Philadelphia drops pair of weekend contests; locks into top wild-card spot in MISL Playoffs
Published on March 29, 2004 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Philadelphia KiXX News Release
Philadelphia, PA, March 29, 2004 â The Philadelphia KiXX conclude the 2003-04 regular season with their tenth and final set of back-to-back games this weekend. The series kicks-off with a trip to the U.S. Cellular Arena to battle the League-leading Milwaukee Wave on Friday, April 2, then wraps up with a visit from former player/coach Omid Namazi and the Cleveland Force at the Wachovia Spectrum on Saturday, April 3. The club will celebrate "Fan Appreciation Night" on April 3, with great prizes from Citizens Bank, Wissahickon, Dave & Buster's and countless other organizations given away throughout the entirety of the contest. The contest in Milwaukee is scheduled to start at 8:05 pm ET, while the KiXX-Force matchup is slated for a 7:05 pm ET kick-off.
Philadelphia dropped a 4-3 decision to the defending Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Champion Baltimore Blast on March 27, which clinched the regular-season Eastern Division crown for Baltimore and locked the KIXX into the top wild-card spot (fourth seed overall) for the 2004 MISL Playoffs. With the fourth seed, Philadelphia, who has now qualified for postseason play in each of their eight years of existence, will host the fifth-place team in a one-game MISL quarterfinal match, which has been scheduled at the Wachovia Spectrum for Sunday, April 10 at 7:05 pm ET.
This Week's Itinerary:
Monday, March 29, Off-Day
Tuesday, March 30, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Wednesday, March 31, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Thursday, April 1, Practice, Tri-State Sports, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Thursday, April 1, Travel to Milwaukee
Friday, April 2, KiXX vs. Milwaukee Wave, U.S. Cellular Arena, 8:05 pm
Saturday, April 3, KiXX vs. Blast, Wachovia Spectrum, 7:05 pm
*all times are Eastern Standard and subject to change
Injury Report:
Player Injury Status
Shawn Boney Foot Questionable
Pat Morris Illness Doubtful
KiXX vs. Wave
2003-2004: 2-1 Home: 1-1 Away: 1-0
Overall: 14-17 (home 12-4, away 2-13)
Philadelphia-Milwaukee has developed into one of the best rivalries in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The KiXX edged past Milwaukee, 5-4, in the club's most recent meeting at the U.S. Cellular Arena on February 8, but the Wave sought their revenge and knocked-off Philadelphia, 8-3, at the Wachovia Spectrum on February 22. MISL points-leader Greg Howes notched four goals, while teammate Leighton O'Brien chipped in with three of his own in the contest. In the first meeting, Goran Vasic registered a game-high three points as the KiXX earned a 6-4 victory at the Wachovia Spectrum on December 13. The two teams have squared-off in two of the last three league championships; the Wave first defeated Philadelphia for the League crown in 2001, before the KiXX knocked-off Milwaukee in the rematch for the title in 2002. Last season, the KiXX claimed the season series, earning a victory in three-of-the-four total meetings, including both occasions in the City of Brotherly Love. The home club has held a large advantage during the series history. The KiXX are 12-3 when playing on their home turf, while Milwaukee is an impressive 13-2 at the Bradley Center. Overall, Philadelphia posts a 14-16 record in the clubs' 30 total meetings. Sunday's contest is the third of four total meetings this season.
KiXX vs. Force:
2003-2004: 4-1 Home: 2-0 Away: 2-1
Overall: 27-16 (home 19-3, away 8-13)
Philadelphia claimed the first four meetings between the two clubs this season; the KiXX first knocked-off Cleveland, 7-4, on November 8, thanks to three-points from team captain Kevin Sloan, before defeating the hosting Force, 4-2, in Cleveland on December 27 courtesy of a pair of goals from forward Shawn Boney. The team then defeated the Force by a score of 7-3 at the Convo on January 31 in the third outing, as forward Joel Shanker paced the club with three points (two goals, assist). In the most recent meeting on February 11, the KiXX downed Cleveland, 7-3, in front of a school-day crowd of 10,153. Omid Namazi, who made his Cleveland playing debut versus the KiXX on December 27, squared-off versus his former club for the first time as the newly appointed player/coach on March 19. Namazi led the visiting Force to an 8-3 win, the first time this season Cleveland defeated an Eastern Division opponent. Last season, the Force claimed the season series versus Philadelphia, earning victories in four of the club's six overall meetings and sweeping all three outings at the Convocation Center at CSU. The KiXX, however, took the upper hand in the meetings in the City of Brotherly Love, two-games-to-one. The squads are an even 2-2 when meeting in post-season play. Saturday's contest is the final meeting between the two teams in the 2003-04 regular season.
