 at Milwaukee
CLEVELAND FORCE (12-12)
The Force downed San Diego 15-10 on Friday night, and dropped a 16-14 outing to Kansas City on Sunday, making the team 8-3 at home this season. Lee Edgerton continued his scoring tear with nine points over the weekend; Edgerton is now tied for 18th in the League with 46 points. Giuliano Oliviero continues to lead the team in scoring with 53 points (13th in the League). Jim Larkin remains the only keeper to start all of his team¡¦s games in 2002-¡¦03; Larkin is eighth in the League with a 12.28 PAA and second with 347 saves. His 1,382 minutes played lead all MISL netminders. Defender D.J. Newsom is fifth in the League with 44 blocks. Hector Marinaro did not play over the weekend; his scoring streak remains intact at 57 games. The Force will play its next three games at The Convo, beginning with a School Day Game this Wednesday, February 5, against Milwaukee (10:35 a.m.).
For The Record: Home: 8-3 Road: 4-9 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-6 vs. Western Conference: 7-6
Up Next: Wednesday 2/5 vs. Milwaukee; Saturday 2/8 vs. Baltimore; Saturday 2/15 vs. San Diego; Sunday 2/16 at Dallas
DALLAS SIDEKICKS (6-19)
An 11-10 defeat against San Diego on Saturday night extended the Sidekicks¡¦ losing streak to eight games and dropped the team to 6-19 heading into the week. Larry Dube¡¦s 2pg at 3:12 of the third gave Dallas an 8-7 lead against San Diego, but the Sidekicks surrendered two unanswered goals to fall behind 11-8, and could manage only David Doyle¡¦s fourth-quarter 2pg the rest of the way. Dallas keeper Sagu is second in the MISL in minutes played (1,337) and ranks third with 278 saves. Tatu scored four points against San Diego and is tied for 10th in the League with 54 points. Tatu is also tied for third in the MISL with 24 assists. Doyle is tied for seventh in the League with 61 points, and Nick Stavrou (46 points) is tied for 18th. The Sidekicks will play their next three games on the road before returning home to face Cleveland on February 16. Dallas is just 1-11 on the road, and 1-12 against Western Conference opponents.
For The Record: Home: 5-8 Road: 1-11 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-7 vs. Western Conference: 1-12
Up Next: Friday 2/7 at Kansas City; Saturday 2/8 at Philadelphia; Saturday 2/15 at Baltimore; Sunday 2/16 vs. Cleveland
HARRISBURG HEAT (10-16)
The Heat lost twice in as many days to the two best teams in the MISL, falling 15-6 to the Milwaukee Wave on Friday and dropping a 17-16 decision to Philadelphia on Saturday, both at the Farm Show Arena. As a result, the Heat has dropped into last place in the MISL¡¦s Eastern Conference, starting the week one half-game behind the third-place Baltimore Blast. Ato Leone continued his recent hot streak with six points in two games, including five on Saturday night, and is now tied for 10th in the MISL with 54 points. His 23 assists are fifth in the League. Marco Coria scored five points against the KiXX and is 14th in the League with 51 points. David Bascome ranks sixth with 67 points, third with 30 total goals, second with 30 2pgs, and leads the circuit with 11 power play goals. Bascome needs only four points to become the 17th player in League history to score 900 points for his career. Harrisburg ranks second in the League in penalty killing (64.0%) and third in the MISL on the power play (39.3%); no team in the League has had more power play chances (56) than the Heat. Defender Genoni Martinez remains the highest-scoring defender in the League with 61 points (tied for seventh in the League) and now leads the MISL with 61 blocks. Harrisburg, 2-9 away from home this season, will now embark on a six-game road trip and will not play at home again until Wednesday, March 5.
