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The Blast trailed Missouri 4-0 at the halftime break, with Byron Alvarez scoring both goals for the Comets and Danny Waltman making eight saves to keep Baltimore off the scoreboard. The Blast finally broke through three minutes, 44 seconds into the third, as Max Ferdinand scored a spectacular power play goal to reduce the deficit to two. Baltimore then drew even, again on the power play, as Tony Donatelli stole in to score his fourth goal of the series, firing home a low cross by Ferdinand to make it 4-4 at the end of the third quarter.

Baltimore took its first lead of the night four minutes into the fourth quarter, Adriano Dos Santos finding the back of the net, and the Blast were able to bolster their lead with a spectacular bicycle kick finish by All-Rookie Team selection Lucas Roque as he controlled his effort after a shot off the end boards by Chris Williams.

Missouri kept its hopes of forcing overtime, and potentially a Game 3 mini-game alive with 5:39 to play as Alvarez completed his hat trick. The Blast’s defense, led by MISL Defender of the Year Mike Lookingland, limited their opportunities in the final five minutes, however, and Vanzela finished with 12 saves as Baltimore claimed its first title since 2009.

After falling 21-12 on Thursday night, Missouri had got off to an ideal start. Following a tense opening, the Comets finally took the lead with 5:02 to play in the first quarter as they caught the Blast on a counter-attack, Alvarez finishing from the left after being found by Cristiano as Missouri held a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes.

Missouri goalkeeper Danny Waltman then had a standout second quarter, keeping the Blast off the board with a number of outstanding saves. The Comets were also able to double their lead, with Byron Alvarez converting a shootout opportunity after Robert Palmer had been brought down on a breakaway by Ferdinand.

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The Blast wasted no time scoring the first goal of the game as Donatelli knocked in a goal just 33 seconds into the match. Missouri’s Byron Alvarez tied the game at 2-2 but the tie was short-lived and the Blast jumped out to a 6-2 lead thanks to goals from Neto and Myers before the end of the first quarter.

Donatelli opened the second quarter with another first-minute goal and the Blast turned his goal into a four-goal scoring run that resulted in a 14-2 lead midway through the quarter. Rookie Lucas Roque scored next, followed by Millwood and a second goal from Neto.

The Comets fought back in the third quarter, outscoring the Blast, 6-2, and cutting Baltimore’s lead to 16-8. Milan Ivanovic opened the second-half scoring one minute before Myers scored his second goal of the game to keep the Blast on top 16-4. Ryan Junge and Lucas Rodriquez followed up with goals to continue the Comets scoring streak (16-8).

Millwood’s second goal came in the eighth minute of the final quarter to make it 18-8 but the Comets scored the next two goals, both with their sixth attacker on the field. Donatelli’s three-point goal with just 25 seconds remaining sealed Baltimore’s victory.

Game Two will take place Saturday night in Baltimore, with a deciding Mini Game to be played immediately following regulation, if needed. The Comets are no strangers to a Game One loss, having rallied in the Semifinals to beat the Milwaukee Wave in Game Two and again in the Mini Game.

2013 MISL Championship Series – Baltimore Blast vs. Missouri Comets

Game One: Blast 21-12

Game Two: Saturday, March 16, 1^st Mariner Arena – 7:35 p.m.

By the Numbers:

Baltimore Blast: First Seed, 21-5 regular season record, 3-0 Postseason record

Missouri Comets: Third Seed, 13-13 regular season record, 2-2 Postseason record

The Blast ended the regular season on a six-game win streak, en route to claiming the 2012-13 MISL regular season title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. With two wins over the Chicago Soul in the MISL Semifinals, the Blast have extended that win streak to eight straight games.

The team opened the regular season with nine straight home wins, a win streak that was broken by a 14-11 loss to this weekend’s opponent, the Missouri Comets. Prior to the first home loss, the Blast set a franchise record for most home wins to start the season (nine).

Veteran Adauto Neto led the Blast in the Semifinals with four goals and one assist for nine points; rookie Lucas Roque followed with four goals (eight points). Lucio Gonzaga will miss the Championship Series after suffering a knee injury Saturday night against the Soul.

The Competition

After losing Game One of the Semifinals, 12-10 in overtime to the Wave, the Comets fought back to win Game Two, 9-8 to tie the series. They went on to win the Mini Game, 5-4, to knock the Wave out of the postseason and advance to the Championship Series.

MISLNation

The MISL Championship Series can be seen live on the Internet at www.MISLNation.com.
Tickets

Tickets for Saturday’s home MISL Championship Series Game Two against the Comets are available by calling 410-73-BLAST or by going to www.TicketMaster.com.

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TAMPA, Fla. – The Major Indoor Soccer League honored its top performers of the season today, announcing the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defender of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2012-13 season. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Independence, Missouri, site of tomorrow’s first leg of the 2013 MISL Championship Series featuring the Missouri Comets and the Baltimore Blast.

MISL award winners were selected through a vote by MISL team management and select media members.

Most Valuable Player – Doug Miller, Rochester Lancers

Miller’s record-breaking season at the age of 43 proved the veteran still had much to offer the game. The first player in the current era of the MISL to surpass 100 points, finishing with 102, Miller also set a record for goals in a season with 44 as he led the Lancers to within one win of the playoffs. Miller also finished the season with five game-winning goals, and tied an MISL record with a six-goal game against Missouri

Rookie of the Year – Luan Oliveira, Milwaukee Wave

Quickly becoming an integral part of Keith Tozer’s squad after being suggested as a signing by Wave teammate and childhood friend Marcio Leite, Oliveira led all rookies, and the Wave, with 68 points. The Brazilian averaged a goal per game in his first season in the league, with a three-goal, two-assist night against Rochester a highlight of his first season.