KiXX by the Numbers: The Philadelphia KiXX offense has recorded 187 goals in 34 contests this season to post an average of 5.5 goals scored per game ... the average ranks the club fifth in the nine-team League, trailing the Milwaukee Wave, Kansas City Comets, Baltimore Blast and the Dallas Sidekicks ... the team's defense has allowed 174 goals for an average of 5.1 goals per contest ... the average sits the squad third in the MISL, trailing Dallas and Milwaukee ... the complete breakdown of the team's goals per game is listed below.
Goals per Game 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT TOTAL
KiXX 42 53 40 51 1 187
Opponents 39 31 45 56 3 174
Failing With/Versus Man Advantage: The KiXX have suffered both with and defending the power play this season ... the team currently sits sixthth in the MISL on the one-man advantage situations, connecting on the power-play 41.5 percent (17-of-41) of the time ... the club connected on three-of-their-five attempts versus Dallas (3/28), snapping the team's scoreless streak on the man advantage at four ... Philadelphia's defense, however, has fallen victim to the power-play, turning away only 25-of-the-48 situations or 51.0 percent of the time they have defended the man advantage, ranking the club eighth in the nine-team League on the penalty-kill ... the complete breakdown is as follows:
KiXX Power Play: KiXX Penalty Kill:
GP PPG OPP SHGA PCT GP PPG SAVES OPP SHG PCT
34 17 41 3 41.5 34 24 25 49 0 51.0
Iron Man Grounded: Philadelphia native Pat Morris's iron-man streak of 97 consecutive games played snapped when he failed to appear versus the Baltimore Blast on March 27 ... the five-year veteran, who is sidelined because of illness, also missed the team's contest versus the Dallas Sidekicks on March 28, marking just the second occasion in his career the Philadelphia native missed consecutive contests; the three-time all-star missed a two straight outings in his rookie season (1999-00), January 2 at Harrisburg and January 7 at Detroit.
Record-Breaking Game: The KiXX-Dallas Sidekicks matchup on March 28, witnessed numerous records falling by the wayside ... unfortunately, for Philadelphia, most were achievements against the team ... first, Dallas midfielder Nick Stavrou knocked a rebound from Leo Pernia past KiXX netminder Peter Pappas to knot the game at 5-5 with just 10 seconds remaining in regulation ... the late goal marked the first time the club allowed a tying goal in the last minute of play since Doug Miller of the Buffalo Blizzard recorded the game-tying score on March 25, 2000 ... then, Beau Brown recorded the game winner in the second extra session to give Dallas a 4-3 win, their first in five meetings versus the KiXX in the City of Brotherly Love ... official time of the contest was 2:58, which stands as the longest home game and the second longest overall contest in KiXX franchise history ... on a brighter note, KiXX forward Joel Shanker recorded his 100th career assist, while teammate Goran Vasic notched his 100th point as a member of the Philadelphia franchise.
Lucky Number Five: The number five seems to be the team's lucky number this season ... when scoring five or more goals a game this season, the club posts an 18-7 mark and a nearly automatic 7-3 record when landing exactly on the lucky figure ... the KiXX scored five goals versus Dallas, but dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to the Sidekicks in the second extra session ... in contrast, Philadelphia posts a 1-8 record when connecting on four or less goals in a single contest this season.
Uncommon Scenario: When it comes to shots on goal, Philadelphia has definitely gone against the norm this season ... in their 34 contests, the club has managed to outshot their opponent on just four occasions ... when doing so, the KiXX post a 4-10 record ... in contrast, the team is an impressive, but unheard of, 12-6 when being outshot this season ... the club was outshot nearly two-to-one in their back-to-back set this weekend, but dropped each decision; 32-14 versus Baltimore (3/27) and 43-26 versus Dallas (3/28) ... when attempting the same amount of shots on goal, Philadelphia is a perfect 2-0.
Second Half Woes Continue: The KiXX continue to struggle in the second half of each of their contests this season and have been outscored in both the third (40-45) and fourth (51-56) quarters of play ... the KiXX post an impressive 15-2 record when leading after the first half and after allowing Dallas to record three unanswered goals in the fourth period and extra session, are now 18-1 when leading after three quarters ... the team remains winless (01-3) when trialing entering the final stanza of action.
Last Time Out: Blast 4, KiXX 3 (3/27): Former KiXX forward Chris Handsor connected with Baltimore netminder Scott Hileman at 10:15 of the fourth to seal a 4-3 Blast victory and clinch the regular-season Eastern Division title for Baltimore and secures the top wild-car spot (fourth overall ) for the KiXX in the 2004 MISL Playoffs. After over 10 minutes of scoreless action, Baltimore forward Denison Cabral finished a rebounded shot off the boards from teammate Ibrahim Kante at 10:17 of the opening period. KiXX newcomer David DiPlacido quickly knotted the game back even, 1-1, with his second goal in as many games, on a pass from forward Goran Vasic at 10:31. The Blast regained the lead, 2-1, as Guiliano Celenza knocked-in a shot off the boards from Lee Tschantret at 6:03 of the second stanza, but DiPlacido responded just 41 seconds later to tie the game at 2-2, with his first two-goal outing of his career. Celenza then recorded his second tally of the evening, a power-play goal on a dish from Baltimore defender Danny Kelly at 9:56 of the period, thanks to a two-minute hand ball (out of the box) infraction called on KiXX goalkeeper Peter Pappas at 9:43. Philadelphia's Ze Roberto notched the only score of the third quarter, connecting on a feed from Mauricio Vincello at 1:17 to knot the game at 3-3, but Handsor registered the game winner in the fourth to hand Baltimore a 4-3 win. Pappas (23-9) took the loss for Philadelphia, stopping 14 of the 17 shots he faced, while Hileman improved to 23-9 with five saves on eight chances for the Blast.
