Wave, Sidekicks Earn Wins in Week One

September 30, 2002 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2) News Release


The Dallas Sidekicks and Milwaukee Wave each opened the 2002-03 Major Indoor Soccer League campaign with a win as a pair of indoor legends powered their respective clubs to victories during the League's opening night on September 28. Dallas player/coach Tatu scored three goals, including the game-winning score with 0.8 seconds remaining in the contest, to propel the Sidekicks to a 14-13 win over the visiting Philadelphia Kixx. Meanwhile, Milwaukee goalkeeper Victor Nogueira returned to San Diego where he won four indoor titles from 1988-92 and led the Wave to a 13-4 victory over his former team, the San Diego Sockers.

Tatu's game-winning goal came with the Sidekicks trailing, 13-12, after Philadelphia forward Goran Vasic connected on a 2-point strike at 8:11 of the fourth quarter to give the Kixx a one-point advantage. Philadelphia enjoyed leads of 2-0, 5-2, and 9-4 during the game before the Sidekicks rallied with a 8-2 second half run to hold a 12-11 edge prior to Vasic's goal with 6:49 left to play. Dallas forward David Doyle, who replaced Sidekicks goalkeeper Sagu as a sixth attacker with 2:35 remaining, got the win in goal. Sagu finished the contest with 17 saves while Philadelphia goalkeeper Peter Pappas, who made 21 saves, took the loss.

Nogueira, the reigning MISL Goalkeeper-of-the-Year, made 18 saves on 20 shots faced vs. San Diego while Wave forward Joe Reiniger scored two goals in a span of 42 seconds during first quarter action to give the visitors a lead that they would not surrender. Carlos "Chile" Farias and Mariano Bollella each notched a 2-point goal in the losing effort for San Diego.

ALL EIGHT MISL TEAMS IN ACTION ON SATURDAY...

The 2002-03 MISL regular season will hit full stride this Saturday, October 5, as all eight teams will see action. The Philadelphia Kixx will raise the team's 2001-02 championship banner prior to hosting the Harrisburg Heat at the First Union Spectrum while the Baltimore Blast will entertain the Cleveland Force at the Baltimore Arena in the season opener for both clubs. Milwaukee will open its home slate by hosting the Kansas City Comets at the Bradley Center while the Dallas Sidekicks will travel to San Diego to face the Sockers at the San Diego Sports Arena.

TATU AND NOGUEIRA EARN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS... Offensive: Dallas forward Tatu has been named the MISL Offensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending September 29. Tatu receives the award after posting three 2-point goals, an assist, and seven points last week.

Tatu recorded the hat-trick during Dallas' 14-13 victory over Philadelphia on September 28. The 40-year- old forward scored each of his three goals in the second half as Dallas rallied from a 9-4 third quarter deficit to record the one-point victory. Others Receiving Consideration:

Philadelphia forward Chris Handsor posted a pair of 2-point goals and an assist for five points during the Kixx's 14-13 loss at Dallas.

Milwaukee forward Joe Reiniger notched a pair of 2-point goals and four points during the Wave's 13-4 victory at San Diego.

Defensive:

Milwaukee Wave goalkeeper Victor Nogueira has been named the MISL Defensive Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending September 29. Nogueira receives the award after leading Milwaukee to a 13-4 victory at San Diego on September 28.

The 43-year-old Nogueira stopped 18 of 20 shots faced (.900 save percentage) while notching a 4.00 points against average through the first week of the 2002-03 MISL campaign.

The Mozambique native is indoor soccer's all-time leader in goalkeeper victories with 414.

Others Receiving Consideration: Dallas goalkeeper Sagu made 17 saves while allowing just two points over the final 36:21 in Dallas' 14-13 victory over Philadelphia.

San Diego goalkeeper Nick Vorberg surrendered just six points in 55:45 of play vs. Milwaukee on September 28.

MISL AVERAGES OVER 6,000 FANS PER GAME DURING OPENING WEEKEND...

The MISL attracted a total of 13,188 fans to two games last week for an average attendance of 6,594. Dallas welcomed a crowd of 6,887 to Reunion Arena while San Diego enjoyed a crowd of 6,301 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

MISL GAME RECAPS (September 23-September 29, 2002)

GAMES OF 09/28/2002
(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
DALLAS 14 4-0-6-4 6,887 36 6 1-2 Doyle (0-0)
Philadelphia 13 5-0-6-2 32 4 2-3 Pappas (21-31)