For The Record: Home: 8-7 Road: 2-9 vs. Eastern Conference: 5-9 vs. Western Conference: 5-7
Up Next: Thursday 2/6 at San Diego; Saturday 2/8 at Kansas City; Saturday 2/15 at Milwaukee; Friday 2/21 at Cleveland
KANSAS CITY COMETS (12-12)
Miodrag Djerisilo scored the game-winning goal at 10:04 of the fourth quarter to give Kansas City a 16-14 win in its only game of the weekend, over the Cleveland Force at The Convo on Sunday afternoon. The Comets continue to lead the League in offense (14.4 points per game), thanks in large part to the unfailingly productive duo of Dino Delevski and Nino DaSilva; Delevski scored seven points against the Force and leads the MISL with 116 points, 23 ahead of his closest challenger. DaSilva assisted on a pair of goals in Cleveland and is fifth overall with 69 points. Delevski leads the MISL with 41 total goals and 33 2pgs, is tied for first with eight 3pgs, and is second with 26 assists. Defender Jeff Davis is fourth in the MISL with 48 blocks. Goalkeeper Paolo Ceccarelli, who saved 31 of 42 shots over the weekend, is seventh in the League with an 11.77 PAA, but is first with 361 saves and second with a .757 save percentage. He is also third with 1,228 minutes played. The Comets will now play five consecutive games at Kemper Arena, beginning this Friday against Dallas; the Comets sport the League¡¦s worst home record (3-7).
For The Record: Home: 3-7 Road: 9-5 vs. Eastern Conference: 7-5 vs. Western Conference: 5-7
Up Next: Friday 2/7 vs. Dallas; Saturday 2/8 vs. Harrisburg; Saturday 2/15 vs. Philadelphia; Friday 2/21 vs. Baltimore
MILWAUKEE WAVE (20-5)
The Wave spent some quality time on the East Coast over the weekend, recording victories over Harrisburg (15-6 on Friday) and Baltimore (16-14 on Saturday) to improve to 20-5 overall and 11-3 on the road, both League bests. Todd Dusosky scored seven points in two games over the weekend and leads the League with 31 assists; his 58 points rank ninth overall. Joe Reiniger (76 points, third in the League) continues to lead the team in scoring, but Greg Howes (72 points, fourth in the League) is creeping up behind him. Reiniger and Howes are tied for fourth in the MISL with 29 total goals. Reiniger is tied for the League lead with eight 3pgs and is second with nine power play goals, and Howes leads the League with seven game-winning goals and is third with 25 2pgs. Victor Nogueira allowed only six points in Harrisburg on Friday, saving 22 of 25 shots, and continues to lead the League with a remarkable 7.47 PAA. His .772 save percentage is also tops in the MISL. Milwaukee leads the League in defense (8.8 points allowed per game) and ranks second in offense (14.4 points per game). The Wave is also first on the power play (56.5%) and penalty killing (72.9%). The Wave heads to Cleveland this Wednesday for a School Day Game for its only game of the week.
For The Record: Home: 9-2 Road: 11-3 vs. Eastern Conference: 8-3 vs. Western Conference: 12-2
Up Next: Wednesday 2/5 at Cleveland; Saturday 2/8 vs. San Diego; Saturday 2/15 vs. Harrisburg; Saturday 2/22 at Kansas City
PHILADELPHIA KIXX (19-5)
The KiXX scored a season-low two points in a 7-2 loss at Baltimore on Friday night, and held on for a tight 17-16 win in Harrisburg on Saturday. The KiXX are on the verge of becoming the second team to clinch a berth in the 2003 MISL Playoffs; their magic number heading into Dallas on Saturday is only one. Philly¡¦s magic number to clinch a first-round home playoff game is two, not good news for the rest of the League: the KiXX are 13-0 at the First Union Spectrum this season. Joel Shanker leads the team and is tied for 10th in the League with 54 points. Shanker saw his scoring streak snapped at 16 games on Friday night, and went scoreless in both weekend games. Peter Pappas started both games, going 1-1 with 25 saves on 36 shots. He ranks second in the MISL with a 9.47 PAA and 15 wins.
