Rochester Lancers News Release -- www.rochesterlancers.com
Saturday, November 26, 2011
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Lancers were unable to overcome a slow start to their MISL game at home against the Baltimore Blast on Saturday afternoon, falling 26-9 in front of 5,102 fans at the Blue Cross Arena. The Blast outscored the Lancers 12-3 in the first quarter on their way to snapping the Lancers’ two-game winning streak.
The visiting Blast (3-1) were able to get on the scoreboard first when Shaun David’s shot from just inside the 3-point arc eluded Lancers goalkeeper Patrick Hannigan just 97 seconds into the game. Baltimore extended its early lead with goals from Max Ferdinand and Machel Millwood to put the Blast up 6-0 with a little over seven minutes to play in the first quarter. The Blast then capitalize on the Lancers pushing up too far, leading to a two-on-one that saw Aduato Neto finish off a pass from David to make it 8-0 Blast.
On Section V Soccer Day, Aquinas grad Kyle Manscuk scored his first goal as a Lancer from 3-point range to pull the home team within five. But Neto answered back for Baltimore just 10 seconds later and Millwood scored his second of the quarter to extend the Blast’s lead to nine points at the end of the first quarter.
The early part of the second quarter saw the Lancers (2-3) endure an injury scare when forward Mauricio Salles crumbled to the turf holding his left knee. Salles would re-enter the match after testing the knee out during a Baltimore timeout.
Baltimore opened the scoring in the quarter when Matt Watson punished a Hannigan turnover. After a Baltimore free kick deep in the Lancers’ end of the field, Pat Healey roofed a rebound of a Scott Buete shot. The goal pushed the Blast’s lead to a baker’s dozen. With a little less than five-and-a-half minutes left in the second quarter, the Lancers were able to take advantage of some pretty passing by Andrew Hoxie, Doug Miller, and Jeremy Ortiz on the break, Ortiz finishing the play for the Lancers’ second goal of the match. But at the half, the Blast held a 16-5 lead thanks to their clinical finishing that saw them record eight goals from 13 shots on goal.
The Blast were able to score the first goal of the half again when Matt Watson set up Carlos Garcia for the one-time finish from just off to Hannigan’s right. The Lancers answered back when Jeremy Ortiz fed a nice outlet pass to Andrew Hoxie. Sagu came off his line to stop the initial Hoxie shot, but the Lancers forward calmly slotted home the rebound to pull the Lancers to within eleven points. The Blast again had a quick answer as 19 seconds later Mike Deasel scored for the Blast after a dangerous free kick chance wasn’t cleared.
Andrew Hoxie kept the Lancers' hopes alive when he scored his second of the match when his shot deflected off Healey and past Sagu to make it 20-9 Blast after three quarters, but the Lancers didn’t find the back of the net again as goals by JT Noone, David and Neto, completing his hat trick on the power play, were the only goals in the fourth quarter.
The Lancers’ next match is on the road at the Norfolk SharX on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The Lancers return home to host the Baltimore Blast at 7 p.m. next Saturday at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial. Individual game tickets are still available and start at $10 for adults, and children aged 12-and-under receive free entry for every regular season home game.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the Blue Cross Arena box office, at most area Ticketmaster locations including the House of Guitars, the Auditorium Theatre and many Walmart stores, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000 to charge by phone. Discounted ticket vouchers are available at all area Wegmans locations. Active military members receive a free ticket complements of SmugtownBeacon.com (Gameday only with valid military ID).