Sidekicks 6, KiXX 5 OT (3/28): KiXX player/coach Don D'Ambra connected on a power-play goal on a pass from forward Joel Shanker to propel the club to a 5-3 lead at 3:43 of the fourth quarter, but Dallas responded with three unanswered goals, two in regulation, final in the second overtime), to earn a 6-5 victory at the Wachovia Spectrum. David Doyle gave the Sidekicks an early 1-0 lead, KiXX forward Goran Vasic answered right back with a pair of goals, at 3:00 and 7:49 of the first respectively. Sidekicks forward Patrick Shamu concluded the opening period with a tally to notch the score at 2-2. St. Louis native Joel Shanker gave the KiXX their second lead of the day with a power-play goal from Vasic at 3:56 of the second stanza, courtesy of a two-minute dangerous-play infraction called on Dallas' Eric Dade. KiXX defender Drew Kopp extended the club's lead to two, 4-2, on a breakaway goal from Pappas at 8:25 of the third quarter. After Pappas was sent to the penalty box for a handball violation, Doyle registered an unassisted shoot-out goal to cut the KiXX lead to one, 4-3, at 13:17. Ricardinho received a five-misconduct at 3:06 of the fourth, the third of the game for the Sidekicks, providing the KiXX a two-minute power play; Head Coach Tatu received a pair of misconducts for dissent at 8:25 of the second quarter. D'Ambra registered a power-play goal to give the club a 5-3 lead, but Sidekicks' defender Kiley Couch (10:31) and Nick Stavrou (14:50) knotted the game at 5-5 and forced the clubs' second overtime match of the season. The late goal from Stavrou marked the first time the KiXX allowed a tying goal in the last minute of play since Doug Miller of the Buffalo Blizzard recorded the game-tying score on March 25, 2000. After a scoreless first overtime, Beau Brown connected with Kenny Bundy at 3:20 of the second extra session to provide Dallas a 6-5 overtime victory, their first win versus Philadelphia in the City of Brotherly Love. Peter Pappas (23-10) took the loss between the posts for Philadelphia, stopping 14 of the 19 shots he faced, while D.J. Horvath improved to 12-13 with 11 saves on 16 chances for the Sidekicks.
KiXX on the MISL Leaderboard (as of 3/29):
#10 Goran Vasic
3rd MISL with 35 assists
Tied 8th MISL with 48 points
#11 Don D'Ambra
1st MISL with seven first goals
Tied 2nd MISL with five game-winning goals
3rd MISL with 35 total goals
12th MISL with 44 points
#17 Pat Morris
4th MISL with 66 blocks
#22 Peter Pappas
1st MISL with a .766 save percentage
2nd MISL with 400 saves and tied 2nd with 16 wins
3rd MISL with a 4.49 goals against average
4th MISL with 1630 minutes played
Future Games: After this weekend's back-to-back set, the team will host a one-game quarterfinal match in the 2004 MISL Playoffs on Saturday, April 10. The KiXX, at the top wild-card spot (fourth overall), will welcome the fifth-place team to the Wachovia Spectrum with a 7:05 pm ET start-time. For more information or to purchase tickets for any remaining KiXX home contest, contact the club's Executive Office at 1-888-888-KiXX (5499) or log onto the team's official website, www.kixxonline.com.
KiXX RECORD:
Overall: 19-15
Home: 11-6
Road: 8-9
vs. Eastern Division Opponents: 7-4
vs. Central Division Opponents: 6-5
vs. Western Division Opponents: 6-6
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
3/27 vs. Baltimore Blast â L, 4-3
3/28 vs. Dallas Sidekicks â L, 6-5 OT
THIS WEEK'S GAMES:
4/2 @ Milwaukee Wave â 8:05 pm ET
4/3 vs. Cleveland Force â 7:05 pm ET
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from March 29, 2004
- MISL names players of the week - MISL 2
- Philadelphia drops pair of weekend contests; locks into top wild-card spot in MISL Playoffs - Philadelphia KiXX
- Force hands out team awards at final home game - Cleveland Force
- Wave getting ready for final week of regular season - Milwaukee Wave
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