Syracuse Silver Knights Fall to Unbeaten Baltimore Blast
Published on November 29, 2014 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Syracuse Silver Knights News Release
SYRACUSE, New York - The Syracuse Silver Knights (1-2, Eastern Division #3) dropped their first home game of the season 11-4 to the Baltimore Blast (4-0, Eastern Division #1) at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena.
In a cagy affair that was a one possession game late into the fourth quarter, Baltimore earned its eighth all time victory in the Salt City.
Midfielder Tony Donatelli was the standout of the night with two goals.
"That's probably the best team in the league," SSK Coach Tommy Tanner praised. "They had chances, and we had chances. It was a really good indoor soccer game."
The Silver Knights jumped out to a lead in the first quarter. Forward Anthony Grant scored his second goal of the season at the 6:16 mark in the first quarter, when defender Marcos Chantel found him cutting in front of William Vanzela's penalty area. The strike broke the Blast's shutout streak which spanned three games and 137 minutes.
Baltimore equalized right before the end of the period. The Blast had a restart at the top of the arc with 0:03 left in the frame. After a feint by forward Adriano Dos Santos, defender Pat Healy cooly found Donatelli open. The Temple University product made no mistake in powering it past goalkeeper Bryan O'Quinn.
The Maryland side rode the momentum into the second quarter, as Baltimore scored 17 seconds in. Playmaker Juan Pereira found ex-Syracuse Salty Dog Adauto Neto for a tap in to put the Blast up 4-2.
The Salt City club trailed by that margin at halftime, but leveled the match with 9:22 to go in the third. Marcos Chantel lofted a ball into the corner from his own defensive zone. Neto collected the pass off of the boards and took a moment to turn and face the net with two defenders shadowing. As a gap opened, the diminutive striker arrowed the ball into the top right corner.
Late in the frame, Danny Kelly's team took a lead that it wouldn't relinquish. Pat Healy floated a hopeful ball to Lucas Roque. The third year professional finished his seventh goal of the year from an impossible angle against the barriers. The right-footed laser put the Blast up 6-4 at the 3:35 mark.
The Knights had a golden chance with 4:30 to go in the fourth quarter. On a giveaway in the midfield, Nate Bourdeau emerged with the ball and started an odd man rush. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, Bourdeau elected to pass off to an onrushing Kenardo Forbes. Unfortunately the Jamaican couldn't catch up to the pass and the opportunity went away.
"We had a two on zero there at the end to tie it up 6-6, but we missed it by a few inches," Tanner said.
As Syracuse pushed for an equalizer, the Orange, Silver and Black were exposed at the back. Kenardo Forbes relieved O'Quinn in goal as the extra attacker late in the fourth quarter. Moments after the adjustment, Donatelli made a defensive play that turned into a three-point score to give his team a 9-4 advantage. Nelson Santana attempted a centering pass to Neto, but the Baltimore midfielder anticipated the move and provided the capping touch with 2:27 left in the match.
Onua Obasi added a final tally with an empty net goal right on the doorstep.
Only conceding 11 points, Syracuse held their Eastern Division rivals to their lowest point total all season. Bryan O'Quinn was influential in the defensive effort with 12 saves.
"We worked hard defensively. We got the ball out of our zone and kept possession. That's so important when playing against this team," the goalkeeper explained.
The Silver Knights now have a 3-13 record against the Blast in all competitions.
The Syracuse Silver Knights are on the road next Saturday against newly formed Eastern Division foe Detroit Waza Flo. Kickoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST at the Melvindale Civic Center on December 6. SSK are back in the War Memorial Saturday, December 13, to face the Harrisburg Heat at 7:00 p.m. EST. 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.
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from November 29, 2014
- Wave Drops Game to Defending Champs - Milwaukee Wave
- Syracuse Silver Knights Fall to Unbeaten Baltimore Blast - Syracuse Silver Knights
- Blast Defeat Syracuse 11-4 - Baltimore Blast
- Ambush Fall To Milwaukee 8-4 - St. Louis Ambush
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