MISL News Release
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. – The Major Indoor Soccer League announced its Players of the Month for January on Wednesday, with the Missouri Comets’ Geison being named the Offensive Player of the Month, the Rochester Lancers’ Brayton Knapp being named Defensive Player of the Month and the Baltimore Blast’s Sagu being named Goalkeeper of the Month.
Geison claimed Offensive Player of the Month honors after scoring in each of the Comets’ five contests in January. The MISL’s leading points-scorer recorded 21 points in those games, including a four-goal performance as the Comets recorded a new season-high for points in a single game with 33 against Syracuse on January 25. The Brazilian now has 69 points this season, 14 points more than his closest rival in the scoring race, Rochester’s Mauricio Salles.
Knapp had two points for the Lancers in January, both coming on assists, but it was in his own end that he made a key difference as Rochester took control of second place in the MISL Eastern Division. The 25-year-old recorded 12 blocked shots in January, helping the Lancers go 3-3 and two games ahead of Syracuse for the second playoff place in the Eastern Division.
Sagu was already having an outstanding season, taking Player of the Month honors in November and leading the league in points-against average and save percentage, but he was spectacular in January. Posting a 5.00 points-against average and a .800 save percentage, Sagu went 4-0 as Baltimore clinched a berth in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
The MISL season continues tonight as the Blast try to seal home-field advantage for the MISL Eastern Division Finals with a victory against the Norfolk SharX. The game at 1st Mariner Arena is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. ET kickoff, with the game also available on MISL Live (www.misllivesoccer.com), the league’s free online video service.
Baltimore then hits the road on Saturday night as it faces the Milwaukee Wave in a rematch of the 2011 MISL Championship Series. The Blast took the opening meeting between the two teams this season, and will want to close the gap on the Wave for the best record in the league in a game that can also be seen on MISL Live.
Also on Saturday night the Wichita Wings will host the Rochester Lancers at Hartman Arena. The Wings sit 3.5 games behind Missouri for second place in the Central Division, while the Lancers have a two-game cushion on the Syracuse Silver Knights for the second playoff berth in the East.