PASL Weekly - Week 17
February 29, 2012 - Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) News Release
Waza Puts Piasa in Playoffs, Will Try to Knock Them Out Saturday
2/28/12 - The Illinois Piasa have the Detroit Waza to thank for their berth in the PASL's Ron Newman Cup Playoffs. Detroit beat the Cincinnati Kings, 7-6, to eliminate them and allow the Piasa to back into the playoffs despite a 6-10 record.
Now the Waza will try to send Illinois back home. The two teams will meet in a Quarterfinal game Saturday at Taylor Sportsplex in Detroit. The Piasa finished 0-3 against Detroit. They narrowly lost two one-goal games at home, but lost their only visit to Detroit handily, 12-3.
Detroit finished 13-3 and won four of their last five games despite losing star goalkeeper Vito Lonigro to a season-ending injury. The Waza beat the Louisville Lightning and the Kings in a pair of one-goal games to clinch their first Eastern Division title.
In the other Eastern Division Quarterfinal the Lightning (11-5) will host the Kansas Magic (8-8). Kansas limped through the final half of the season after a strong first half, but still played well enough to pull out of a three way tie with Cincinnati and Illinois.
Louisville, who will entertain Kansas on Friday at Mockingbird Valley Sports Complex, swept the Magic in their three game season series.
The single Western Division Quarterfinal will send the Turlock Express (10-6) to Mexico to play Revolucion Tijuana (10-6) on Saturday. The teams split their four game season series, but Tijuana won both of their home games, 15-3 and 15-9.
Tijuana will be without leading scorer Cesar Romero (33 goals in seven games), who recently signed with Chivas USA of MLS.
The San Diego Sockers, who will host the Ron Newman Cup Final Four on March 9-10, won their 34th straight game Saturday, the second longest streak in US pro sports history. San Diego finished the regular season 16-0 and have an automatic Quarterfinal bye as the host team.
Player of the Week
Mark Lee, Tacoma Stars
The Tacoma Stars had the unenviable task of finishing their season with four games in three days, including a game in Anaheim that was rescheduled from December 18. While the Stars had little to play for, only brought 13 players, and lost all four games to finish 3-13, Lee distinguished himself with 12 goals and two assists for the weekend. While figuring in 14 of the Stars 25 goals, Lee capped the weekend with five goals and an assist in the final game of the 2011-12 PASL regular season Sunday.
Kick Starters - Conversations you should be having about the PASL
Cincinnati Back in US Open Final
The Kings couldn't capitalize on their chances to make the PASL playoffs, but they were already assured a spot in the US Open Final against the San Diego Sockers. They knocked Detroit out of the US Open tournament with a 7-6 win on January 28, but the Waza knocked them out of the playoffs with a 7-6 win of their own on Saturday, despite a Kings record crowd of 1,814 at Cincinnati Gardens. The Kings will play for the US Open Championship on St. Patrick's Day, March 17 at home at 7:35.
Sockers Streaks at 24, 34
San Diego's regular season winning streak stands at 24. San Diego wrapped up their first perfect season with two more wins. The Sockers set a new PASL record with their 24th straight regular season home win, surpassing the 23 straight Cincinnati won from 2008-2011. Including playoffs, US Open games, and the FIFRA Club Championships, the Sockers have won 34 in a row.
Chiles Wins Scoring Title
Reigning PASL MVP Kraig Chiles again led the league in scoring. Chiles set a PASL record with 46 goals and fell just short of Bernie Lilavois' point record of 68 by finishing with 66 points. Chiles suffered a strain during the FIFRA Club Championships in Monterrey which caused him to miss San Diego's 13-1 win over last place Arizona on February 11.
Lilavois Returns for 1000th Career Point
Bernie Lilavois activated himself before the Anaheim Bolts final game needing two points to reach 1,000 for hid career. Lilavois, who had only played in one other game this year, an infamous 28-7 loss in Tijuana, collected an assist and then scored a third quarter goal that sparked a Bolts rally from a 5-3 deficit for point number 1000. Bernie added a fourth quarter assist for good measure.
The Week Ahead
March 2 Ron Newman Cup Quarterfinal: Kansas at Louisville 7:35pm
March 3 Ron Newman Cup Quarterfinal: Illinois at Detroit 7:35pm
March 3 Ron Newman Cup Quarterfinal: Turlock at Tijuana 10:00pm
All times EST
Professional Arena Soccer League Stories from February 29, 2012
- Kings drop one to Detroit, turn focus to US Open Championship - Cincinnati Kings
- PASL Weekly - Week 17 - PASL
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.
