Rampage Season Ends with 8-7 Road Loss
March 11, 2018 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Cedar Rapids Rampage News Release
MILWAUKEE, WI - The Milwaukee Wave won the Central Division by six games, went 3-1 against the Cedar Rapids Rampage, and finished 10-1 at home. They were also a team beset by injuries, but came into the Central Division Finals as the heavy favorites. Milwaukee took the series lead with a 9-8 overtime win in Chicago yesterday, and finished the job over a persistent Rampage team with an 8-7 win before 4,891 at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee Sunday afternoon.
Gordy Gurson, playing with a badly bruised toe, led a furious Rampage attack with four goals and two assists. Ian Bennett led the Wave with three goals, including the game-tying goal towards the end of the third quarter. Max Ferdinand had two goals and an assist. His end-to-end run at 4:36 stood up as the game-winning goal, as the Wave shut out the Rampage over the game's final 22:39.
Milwaukee enjoyed 3-1 and 4-2 leads in the first half, and went into halftime with a 4-3 lead. The Rampage went on a 4-2 run in the third quarter to take a 7-6 lead. Gurson had two goals and an assist during the rally, and some impressive choreography, feigning an injury and having his teammates carry him to the bench as a sly wink to fans who harassed him for "diving."
Despite a similar score to Saturday, both goalkeepers stepped up their games in Sunday's match-up. Rainer Hauss's night was summed up by a wild sequence where the Wave hit two shots off the glass above the goal followed by two amazing saves before Drew Ruggles scored on the fifth shot of the flurry. Hauss was credited with 28 saves, while Rafael Dias stopped 22 Rampage shots.
With their 2-0 series win, the Wave will advance to either play at Baltimore or at home against Syracuse depending on the result of tonight's Eastern Division Finals conclusion in Baltimore. The Rampage players will regroup and prepare for the 2018-19 MASL season.
About the Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League represents the highest level of professional arena soccer in the world. The MASL features teams across North America, with teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. The MASL is currently incorporated as a 501(c)6 not for profit corporation formed to promote the business and sport of arena soccer.
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Major Arena Soccer League Stories from March 11, 2018
- Syracuse Falls Just Short to Baltimore in Round One of Playoffs - Syracuse Silver Knights
- Blast Defeat Syracuse 5-4; Advance to Eastern Conference Championship - Baltimore Blast
- Wave Advance to Round Two of MASL Playoffs after Tough Victory against Cedar Rapids - Milwaukee Wave
- Rampage Season Ends with 8-7 Road Loss - Cedar Rapids Rampage
- San Diego Wins Mini-Game Easily 6-2 to Advance to Conference Final - San Diego Sockers
- San Diego Wins Game Two to Force Deciding 15-Minute Mini Game - San Diego Sockers
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