Second Season Commences
April 9, 2008 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Chicago Storm News Release
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - For a third straight season, the Chicago Storm extended their campaign with a Major Indoor Soccer League playoff appearance. The fifth-seeded Storm host fourth-seeded La Raza de Monterrey in quarterfinal play at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at the Sears Centre Arena.
Chicago posted a 15-15 record during the regular season, while Monterrey had a 16-14 mark. La Raza and the Storm split the regular-season series head-to-head. Monterrey is one of three expansion teams this 2007-08 season. La Raza and the New Jersey Ironmen joined the six-team MISL Championship Series field, while Orlando missed out on the postseason.
Playoff tickets for Thursday's match start at only $16. Call (866) STORM-81 or visit ChicagoStorm.net. Game 2 of the quarterfinal series is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. (CST) Sunday, April 13, at Arena de Monterrey. The quarterfinal and semifinal series are two-match formats. If the two teams split their matches, a "Golden Goal" match takes place immediately following Game 2. The first team to score a goal advances to the next playoff round.
MISL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Playoff format: The Detroit Ignition and Milwaukee Wave earned the top two seeds, respectively, in the 2008 MISL Championship Series. Detroit faces the lower-seeded quarterfinal winner and Milwaukee faces the higher-seeded quarterfinal victor. If the fifth-seeded Storm advance past Monterrey and the third-seeded Blast top the New Jersey Ironmen, Chicago would face Detroit. However, if the Storm reach the semifinals and sixth-seeded New Jersey upsets Baltimore, Chicago takes on Milwaukee in the semifinals.
Playoff history: The Storm hold a 1-4 MISL playoff record in their two previous postseasons. This is their third straight postseason in Chicago's four years in the MISL. Expansion Monterrey enters its first MISL Championship Series. Last season, the Storm earned their first playoff victory in the semifinal round against the eventual 2007 MISL champion Philadelphia KiXX. Chicago won the opener of that series, 11-8, on April 13, 2007, at the Sears Centre. Goalkeeper Jim Larkin picked up the victory in the net, and Mariano Bollella had the game-winning goal. Chicago's 2007 playoffs were shortened, however, when the team fell to the KiXX, 10-6, the next day in Philadelphia. The KiXX then took the Golden Goal game with a two-pointer to end the Storm's postseason. In the 2005-06 season, St. Louis swept its two-match playoff series against the Storm, posting 7-1 and 9-2 wins.
Veteran experience: For the 10th season of his 13-year career, Storm midfielder John Ball has reached the playoffs. The pro indoor soccer veteran has played in 47 NPSL/MISL postseason matches entering Thursday's game against La Raza. Ball has 21 goals and 59 career points. In the 1998-99 National Professional Soccer League season, Ball tallied seven goals, eight assists, 24 points and 21 blocks as he won his second NPSL championship.
STORM UPDATE
Points leaders: Carlos "Chile" Farias led the Storm with 62 points and 26 assists during the regular season. He scored 16 goals, including two game-winning goals and four on the power play. Matthew Stewart was second on the Storm with 58 points. Stewart led the team with 23 goals (all two-pointers) and assisted 12 other scores. Mariano Bolella was third with 50 points, ranking second on the team in assists (19) and fourth in goals (15).
Storm's La Raza connection: Mariano Bollella and Fabinho won a championship for La Raza when the Mexican-based team was part of the World Indoor Soccer League, and Bollella was the league's most valuable player that 2000 season.
Road/home tendencies: The Storm posted a 9-6 record at the Sears Centre this season, bettering last season's eight-win home total. Chicago was 6-9 on the road in the regular season. Monterrey was one of four MISL teams to post 10 or more losses away from home. La Raza went 5-10 on the road and 11-4 on their home field, Arena de Monterrey.
LA RAZA UPDATE
Chicago ties: La Raza forward Byron Alvarez played for the Storm during their 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. In 45 regular-season games, Alvarez scored 35 points and 25 goals. His 21 goals in 2004-05 ranked second on the Storm. For Monterrey, Alvarez recently had a four-goal, nine-point effort against New Jersey on Thursday. ... Monterrey head coach Erich Geyer made his head coaching debut with the Chicago Sting of the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1986 to 1988.
La Raza vs. Storm, head-to-head: Monterrey and the Storm split their matches, 2-2, this season. The Storm topped host Monterrey, 16-12, on Nov. 1, 2007, during La Raza's MISL debut, with Stephen Armstrong and Chile Farias each scoring two second-half goals. On Jan. 4, La Raza clipped the Storm, 16-14, at the Sears Centre. Victor Negrete's goal with 50 seconds remaining in regulation gave La Raza the two-point advantage. On Feb. 28, Monterrey scored 13 second-quarter points and defeated the visiting Storm, 24-12. Finally, on March 8, the Storm's Edgar Rivera tallied a two-point goal with 18 seconds remaining as Chicago came from behind to beat La Raza, 11-9, at the Sears Centre.
The Chicago Storm are members of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Storm offices are located at 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy., in Hoffman Estates. For more information on all aspects of Storm soccer, including season tickets, group outings, birthday parties and more, call (866) STORM-81, or visit ChicagoStorm.net.
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Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from April 9, 2008
- Chicago Storm - Coach's Corner - Chicago Storm
- Second Season Commences - Chicago Storm
- Defending champs miss playoffs for just the second time in club's 12-year history - Philadelphia KiXX
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