Baltimore Blast News Release -- www.baltimoreblast.com
Friday, March 16, 2012
The 2012 MISL Championship Series
Baltimore Blast vs. Milwaukee Wave
Game 1 - Friday, March 16, 1st Mariner Arena, 7:35 p.m. ET
Game 2 - Sunday, March 18, U.S. Cellular Arena, 3:10 p.m. CT
The Details
Blast: 18-6, Eastern Division Regular Season Champions
Swept the Rochester Lancers to advance
Wave: 16-6, Central Division Regular Season Champions
Swept the Missouri Comets to advance
BALTIMORE -- The 2011-12 season marks the 20th anniversary of the rivalry between the Baltimore Blast and Milwaukee Wave, the most storied rivalry in the MISL, which dates back to the 1992-93 season. The teams have squared off 76 times in the regular season and 14 times in the postseason and the rivalry has intensified with every game, every goal and every victory. From the start of the 2011-12 season, both teams have been gearing up for the chance to meet in the MISL Championship Series. For both teams, it is a continuation of their rivalry, and for the Blast, a chance to avenge last season's Championship Game loss to the Wave.
The Wave lead the all-time regular-season series 46-30 and the Blast hold the postseason edge, 9-4. Since the 2002-03 season, the road to the Championship has gone through the Blast and Wave five times and the teams have combined to win 10 of the last 14 league championships (each team has five titles in that time period). 2012 is be Baltimore’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance and the club's 16th trip to the playoffs in 20 years.
The Blast and Wave, similar in their winning ways, led the MISL in goals for and goals against during the regular season with the Wave scoring the most goals (169) and the Blast allowing the fewest (108). The Blast was second with 165 goals and the Wave allowed the second-fewest goals throughout the season (123).
Max Ferdinand, a First-Team All-MISL selection and the MISL Assists award winner, led the Blast with 72 points. Machel Millwood, a Second-Team All-MISL selection, followed with 71 points as did Adauto Neto (49) and Carlos Garcia (48). In goal, Sagu went 15-5 in the regular season and 2-0 in the Eastern Division Finals victory against the Rochester Lancers en route to his second consecutive MISL Goalkeeper of the Year honor.
The Blast also featured eight new players, five of whom were new to the indoor game. Veterans Ricardinho (five goals, five assists), Ptah Myers (four goals, three assists) and Shaun David (10 goals, seven assists) joined the Blast this season after spending previous years with a variety of other squads. Rookies Stephen DeRoux (an All-Rookie selection with 10 goals and one assist), J.T. Noone (14 goals, three assists), and Mike Deasel (14 points, five blocks) all made their way into the lineup and made an immediate impact on the team.
The Wave, like the Blast, went 18-6 overall in the regular season (8-4 on the road), finishing the regular season atop the Central Division. The team was led by veteran Greg Howes who recorded 61 regular season points and tied to rank seventh in the MISL in scoring. Marcio Leite and Ian Bennett followed with 55 points and 54 points, respectively. Goalkeepers Marcel Feenstra and Nick Vorberg split time manning the Wave net, with Feenstra earning an 11-2 record and Vorberg going 7-3.
Marco Terminesi led the Wave with eight points (four per game) in their Central Division Finals victory against the Missouri Comets, and Giuliano Oliviero, Hewerton Moreira and Even McNeley each recorded six points. Feenstra earned the win in goal for both games but Howes missed the series with a back injury.
If the Blast and Wave each win a game in the series, they will play a 15-minute mini game to decide the 2012 MISL Champion.
Broadcast Information
Both games of the MISL Championship Series will be available via live webcast at www.MISLlivesoccer.com.