Wings Set to Host Lancers
January 29, 2013 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Wichita Wings News Release
Wichita, KS. - The Wichita Wings (6-12) of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) head on the road to take on the Chicago Soul on Thursday, January 31st in the Sears Centre Arena; Kick-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CST). Wichita will then return home on Saturday, February 2nd to host the Rochester Lancers in Hartman Arena with kick-off scheduled for 7:35 p.m. (CST). The Wings will travel to Chicago following a tough weekend doubleheader against the Milwaukee Wave and the Chicago Soul which saw the Wings fall behind early in both games only to rally in the fourth quarter, but ultimately falling short in their comeback efforts.
In their first match of this past weekend's doubleheader, the Wings started the game strong defensively against Milwaukee, but could not find the back of the net as the Wave took a 6-0 lead going into halftime. Kevin Ten Eyck responded for Wichita early in the third quarter, scoring to cut the deficit to four points. Nick Perera and Hewerton answered back for Milwaukee, however, to push their lead to 10-2 going into the final quarter. With their backs against the wall, the Wings entered the fourth quarter inspired. Chris Lemons ignited the attack by scoring his first goal of the season with a solid left footed strike. The rally continued with Freddy Moojen, Lemons, and Daniel Villegas scoring consecutive goals to bring the score level at 10 apiece. Hewerton would break the draw and complete his hat trick with a goal off a restart to give the Wave a 12-10 lead with just under five minutes in regulation. Several late chances by Wichita would not be converted as the Wave held on to a 12-10 victory over the Wings.
In the second leg of the weekend doubleheader versus Chicago, Wichita began the game with an impressive defensive showing against the Soul, finding themselves tied 4-4 after one quarter. The second quarter, proved difficult for the Wings as they were outscored 11-2 by the Soul, consequently finding themselves in a 15-6 deficit at halftime. In the second half, Wichita's defense tightened, shutting out the Soul the rest of the game. The Wings attack scored three unanswered goals in the second half, two by Kevin Ten Eyck and one by Freddy Moojen to cut Chicago's lead to 15-12 late in the fourth quarter. The Wings created several great scoring opportunities late but were unable to capitalize on any of them, handing the Soul a 15-12 victory.
After their win over Wichita on Saturday, Chicago traveled to Milwaukee to take on the Wave. The Soul parlayed a strong first half into an 8-4 lead over the Wave by halftime led by Semir Mesanovic who had two goals. The Wave turned the tables in the third quarter, regaining control by outscoring the Soul 10-0, taking a 14-8 lead. Milwaukee's scoring momentum continued early in the fourth quarter, finishing two more goals to push their lead to 18-8. By that point the Wave had scored eight unanswered goals for a total of 16 points, highlighted by Luan Oliveira's hat trick and was finished off with a powerplay goal from Lukin Erik, earning Milwaukee an 18-10 victory over Chicago.
Playing host to the Missouri Comets this past Sunday, Rochester got off to a hot start. Led by MISL leading scorer Doug Miller, who scored four goals in the first half, the Lancers onslaught gave them a 15-0 lead at halftime. The third quarter featured a defensive battle between the two clubs, with each scoring one goal apiece, bringing the score to 17-2 heading into the final quarter. The Comets would outscore the Lancers 6-0 in the fourth quarter, but it would not be enough as Rochester would clinch a 17-8 win over Missouri. Rochester will head to Missouri on Friday to take on the Comets in the Independence Center before facing off against the Wings on Saturday.
Key match-ups - Wings Defense vs. Soul and Lancers Attack In their last few games, the Wings' defense has hit some rough patches, but has rallied in critical situations. In this past weekend's doubleheader, both matches saw the Wings' defense bend early, then respond well late in the match to allow the attack huge scoring streaks although they would not be able to pull off a win. Wichita's matches versus Chicago and Rochester will feature four of the top seven scorers in the MISL. Rochester's Mauricio Salles is among the leaders in the league in three-point goals, converting six of them, and Doug Miller leads the MISL in scoring with 83 points. In recent games against Wichita, Chicago's Chile Farias and Bato Radoncic have scored at a high rate with both earning hat tricks in separate games. If the Wings defense can hold strong for a longer stretch in the next few games, they have an opportunity put themselves in better position to secure a victory.
Player to Watch: Chris Lemons Chris Lemons has been playing well the past few games, continuing to be reliable in the Wings' backline as well as contributing to the attack. Lemons buried his first two goals of the season against Milwaukee on Friday and created several great scoring chances in recent games. Lemons' unwavering consistency on defense as well as his contribution to the attack should key a playoff run for the Wings.
The match between the Wings and the Soul on Thursday can be viewed online at www.uslnation.com/misl or at Buffalo Wild Wings for the official Wings watch party. For tickets to the Wings next home match on February 2nd against the Rochester Lancers, call 316-927-3999 or visit wichitawingsindoorsoccer.com. For the latest news on the Wings follow the team on Facebook and Twitter (@wichita_wings).
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Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from January 29, 2013
- Doug Miller Earns Fifth Team of the Week Honor - Rochester Lancers
- Chicago's Farias Named Player of the Week - MISL
- Wings Set to Host Lancers - Wichita Wings
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