Ontario Fury Game Day Notes
January 3, 2015 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Ontario Fury News Release
Las Vegas Legends (6-5) vs. Ontario Fury (7-4)
The Ontario Fury is Driven by Mark Christopher Chevrolet
Welcome to CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA for this afternoon's MAJOR ARENA SOCCER LEAGUE game between the visiting Las Vegas Legends and the ONTARIO FURY. Today's game features two teams jockeying for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division, as the Fury come in tied for first place with San Diego, with Las Vegas only one game behind.
ABOUT THE FURY LAST GAME: Defeated Sacramento, 8-7, Dec. 28, 2014. NEXT GAME: vs. Harrisburg Heat, Jan. 9, 2015. The 7 p.m. kickoff game will be at Citizens Business Bank Arena.
LAST GAME ROUNDUP: A shorthanded Ontario squad finished the second half of a Northern California doubleheader by holding off a second half rally from the host Sacramento Surge, 8-7. Jose Rodriguez was credited with the game-winning goal on the power play, as the Fury played with 11 players, as goaltender Ramon Torres served a red card suspension and Luis Piffer sat out injured.
TOP OF THE HEAP: Ontario's recent winning run - it has won six out of seven - have vaulted the team to the top of the Pacific Division standings. The Fury's victory over Sacramento, coupled with San Diego's losses at Missouri and St. Louis, have the Fury in a virtual deadlock at the top of the standings. San Diego has played two fewer games, so the Sockers retain the top spot.
WEEKEND FOR BERNIE: The Fury's president/coach, Bernie Lilavois, played a big role in the Fury's scoring over the two games in Northern California. He scored twice (with one assist) in the team's loss at Turlock, then added two goals and three assists in the Ontario's victory at Sacramento.
DOING ENOUGH: The Fury have won six out of seven, but haven't been able to get ahead in one part of their game - goals allowed. Ontario has scored 84 goals this season - and also allowed 84 goals.
RECORD SETTERS: The Fury set some new team records during their last home game (vs. Seattle). First, the team's 13 goals set a team mark for most goals in a game. Luis Piffer's goal 42 seconds into the game was the fastest goal from the start of a game. Jose Rodriguez and Miguel Sanchez scored 14 seconds apart in the fourth quarter of the game, the fastest two goals in team history. Also, both Tiguinho and Tino Nunez scored six points in the game, matching the team mark for most points in a single game.
WELCOME BACK: The Fury have re-signed two players who were part of the team's roster in 2013-14. Defender Jay Harris, who played for the team in the exhibition game against Mexico, will suit up wearing #19. Zach Bautista, originally from Orange, is a midfielder/defender who played in the majority of the Fury's games last season. He will wear #20.
LEAGUE HONOR: The Fury's Luis Piffer was named to the MASL Team of the Week for action ending Dec. 21.
Kids Take Over CBBA Event Scheduled In partnership with Baldy View ROP and the Fury Foundation, the Fury is taking applications from students in sixth through 12th grade to take part in the "Kids Take Over CBBA" event for the Jan. 18 game against the Las Vegas Legends. Students will interview to work alongside members of the Fury's game day staff during the game, including media relations, public address announcer and much more. All entries will receive a voucher for a ticket to the game. Deadline for applications is Jan. 7, and all the information, as well as a downloadable application, can be found on the Fury's website at OntarioFury.com.
ABOUT THE LEGENDS LAST GAME: Defeated Turlock Express, 7-5, Tuesday night NEXT GAME: Sun., Jan 11 at Turlock Express, 5:05 p.m.
LAST GAME RECAP: Las Vegas scored three fourth quarter goals to break a 4-4 tie and beat the Express. It was the fourth straight win for the Legends, who handed Monterrey its first loss of the season on a recent road trip.
PREVIOUSLY VS. FURY: Ontario rallied back from a 6-2 deficit to beat Las Vegas 8-7 on Dec. 2. Tiguinho scored a hat trick in the game, while Joey Pacheco scored the game-winner with 3:12 remaining. Las Vegas won all three matchups against Ontario during the 2013-14 season.
FAMILIAR FACES ON LEGENDS: Jonathan Bravo, who played for the Fury last season and worked out with the team in the offseason, has been scoring in bunches for Las Vegas. He had a hat trick against Ontario in December, and has eight goals this season. His brother, Gerardo, is also a member of the Las Vegas roster. Former Fury captain Majell Aterado played one game for Las Vegas before suffering an injury.
LA FIERA "RESIGNS" The MASL accepted the resignation of Hidalgo La Fiera, a team in the MASL's Southern Division, on Dec. 23. The decision came two days after La Fiera defeated the Dallas Sidekicks at the Golazo Sports Park, a practice-sized facility. Dallas protested the game due to unsuitable playing conditions, including smaller field and goals. The Hidlago victory over Dallas was vacated, and the rest of the team's games were cancelled. All other game results involving La Fiera will stand. Future games involving La Fiera are in the process of being rescheduled.
AROUND THE MASL The Fury's victory in Sacramento last weekend ended what was the Surge's first-ever winning streak. Sacramento had beaten Turlock and Seattle in its previous games. The two-win output equaled half the team's wins over the previous two seasons, bringing the franchise's win total to six in three seasons. ... San Diego, meanwhile, is in the middle of a two-game losing streak as it enters its game tonight against Sacramento. The Sockers lost both games on their recent Midwest swing against undefeated Missouri and St. Louis. St. Louis, which has combined for only six wins in two seasons, held the Sockers to a franchise-low goal output, holding San Diego to only three goals. ... The Ambush win came the day after they had lost in Chicago, 5-4. Their goaltender, Greg Crook, was named to the MASL team of the week for his effort. ... Missouri's undefeated run nearly came to an end on New Year's Eve, as the Comets were forced to overtime by a goal with less than one second remaining against Milwaukee The Wave rallied from a 6-2 deficit in the fourth quarter to force the extra session tied at 7. The two teams played a scoreless 10-minute overtime, and needed one extra round in the shootout to dispatch the Wave. ... Defending PASL champion Chicago has gotten its season turned around with three wins in a row. The Mustangs get to host Tulsa and Rochester in back-to-back games this weekend.
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