Silver Knights Drop First Game in the Thruway Rivalry
December 20, 2014 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Syracuse Silver Knights News Release
SYRACUSE, New York - The Syracuse Silver Knights (2-5, Eastern Division #4) dropped the first match of the Thruway Rivalry to the Rochester Lancers (4-1, Eastern Division #2) 12-11 in a shootout at the Blue Cross Arena.
Former SSK goalkeeper Marcelo Moreira denied Nelson Santana and Slavisa Ubiparipovic to seal the win. The Brazilian had eight saves in his second appearance of the year.
The Lancers leveled the game late with 1:55 left in regulation. Andrew Hoxie finished a chance in front of the goal for his third of the campaign to tie it 11-11 and send the contest into overtime.
The Silver Knights were sluggish to start. Brian Knapp scored on a feed from Joey Tavernese to put Rochester ahead 2-0 with 9:48 left in the first quarter.
The second frame saw the Orange, Silver and Black find success on the turf. Coach Tommy Tanner's team shutout their rivals 7-0. The first strike came 1:01 into the quarter, when Neto's three-point blast took a deflection into the goal.
Later in the period, Tavernese fouled a Syracuse striker at the top of the arc. On the ensuing free kick, Nelson Santana found Kenardo Forbes for a curling strike past Marcelo Moreira. The blast made it 5-2 Silver Knights with 9:54 left until halftime.
Forbes struck again midway through the quarter. It deflected off the post and out, only to hit a Rochester defender and bounce back in. SSK took a 7-2 advantage into halftime.
To open the second half, Forbes finished his hat trick. On a restart, Nelson Santana set up the Jamaican for his seventh goal of the season. The Knights took a 9-2 lead with 11:18 to go in the third quarter.
Mauricio Salles led a furious rally for the Lancers. The veteran scored two goals, one a three-pointer, in the team's 9-2 to level the match 11-11 after 60:00.
Overtime lacked chances for both teams. Neither keeper made a save in the extra period.
The loss drops the Salt City club's record to 12-6 against their Thruway Rivals. It's the squad's first derby defeat since a 16-14 decision on January 17, 2014.
The Silver Knights stay on the road to finish 2014. Syracuse plays the Harrisburg Heat Saturday, December 27, at 7:05 p.m. EST in the PA Farm Show Arena. SSK face the Lancers again on January 1, 2015, and are back in the War Memorial Friday, January 9, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. EST in another Thruway Rivalry match. Tickets to all Silver Knights home games will be available at the CNY Family Sports Centre, online at www.syracusesilverknights.com or over the phone at 315-303-7261.
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Major Arena Soccer League Stories from December 20, 2014
- Lancers Win in Shootout - Rochester Lancers
- Silver Knights Drop First Game in the Thruway Rivalry - Syracuse Silver Knights
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