MISL News Release
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. – After a thrilling contest this past Saturday night that saw the Rochester Lancers take an overtime victory against the Syracuse Silver Knights and a one-game lead for second place in the MISL Eastern Division, the playoff picture could take on more clarity as all four of the division’s teams play twice this weekend.
The biggest game of the weekend comes on Saturday night as the Lancers travel to play the division-leading Baltimore Blast at 1st Mariner Arena. Making the trip through the Mid Atlantic, the Lancers also face the Norfolk SharX on Sunday afternoon as they try to maintain their hold on a playoff place.
Syracuse also hits the road, facing a pair of tests against Central Division opponents. The Silver Knights and Missouri Comets open a week of six games in five days on Wednesday night at the Independence Events Center, with the Comets looking to try and bolster their playoff position. The Silver Knights then head north to face the Milwaukee Wave in a rematch of a back-and-forth contest two weeks ago that saw the defending champions edge to victory in the fourth quarter.
Baltimore also hosts the Norfolk SharX this weekend, aiming to take a second consecutive victory against their regional foe and add to their lead at the top of the Eastern Division. Norfolk has been on the upswing of late, earning victories against all three of its division rivals and steadily growing its home attendance. The 3,442 that attended the SharX’s game against the Comets last weekend was a season-high, an indicator of how the team is growing in its local community.
Over in the Central Division, the Milwaukee Wave will travel to face the Wichita Wings on Thursday night after the two teams had a pair of hard-fought contests at Hartman Arena last weekend. The Wings took their first victory against the Wave since their return to the MISL on Friday night, with Kevin Ten Eyck’s 3-pointer with just more than two minutes to play sealing an 18-16 win, but the Wave’s experience and defensive tenacity showed the following night as they returned home with a 9-6 win.
As expected, the MISL surged through the 200,000 attendance mark this past weekend, and with the playoff races heating up big crowds are again expected this weekend. For fans unable to get to the arenas, five of the six games will also be available on MISL Live (www.misllivesoccer.com), the league’s free online video service.