Tatu scored three goals, including the game-winner with 0.8 seconds remaining in regulation, as the Dallas Sidekicks defeated the Philadelphia Kixx, 14-13, at Reunion Arena on Saturday, September 28. Tatu, indoor soccer's third all-time leading scorer with 1,543 career points, notched all three of his goals in the second half to rally the Sidekicks from a 9-4 third quarter deficit. Philadelphia jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a Chris Handsor 2-point goal at 4:23 of the first quarter. Armando Valdivia tied the game at two with a deuce at 5:03, but a Gary DePalma 3-pointer at 14:45 of the opening frame gave the Kixx a 5-2 advantage. After Frank Filo notched a 2-point tally at the 15-minute mark of the first for Dallas, Handsor scored the second quarter's only goal at 9:10 of the frame to give the Kixx a 7-4 lead at the half. In the third, Don D'Ambra extended the Philadelphia lead to 9-4 with a deuce at 1:10. Tatu then scored his first goal of the contest at 2:23 before Antonio Sutton found the back of the net at 2:54 to make it a 9-8 game. Omid Namazi (3:39) and Leo Pernia (10:52) then exchanged goals to produce an 11-10 Kixx lead through three quarters of play. Tatu opened the fourth quarter scoring with a 2-pointer at 3:27 that pushed Dallas on top for the first time in the game before Goran Vasic gave the Kixx the lead at 13-12 with a 2-pointer at 8:11.That set the stage for Tatu's game-winner with less than a second to play as the Sidekicks recorded the one-point victory. Tatu led all scorers with three 2-point goals, an assist, and seven points while Handsor paced Philadelphia with a pair of 2-point goals and an assist for five points. David Doyle, who was on as the sixth attacker when Tatu scored the game-winning tally, claimed the victory in goal for Dallas while Peter Pappas, who made 21 saves, took the loss for Philadelphia.

(Home CAPS) SCORING ATTN SHOTS PIM PP W/L GOALIE (SV-SF)
Milwaukee 13 6-2-2-3 6,301 29 9 1-3 Nogueira (18-20)
SAN DIEGO 4 2-0-2-0 35 6 0-2 Vorberg (13-16)

Victor Nogueira made 18 saves while Joe Reiniger posted a pair of goals as the Milwaukee Waved downed the San Diego Sockers, 13-4, at the San Diego Sports Arena on Saturday, September 28. Reiniger posted both of his 2-point goals in a 42-second span, notching scores at 5:06 and 5:48 of the first quarter to give the Wave a 4-0 lead. Carlos "Chile" Farias cut the Milwaukee lead in half with a deuce at 9:07 of the first before Sipho Sibiya made it 6-2 in favor of the Wave with a 2-pointer at 12:15 of the opening frame. Milwaukee's Marcelo Fontana (7:31) scored the second quarter's only goal as the Wave held an 8-2 lead through 30 minutes of play. Matt Schmidt then connected on a 2-pointer at 1:39 of the third to extend the Milwaukee lead to 10-2 before Mariano Bollella beat Nogueira for a deuce at 3:14 of the quarter to produce a 10-4 score. Greg Howes then concluded the scoring with a 3-pointer at 14:14 as Milwaukee recorded the nine-point victory. Reiniger led all scorers with four points on a pair of 2-point goals. Farias and Bollella paced the San Diego offense with two points apiece. Nogueira (18 saves) earned the win while Nick Vorberg (13 saves) took the loss.

TEAM CAPSULES (September 23 – September 29, 2002)

Baltimore Blast (0-0)
Idle last week.
Leading Scorers: Cabral (133 points during 2001-02)
Leading Goalkeeper: Hileman (16-22; 12.33 paa; .722 save percentage during 2001-02)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 vs. Cleveland, Sat. 10/12 at Cleveland, Sun. 10/13 at Dallas

Cleveland Force (0-0)
Idle last week.
Leading Scorer: Marinaro (188 points during 2001-02)
Leading Goalkeeper: Orf (8-13; 13.29 paa; .714 save percentage during 2001-02)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 at Baltimore, Sat. 10/12 vs. Baltimore, Sun. 10/13 at Philadelphia

Dallas Sidekicks (1-0)
The Sidekicks made their debut in the new MISL a winning one as player/coach Tatu posted the game-winning sixth attacker goal with 0.8 seconds remaining to lead Dallas to a 14-13 victory over Philadelphia on September 28. Tatu leads the MISL in goals and scoring with three 2-point tallies, an assist, and seven points. Leo Pernia and Frank Filo each added three points on a 2-point goal and an assist vs. Philadelphia while Antonio Sutton and Armando Valdivia scored the Sidekicks other two goals. David Doyle got the win for Dallas as the sixth attacker, while Sagu played a solid game in goal for the Sidekicks, allowing just six goals and only one Philadelphia score over the final 36:11 of play. Dallas will travel to San Diego on October 5 before returning home to host the Baltimore Blast on October 13.
Leading Scorer: Tatu (seven points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Sagu (0-0, 13.58 paa, .739 save percentage)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 at San Diego, Sat. 10/12 vs. Harrisburg, Sun. 10/13 vs. Baltimore

Harrisburg Heat (0-0)
Idle last week.
Leading Scorer: Bascome (88 points during 2001-02)
Leading Goalkeeper: Petras (9-22; 14.22 paa; .708 save percentage)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 at Philadelphia, Fri. 10/11 at San Diego, Sat. 10/12 at Dallas

