Wings Prepared for Final Push against Blast
February 6, 2013 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Wichita Wings News Release
Wichita, KS. - The Wichita Wings (7-13) of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) will be playing their final home match of the season Friday at 7:35 p.m. in Hartman Arena as they take on the Baltimore Blast (17-5). Baltimore leads this season's three game series 2-0 over Wichita, who has yet to secure a victory against the Blast since they joined the MISL. The Wings last played the Blast on December 7th in Baltimore, ultimately falling in a close match with a 10-6 loss.
The Wings most recent match was last Saturday against Rochester in a barn burner, that saw the Wings emerge with a huge 14-11 victory. The Lancers brought the pressure right away as Pedro Franco scored Rochester's first and only goal of the quarter just 90 seconds after kickoff. About halfway through the quarter, Andrew Hoxie scored his first of three goals on the night followed immediately by another Wings' goal from Adrian Gonzalez. The second quarter started with a three-point goal from Mauricio Salles as both teams started to pick up the intensity. Hoxie answered by adding his second goal of the night off a beautiful pass from Danny Villegas. Minutes later, just before halftime, Miguel Ferrer scored to extend the Wings lead 8-5 going into halftime. The third quarter was all Lancers as goals from Brayton Knapp and Evan McNeley produced Rochester a 9-8 lead while holding Wichita scoreless heading into the final quarter. The fourth quarter saw both teams struggle to gain the upper hand until Kareem Yearwood kicked off the Wings scoring streak with a goal with just four minutes left in regulation. A minute later, Andrew Hoxie completed his hat trick and Alex Moseley sealed Rochester's fate scoring the Wings last goal of the game for the win.
Baltimore's latest affair saw them sweep the Syracuse Silver Knights in a home and home doubleheader last weekend to round out the series for the season. In the first of the two games Baltimore swiped a thin 10-8 victory in overtime, with the winning goal courtesy of Adauto Neto. In the first quarter, the Blast came out firing on all cylinders with six goals in the first quarter to the Silver Knights' one. The second and third quarters saw little action with a total of two goals scored, one from each club, with Baltimore clinging to an 8-4 lead heading into the final quarter. Syracuse turned the match around, however, when Antonio Manfut and Kenardo Forbes hit back-to-back goals for the equalizer and shut out the Blast to send the match into overtime. Even with an impressive comeback late, the Silver Knights would not be able to hold on in overtime as Adauto Neto hit the winning goal.
The next evening saw the same action for Baltimore and Syracuse as they played neck and neck until the Blast pulled away in the fourth quarter for an 11-6 win. Mike Lookingland and Neto battled in the first quarter, each ending up with two goals apiece to leave the Blast and Silver Knights all tied up going into the second quarter which saw no score change. Baltimore pushed ahead in the third as Marco Mangione scored at the beginning of the quarter to take the lead. Syracuse stayed in the game as Neto scored the 6-6 equalizer to end the third quarter. The final quarter went all the way down the wire as it remained scoreless for five minutes until Baltimore's Stephen DeRoux drilled one into the net followed by a 3-point goal from Ptah Myers, sealing the fate of the Silver Knights with the final score 11-6.
Wichita ended their five game slide against Rochester and are looking to build momentum off that win for a tough playoff push, as their remaining five games come on the road. Wichita currently sits in fifth place, just a game and a half behind Chicago for the fourth and final playoff spot with 9 games remaining. A win against Baltimore could propel the Wings and give them the confidence they need to improve their record on the road to ultimately secure one of the two playoff spots up for grabs.
Players to Watch: Andrew Hoxie
Hoxie is coming off an impressive match against the Lancers that saw the big man score a hat trick, topping off a productive 15 points in the Wings' last four games. Hoxie is a tall, strong target for the ball who has stepped up his game over the past two weeks amid a mangled Wings' attack. He will be an essential piece of the puzzle in Wichita's chance of earning a victory when they face Baltimore Friday.
Key Match Ups: Wichita's Defense vs. Blast's Offense
For the Wings to hang with the Blast, their already tough defense needs to be on their toes. Chris Lemons has turned the intensity up in the past couple of games and Victor Quiroz is one of the best ball handlers in the league. Though the Blast's leading scorer ranks fifth in the league, the Wings' defense will have their hands full against a strong Baltimore attack who leads the MISL with 313 points in 22 games.
To keep up with all the latest Wings news, and to purchase your tickets for the next home game on February 8th, visit www.wichitawingsindoorsoccer.com or call 316.927.3999. Be sure to follow the team on Facebook and Twitter @wichita_wings.
Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from February 6, 2013
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- Wings Prepared for Final Push against Blast - Wichita Wings
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- MISL January Players of the Month Named - MISL
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