MISL names players of the week

Published on January 3, 2007 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2) News Release


MISL GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK

Peter Pappas, Philadelphia KiXX

Peter Pappas is a standout Major Indoor Soccer League goalkeeper of 11 seasons with the Philadelphia KiXX, a member of the club since its inception. This past holiday weekend Pappas and KiXX teammate and head coach Don D'Ambra, the only two remaining members of the club dating to its beginnings in 1996, came up with a pair of All-Star performances in weekend games played away from the Wachovia Spectrum, defeating the then front-running Chicago Storm, 10-8, on Friday (Dec. 29) at the Storm's brand new Sears Centre. Pappas & Co. followed that up with another difficult road win, a 13-12 victory at the Milwaukee Wave's U.S. Cellular Arena on Sunday (Dec. 31). Now 7-3, the KiXX begin 2007 with sole possession of first place in the Major Indoor Soccer League standings, one-third of the way through their 2006-07 regular season schedule. This past weekend Pappas, a 6-fooot, 200 pound native of Toronto, Ontario, and a Philadelphia University graduate, saved 16 of 20 shots faced at Chicago. Two evenings later, Pappas saved 12 of 18 shots on goal in securing a KiXX win, perhaps highlighted by the rare shutout of the Wave's reining three-time MISL points champion and MISL standout Greg Howes. The KiXX yield an MISL-low 10.0 points against average under the League's multi-point scoring system. The seven-time All-Star and seven-time All League selection ranks first among all MISL 'keepers in '06 in several categories including wins (7), minutes (612), saves (118), and his 9.80 points against average. The weekly honor is Pappas' 26th all-time Player of the Week award.

MISL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Joe Hammes, Milwaukee Wave

Joe Hammes has come into his own in his fourth MISL season as he has stepped into the role of a reliable Wave defender. Quickly approaching 100 regular season games played (95), Hammes' impact is becoming ever-increasingly evident. On Wednesday, Hammes was named MISL Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in four weeks (12/11). For a team that has undergone a tremendous amount of strategic roster retooling in the past year, Hammes has been an in house solution to strengthen the Wave's backline. This past weekend, on New Year's Eve at U.S. Cellular Arena, Hammes repeated the feat he accomplished for the first time in his career earlier in December. In a narrow 13-12 loss to Philadelphia before a Milwaukee crowd of 5,919, Hammes scored his second two-goal game, connecting on a pair of two-point goals, giving him a 10-game total of five goals (a career high), one assist, and nine blocks. In the blocks category, Hammes trails only longtime Milwaukee defensive specialist Lovelace Ackah (10) and is tied for second-place for the team lead with MISL elite two-way defender, Troy Dusosky (9). On the penalty kill unit, Hammes and the Wave defense, were tossed into tough spots on Sunday, and were able to stave off a 5-on-3 situation for more than one minute, as well as a man-down scenario, before surrendering a goal after a third Wave penalty followed in succession. Hammes was a key contributor on that unit against the KiXX (7-3). The 2003 Amateur Draft selection starred at Saint Louis University. Hammes is a 27-year-old native of Cedarburg, Wisc.

MISL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Don D'Ambra, Philadelphia KiXX

Don D'Ambra has not, and could not, be slowed of late. The forward/head coach of the first place Philadelphia KiXX piled two more two-goal games on opponents this past weekend, picking up his second MISL Offensive Player of the Week selection for his play in the month of December (Dec. 11), and sixth in his career. The Major Indoor Soccer League's third-leading scorer this season (33 points), the Philadelphia native has now scored two goals in five consecutive games. D'Ambra extended his valued streak to four- and then five-straight games over the weekend with KiXX wins at Chicago and later Milwaukee that launched the KiXX into first place in the 2006-07 MISL Regular Season standings. Now, ten games deep into Philadelphia's 30-game regular season the KiXX stand tall at 7-3. In scoring twice at Chicago's Sears Centre on Friday, D'Ambra, playing in his 450th career League game, scored twice in the second half, the latter of the two a game-tying score coming off a Tony Donatelli assist on a power play. Sunday, Milwaukee's annual New Year's Eve game, brought two more successful strikes for D'Ambra, the first a first quarter score off the assist of All-Star defender Genoni Martinez. A third quarter score by D'Ambra tied the game at 8-8, en route to a 13-12 win. The third quarter score was the 400th of D'Ambra's remarkable career. D'Ambra possesses nearly every offensive record in Philadelphia KiXX club history.

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Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from January 3, 2007


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