Wings Begin Final Stretch in Baltimore
February 14, 2013 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Wichita Wings News Release
Wichita, KS. - The Wichita Wings (7-14) of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) will travel to Baltimore on Saturday, February 16, to take on the Baltimore Blast (19-5); Kick-off scheduled for 6:35 p.m. (CST) in 1st Mariner Arena. After enduring a tough loss to Baltimore last Friday night in a game that featured a difficult fourth quarter for the Wings as they gave up the lead for a Blast victory, Wichita will try again, squaring off against the Blast in the first of a five game road trip to finish the season.
Wichita heads into Saturday's match against Baltimore after experiencing a crushing defeat in their most recent meeting versus the Blast. Friday night's game in Hartman Arena showcased a marvelous first quarter for the Wings with Freddy Moojen connecting on two goals and Miguel Ferrer slamming home a three-point goal, providing the Wings a 7-0 lead over the Blast at the finish of the first quarter. Baltimore responded in the second quarter with three unanswered goals by Ptah Myers, Max Ferdinand, and Lucas Roque to cut the Wichita lead to a single point; 7-6 at halftime. The Wings started the second half strong with Moojen completing his hat trick in the third quarter and Adrian Gonzalez finishing a two-point goal early in the fourth quarter to push the Wichita lead to 11-6. The Blast quickly stole the momentum back from the Wings with two goals by J.T. Noone and Myers to trim Wichita's lead to 11-10 with five minutes left in regulation. With just three minutes to play, Lucio Gonzaga completed Baltimore's comeback with a three-point goal to give the Blast a 13-11 lead. With the sixth attacker in, Myers scored to finish his hat trick followed by a Ferdinand goal on a penalty shot to complete Baltimore's 17-11 victory over Wichita.
Baltimore returns home to face Wichita after traveling to Missouri for a match against the Comets. Missouri started the game off aggressively with Cristiano converting an early goal followed several minutes later by a three-point goal from Leo Gibson to give the Comets a 5-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Baltimore responded soon after with a three-point goal of their own courtesy of J.T. Noone and a two-point goal by Max Ferdinand for the equalizer to level the score at 5 apiece by the end of the first quarter. A back and forth offensive output in the second quarter by both teams saw the Blast cling to an 11-9 lead at the half. Baltimore took control of the game early in the third quarter with three consecutive goals, pushing their lead to 17-9 before back-to-back Missouri goals made the score 17-13 to finish the third quarter. Another big fourth quarter 10-0 push helped Baltimore finish off Missouri with a final score of 27-13.
With five games left in the season for Wichita, the Wings sit a game and a half out of the fourth and final playoff spot. Although the road has been a tough place for Wichita to play, with a road record of 1-7, four of the seven road losses for the Wings have come by four points or less. Over the next five games, Wichita looks to build on the positives of their play on the road to prime them for a playoff push.
Key match-ups - Wings defense vs. Ptah Myers
Baltimore defender Ptah Myers, an x-factor for the Blast, ranks 8th on the team in scoring but has been on a bit of a streak lately, finishing goals in five consecutive games and clinching a hat trick in his last two games. The key to Baltimore's success this season has been their balanced attack, with Myers leading the Blast in their most recent games. The Wichita defense was fantastic for most of Friday's game against Baltimore, holding the Blast to six points early in the fourth quarter with key positioning by the Wings defenders and great saves by Sanaldo. Improving on that defensive effort and the ability to extend it through the end of the game will be the difference for Wichita as they look to steal a spot in the playoffs.
Player to Watch: Freddy Moojen
Freddy Moojen, captain of the club, has been Wichita's unquestioned leader all season. While leading the Wings in scoring with 58 points, ranking him 8th in the MISL, Moojen's capacity to finish has been a bright spot for Wichita. His hat trick in Friday night's game against the Blast was a great contribution that positioned the Wings for a win. While the victory did not come to fruition, Wichita knows it can count on its reliable captain to lead the Wings to a playoff push.
To keep up with all the latest Wings news, visit www.wichitawingsindoorsoccer.com or call 316.927.3999. Be sure to follow the team on Facebook and Twitter (@wichita_wings).
• Discuss this story on the Major Indoor Soccer League message board...
Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from February 14, 2013
- Silver Knights Voyage to Battle Lancers in Regular Season Series Finale - Syracuse Silver Knights
- Wings Begin Final Stretch in Baltimore - Wichita Wings
- Only 75 Fan Autograph Passes Left - Rochester Lancers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