Kansas City Comets (0-0)
Idle last week.
Leading Scorers: Delevski (210 points during 2001-02)
Leading Goalkeeper: Damico (20-14; 13.86 paa; .699 save percentage during 2001-02)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 at Milwaukee, Sat. 10/12 vs. Milwaukee, Sat. 10/19 vs. San Diego

Milwaukee Wave (1-0)
The Wave recorded a 13-4 victory at San Diego during the club's 2002-03 season opener on September 28. Victor Nogueira recorded 18 saves and allowed just two goals in recording his first win of the season. Joe Reiniger posted two goals and four points while defender Matt Schmidt (2-point goal, assist) and Greg Howes (3-point goal) added three points for Milwaukee. The Wave will open its 2002-03 home schedule on October 5 when the club welcomes the Kansas City Comets. Milwaukee went a record 22-0 at home during the 2001-02 regular season.
Leading Scorers: Reiniger (four points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Nogueira (1-0; 4.00 paa; .900 save percentage)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 vs. Kansas City, Sat. 10/12 at Kansas City, Sat. 10/19 at Baltimore

Philadelphia Kixx (0-1)
The Kixx dropped a 14-13 decision at Dallas on September 28. Peter Pappas made 21 saves despite taking the loss. Chris Handsor, the 2002 MISL Championship Series Most Valuable Player, led the Kixx in scoring with a pair of 2-point goals and an assist for five points. Handsor currently ranks second in the MISL in scoring with five points. Gary DePalma and Goran Vasic each added three points in the contest at Dallas. The Kixx will open the home portion of their 2002-03 slate on October 5 when the club welcomes the Harrisburg Heat to the First Union Spectrum.
Leading Scorer: Handsor (five points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Pappas (0-1; 12.42 paa, .714 save percentage)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 vs. Harrisburg, Sun 10/13 vs. Cleveland, Sat. 10/19 vs. Dallas

San Diego (0-1)
The Sockers dropped a 13-4 decision to the Milwaukee Wave on September 28. Carlos "Chile" Farias and Mariano Bollella each recorded 2-point goals for San Diego. Bollella also recorded three blocks in the game. Nick Vorberg made 13 saves in taking the loss for San Diego. Vorberg currently ranks second in the MISL in points against average at 6.46. The Sockers will continue the club's current three-game homestand by hosting the Dallas Sidekicks on October 15 and the Harrisburg Heat on October 11.
Leading Scorer: Farias, Bollella (two points)
Leading Goalkeeper: Vorberg (0-1: 6.46 paa; .813 save percentage)
Up Next: Sat. 10/5 vs. Dallas, Fri. 10/11 vs. Harrisburg, Fri. 10/18 at Cleveland

LEAGUE NOTES...

- The Dallas Sidekicks, Cleveland Force, and Harrisburg Heat completed a three-team trade on September 27 that sent the rights to Beau Brown and Cleveland's first-round pick in the 2003 Amateur Draft to Dallas; the rights to Erick Kvello, Steve Klein, and Bernie Lilavois to Cleveland; and the rights to Marco Lopez to the Harrisburg Heat

- The Baltimore Arena has been renamed the 1st Mariner Arena in a 10-year naming rights deal between Edwin F. Hale, chairman of 1st Mariner Bancorp and investor-operator of the Baltimore Blast, and the city of Baltimore

- The 2003 MISL All-Star Weekend is coming to Milwaukee on March 7-9; the three-day indoor soccer celebration will conclude with the 2003 MISL All-Star Game to be played at the Bradley Center on March 9

- For the latest news, notes, and information on the Major Indoor Soccer League, visit the official internet home of the MISL at www.MISL.net, or call toll-free 1-866-MISLNET

QUOTE CORNER...

"When it went in, I looked at the referee, and he had his hands up...I looked up at the scoreboard, and there were still a few numbers left on there, so I said, ‘I guess it counts.'"

- Dallas player/coach Tatu commenting on his game-winning goal with 0.8 seconds remaining during the Sidekicks' 14-13 victory over Philadelphia on September 28

"It was one of those games, we played very well at times and very poorly at times...the most important thing was that we came out with a victory...we played a very good team and it's tough to win on the road...I'm pleased with the victory."

- Milwaukee head coach Keith Tozer following the Wave's 13-4 victory at San Diego on September 28

"I'm not displeased with the effort...it was a little different of a game...the first three goals were on restarts, and that's their strength...that didn't bother me because we are going to get better on that."

- San Diego head coach Brian Quinn following the Sockers' 13-4 loss to Milwaukee on September 28

"You've got to give credit to Dallas, they worked hard until the end and came up with their first win...we were unfortunate enough not to be on the winning side, it's not the way we wanted to start the season...but with our home opener coming up this Saturday, we have a chance to turn it around rather quickly."

- Philadelphia head coach Omid Namazi following the Kixx's 14-13 loss at Dallas on September 28



Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from September 30, 2002


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