MISL News Release
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. – The Major Indoor Soccer League announced on Tuesday that Syracuse Silver Knights goalkeeper Bryan O’Quinn had been named the league’s Player of the Week for the 15th week of the 2011-12 season. O’Quinn recorded a pair of victories, including a remarkable performance against the Rochester Lancers, as the Silver Knights continued their push to reach the MISL Eastern Division Finals.
With regular Silver Knights starter Eric Reed sidelined, O’Quinn started the week with a 17-save performance as Syracuse took a 21-4 victory against the Norfolk SharX. He then followed that performance with a spectacular 25-save outing on the road in Rochester as he shut out the Lancers in the first half of their eventual 23-9 victory, recording 12 saves., in front of a crowd of 7,210 fans at Blue Cross Arena.
The attendance in Rochester, in spite of a big snowstorm that swept through the northeast, was the third-highest of the MISL season, being topped only by the Missouri Comets’ contest at the Sprint Center in January against the Wichita Wings that drew 8,276 and the Baltimore Blast’s home opener that saw 8,078 fans in attendance. Other arenas saw big crowds for this weekend’s crucial games, with 5,964 fans seeing the Missouri Comets defeat the Milwaukee Wave 17-14 at U.S. Cellular Arena on Sunday afternoon and 4,268 fans present as the Comets defeated the Blast 18-9 on Friday night at the Independence Events Center.
Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman was a major factor in both of their victories this week, and was one of the other players nominated for the Player of the Week award after making 40 saves in the two contests. Waltman’s teammate Vahid Assadpour also had an excellent week, recording 12 points on five goals and two assists, which included a hat trick in the Comets’ victory against the Wave. Syracuse’s Nelson Santana was also nominated after his hat trick against Rochester on Sunday.
The MISL season continues with five games this week, four of which will be available on MISL Live (www.misllivesoccer.com), the league’s free online video service. Syracuse will get the chance to move into sole possession of second place in the MISL Eastern Division tonight as they face the Norfolk SharX at the Norfolk Scope Arena, while their in-state rival Rochester will hit the road for a pair of games against Central Division opponents in Wichita on Saturday night and against Missouri on Sunday afternoon.
The Milwaukee Wave will also hit the road for a pair of games, with their final regular season meeting with the Baltimore Blast expected to draw a big crowd to 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday night. The Wave will then complete their weekend with a game against Norfolk on Sunday afternoon.