Wichita Looks to Snap Slide against Syracuse
February 20, 2013 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Wichita Wings News Release
Wichita, KS. - The Wichita Wings (7-15) of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) will travel to Syracuse on Friday, February 22nd to face off with the Syracuse Silver Knights (7-15) in their final meeting of the regular season; Kick-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CST) in The Oncenter. Wichita enters Friday's match after enduring two tough losses in matches over a three day stretch last weekend against the Baltimore Blast and Rochester Lancers.
Taking on Baltimore (20-5) on last Saturday, February 16th, Wichita's defense bunkered down in the first half, allowing only six points to the second placed Blast. However, despite creating many chances in the first half, the Wings were unable to convert for points, leaving them scoreless until late in the third quarter when Tiguinho and Andrew Hoxie finally broke through for the Wings attack, slashing the Blast's lead to 6-4 by quarter's end. Victor Quiroz continued the scoring momentum early in the fourth quarter, scoring the equalizer to level the match at 6 apiece. Wichita's comeback efforts would be halted as Marco Manigone and Lucas Roque combined for another six points near the end of the fourth quarter for Baltimore to pull away with the 12-6 Blast victory over the Wings.
The Wings continued their close play against Rochester last Monday. The Wings took a quick lead with Kevin Ten Eyck drilling a huge three-point goal. The Lancers answered back with three consecutive goals from, Evan McNeley Brayton Knapp and Alan McGreal, to take a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Great combination play by the Wings attackers provided Wichita with two more goals, scored by Adrian Gonzalez and Miguel Ferrer, to pull the score even at 7 apiece going into halftime. With a defensive battle brewing in the second half, Rochester would convert two unanswered goals, one in each quarter, allowing the Lancers an 11-7 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Wings came back with an excellent strike from three-point range by Michael Mesle to pull within one point of the Lancers, 11-10. Altough Wichita was able to convert on a late goal, they would be unable to produce the additional goal needed to secure a win as goalkeeper Gavin McInerny came up big in goal for the Lancers, saving each shot attempt to preserve the 11-10 Rochester victory over Wichita.
Syracuse is set to host Wichita after completing a season sweep of their New York state rivals, the Rochester Lancers, with a thrilling 17-15 overtime victory. The first three quarters of the game featured a back-and-forth affair with four lead changes and Rochester leading Syracuse 13-11 at the end of the third quarter. The game reached a crescendo late in the final period with Andriy Budnyy burying home a two-point goal to even the score at 13-13. With 38 seconds left in the game, Evan McNeley found the back of the net with what would appear to clinch the win for the Lancers. In a stunning turn of events, however, Budnyy would respond with another equalizer for the Silver Knights with a goal off a restart with 12 seconds left, sending the game into overtime. In the extra period, Kenardo Forbes would finish the game-winner for Syracuse to propel the Silver Knights to a victory over the Lancers.
Key match-ups - Wings Attack vs. Silver Knights Defense The defense has remained solid for Wichita late in the season, stifling their opponents throughout their matches. While the defense has remained a mainstay for the Wings, finishing goal scoring opportunities has not been as consistent. Creating chances in front of goal has not been a problem for the Wings attackers, however, as they continue to find themselves in great position offensively. Wichita has claimed all three matches thus far in the series against Syracuse, and improving their poise in the offensive third of the field and finishing their chances will prime the Wings for a final victory over the Lancers.
Player to Watch: Tiguinho Wings' playmaker, Tiguinho, recently led the Wings' comeback efforts in this past Saturday's match in Baltimore against the Blast, earning himself an honorable mention on MISL team of the week. The Wings' midfielder kicked off the scoring with a two-point goal, then assisting on the next two goals scored by Quiroz and Hoxie. While the comeback fell short, Tiguinho was the catalyst that brought Wichita back into the game. Tiguinho will need to continue his playmaking ability for the Wings to have a chance at securing another win over the Silver Knights on Friday.
The Wings will take on the Lancers Friday evening in Syracuse, match time 6:30 p.m. (CST). The match can be viewed online at www.unation.com/misl or at the Wichita Wings official watch party held at Buffalo Wild Wings on North Rock Road. To keep up with all the latest Wings news, visit www.wichitawingsindoorsoccer.com or follow the team on Facebook and Twitter (@wichita_wings).
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