For The Record: Home: 13-0 Road: 6-5 vs. Eastern Conference: 11-3 vs. Western Conference: 8-2
Up Next: Saturday 2/8 vs. Dallas; Thursday 2/13 at San Diego; Saturday 2/15 at Kansas City; Sunday 2/23 vs. Harrisburg
SAN DIEGO SOCKERS (11-16)
San Diego split a pair of weekend games, falling 15-10 in Cleveland on Friday and defeating Dallas 11-10 on Saturday. Carlos ¡§Chile¡¨ Farias scored eight points in the two contests, giving him 93 for the season, second in the League; Farias is tied for third in the MISL with 24 assists, second with seven 3pgs, and fourth with 24 2pgs. Mariano Bollella enters the week with 46 points, tied for 16th in the League. Gaston Pernia has fallen out of the top spot in the League in blocks; with 60, he trails Harrisburg¡¦s Genoni Martinez by one. Goalkeeper Nick Vorberg is third in the MISL with a 10.37 PAA and ranks fourth with a .731 save percentage. Having completed their six-game road trip, the Sockers are now at home for six of their final nine games, beginning this Thursday night against Harrisburg. The Sockers are 6-6 at home as opposed to 5-10 on the road. With a 9-6 record against Western Conference foes, San Diego joins Milwaukee (12-2) and Philadelphia (11-3) as the only teams in the MISL with a winning intra-conference mark.
For The Record: Home: 6-6 Road: 5-10 vs. Eastern Conference: 2-10 vs. Western Conference: 9-6
Up Next: Thursday 2/6 vs. Harrisburg; Saturday 2/8 at Milwaukee; Thursday 2/13 vs. Philadelphia; Saturday 2/15 at Cleveland
LEAGUE NOTES:
- Selections for the 2003 MISL All-Star Game, to be played at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Sunday, March 9, will be announced this week. The Eastern Conference side will be announced on Tuesday, February 4, and the Western Conference contingent will be introduced on Wednesday, February 5 - MISL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Month for January will be announced this Thursday, February 6
- Dallas Sidekicks legend Tatu scored a 2pg and added two assists in Dallas¡¦ 11-10 loss to San Diego on Saturday night. The 40-year-old has now scored 1,575 points (combining total goals and assists) over the course of his remarkable career, second overall in North American indoor soccer history
- Harrisburg Heat forward David Bascome scored four points against Philadelphia on Saturday night; he needs only four more points to become the 17th player in League history to score 900 career points
- Philadelphia¡¦s Kevin Sloan needs four points to join the MISL¡¦s exclusive 1,000-point club; Sloan would be the 12th man in League history to hit the mark
- MISL teams drew a total of 37,281 fans to seven contests over the weekend for an average of 5,326 per game; Cleveland (6,051) and Baltimore (8,539) entertained season-high crowds on Friday and Saturday, respectively
QUOTE CORNER:
"I¡¦m getting older, so I have to make myself younger by running around and scoring goals, I guess."
- Cleveland Force midfielder Justin Evans, 28, after scoring a pair of goals (including the game-winning 3pg in the fourth quarter) in a 15-10 Force victory over San Diego on Friday
"Maybe it¡¦s better it happened that way. It sort of catches you by surprise. You know you¡¦ve got to go in for two minutes and try to keep them out."
- Veteran Force goalkeeper Otto Orf, who made his first appearance of the season on Friday night when starter Jim Larkin received a two-minute tripping penalty
"If you saw our guys walking in the room, you would see they're disappointed. Not that they're not happy about getting a win, but they're mad that we made it that difficult on ourselves."
- Philadelphia KiXX player/coach Don D¡¦Ambra, after a close 17-16 win over Harrisburg on Saturday
DELEVSKI SHOWS NO SIGNS OF FADING¡K
It appears that only the offseason can stop Dino Delevski from scoring points: the Kansas City Comets hitman scored seven points in Cleveland on Sunday to give him 116 for the season. He continues to pace the 2002- ÆV03 Spalding Scoring Race by a large margin, leading San Diego¡¦s Carlos ¡§Chile¡¨ Farias by 23 points. Farias (93 points) is honing in on the century mark for the season. Milwaukee¡¦s due of Joe Reiniger (76) and Greg Howes (72) follows Farias.
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from February 3, 2003
- Heat Weekly - Harrisburg Heat
- Force Weekly - Cleveland Force
- Finally, the Sockers are home - San Diego Sockers
- Force Foward Earns Offensive Player of the Week - Cleveland Force
- Milwaukee Grabs Another Guarantee - MISL 2
- Broadcast Change Announced - MISL 2
- Force To Hold Annual School Day Game - Cleveland Force
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.
