Storm Washed Out By Wave

January 20, 2007 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Chicago Storm News Release


Milwaukee, WI - Sometimes rest can be a bad thing. After a two week layoff the Chicago Storm dropped the first of six straight road games, losing to the Milwaukee Wave 12-4. A hat-trick by former Storm target man Anthony Maher and Wave forward Michael King's 700th career goal sealed the loss for Chicago as they get ready to play three games in the upcoming week. Chicago now falls to 7- 7 on the season.

The game seemed ominous for the Storm from the beginning. Chicago defender Branko Savic was given a two minute penalty for holding as he pulled back rookie Marcio Leite on a breakaway. On the ensuing power play Leite whiffed on a shot but the ball sputtered to midfielder Marcelo Fontana who dropped off the pass to Troy Dusosky and Milwaukee's second leading scorer beat Chicago goalkeeper Jim Larkin for the first goal of the night.

The Wave struck again a little over a minute later as former Storm target man Anthony Maher, who was traded to Milwaukee prior to the season for defender Randy Soderman, scored the second goal of the quarter and his first of the season on a toe poke that squirted past Larkin giving Milwaukee a 4-0 lead after a quarter of play.

Neither team managed a score in the second period but the third quarter belonged to Maher. Playing in only his second game of the season after incurring a knee injury in preseason, Maher scored his second of the night as a Storm clearance deflected to the New Jersey native and blasted a ten-footer in to the net. He finished his hat-trick at the 11 minute mark as he shot at Larkin and the ball deflected off the Chicago goalkeeper and fell to the feet of Maher for another chance, which he did not miss.

The Storm did manage to salvage a goal in the third. Brazilian defender Fabinho took a pass from target man Chris Handsor and instead of ripping a hard shot he sent the soccer equivalent of a change up between the legs of Milwaukee goalkeeper Nick Vorberg for his fifth goal of the season. The goal cut the Wave's lead to six points going into the fourth quarter.

The last time Chicago played the Wave the Storm entered the fourth quarter down by six and came back to win the game. Unfortunately in Saturday nights' encounter history did not repeat itself. Milwaukee's leading scorer Greg Howes opened the scoring in the second minute of the fourth quarter to extend the Wave's lead to 10-2. Chicago midfielder Matthew Stewart(pictured above) scored his seventh goal in six games as the speedy Texan took a pass from defender Branko Savic on a restart and blasted a shot from the left side of the net just under the crossbar.

The comeback fell short and history was soon made. Milwaukee forward Michael King took the ball in the twelfth minute and ripped a left footed shot that beat Larkin and put him in elite company in U.S. indoor soccer history. The goal marked King's 700th of his career, making him the fifth person in North American indoor soccer history to score 700 goals.

The loss dropped Chicago to 7-7 and propelled Milwaukee to 8-8, tying both teams for third in the MISL. Chicago now braces for three games in a week as they face California in Stockton on Wednesday, the Blast in Baltimore on Friday and the KiXX in Philadelphia on Saturday.



Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from January 20, 2007


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