Coach of the Year – Danny Kelly, Baltimore Blast

Taking the honor for the third time in four seasons, Kelly led the Blast to the top of the MISL standings in a season that saw the Blast open the season with nine consecutive victories, and end it on a six-game winning streak that allowed it to edge the Milwaukee Wave for the regular season championship. With some key offseason departures, Kelly quickly integrated the new faces in his squad seamlessly as the Blast continued their tradition of excellence.

Defender of the Year – Mike Lookingland, Baltimore Blast

Lookingland was selected for the second consecutive season after a standout two-way campaign that saw him record 49 points, make 35 blocks and commit only 16 fouls. A master of positioning in his defensive end, the Blast’s captain also showed an uncanny knack for knowing when to join the attack, and proved crucial on special teams as he led the side with four power-play goals.

Goalkeeper of the Year – Nick Vorberg, Milwaukee Wave

Claiming the honor for the second time in three seasons, Vorberg was a standout in goal for the league’s best defense. Vorberg faced an average of 18.5 shots per game, finishing with an outstanding .812 save percentage, while also leading the league with a 7.76 points-against average. In his 14 regular-season appearances, Vorberg never conceded more than five goals.

Baltimore and Missouri will face off in the best-of-three 2013 MISL Championship Series starting Thursday at the Independence Events Center in Missouri (8:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com), with the second leg set for Saturday at 1^st Mariner Arena in Baltimore (7:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com). A deciding mini-game will be played immediately following Game 2 if needed.

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The Major Indoor Soccer League honored the top performers from the 2012-13 regular
season, naming the All-MISL First and Second Teams as well as the All-Rookie Team.

Six MISL clubs are represented in the teams, with the Baltimore Blast and Rochester Lancers leading
the way with four selections each. The Milwaukee Wave and Chicago Soul each had three players
honored, while the Syracuse Silver Knights and Missouri Comets had two each.

The All-MISL and All-Rookie teams are selected through a vote by MISL team management and select
media members.

Baltimore and Missouri will face off in the best-of-three 2013 MISL Championship Series starting
Thursday at the Independence Events Center in Missouri (8:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com), with the
second leg set for Saturday at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore (7:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com). A
deciding mini-game will be played immediately following Game 2 if needed.

2012-13 All-MISL First Team
GK – Nick Vorberg, Milwaukee Wave
D – Leo Gibson, Missouri Comets
D – Mike Lookingland, Baltimore Blast
MF/F Doug Miller, Rochester Lancers
MF/F Neto, Syracuse Silver Knights
MF/F Mauricio Salles, Rochester Lancers

2012-13 All-MISL Second Team
GK – Jeff Richey, Chicago Soul
D – Pat Healey, Baltimore Blast
D – Nelson Santana, Syracuse Silver Knights
MF/F Vahid Assadpour, Missouri Comets
MF/F Carlos Farias, Chicago Soul
MF/F Luan Oliveira, Milwaukee Wave

2012-13 MISL All-Rookie Team
GK – William Vanzela, Baltimore Blast
D – Stephen Basso, Rochester Lancers
D – Pedrinho, Rochester Lancers
MF/F Luan Oliveira, Milwaukee Wave
MF/F Carlos Munoz, Chicago Soul
MF/F Lucas Roque, Baltimore Blast

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10. Rihanna (Tuesday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); P!nk (Thursday 7:30pm Verizon Center); Trapt (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head Live), Drive By Truckers (Sunday 8pm Rams Head Live); Better Than Ezra (Saturday 7pm Power Plant Live); Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (Wednesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Dr. John (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Average White Band (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Marshall Tucker Band (Sunday 7:30pm Rams Head on Stage); Finch (Thursday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Dropkick Murphys/Carbon Leaf (Friday 7am 9:30 Club), Citizen Cope (Friday 8pm 9:30 Club); George Thorogood & The Destroyers (Tuesday 7:30pm Birchmere); Slick Rick/Rakim (Friday 8pm Howard Theatre); Shamrockfest feat. Sublime with Rome/Virginia Coalition/Carbon Leaf (Saturday 12:45pm RFK Stadium); Sound City: Real to Reel soundtrack available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

You already know damn well I’ll be wandering over to see Better Than Ezra after the Blast game Saturday night.

Despite not particularly enjoying much of anything else in the genre, I really flipping loved “What It Is To Burn” by Finch. I’d go see this show.

Spending a day in the parking lot at RFK Stadium? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Unless Virginia Coalition is involved. (Sorry for the video quality.)

I legitimately CANNOT get enough Sound City in my life. Dave Grohl is a rock God, but you already knew that.

9. Lewis Black (Saturday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Bill Bellamy (Thursday-Saturday  Baltimore Comedy Factory); Pablo Francisco (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “Life of Pi” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 25th Anniversary Edition” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Spring Breakers” and “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” out in theaters (Friday); Glenn Clark’s St. Patrick’s Day plans (Sunday parts unknown)

Yes. We ALL feel the same way about Jessica Rabbit. We just agree not to talk about it so that people don’t talk about us behind our backs.

We CAN however discuss the cast of Spring Breakers if you’d like.

And before we leave this part of the show, BANGERS AND EFFING MASH! ERIN GO BRAGH!

(Continued on Page 2…)

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Just like in Game One, the Soul scored the first goal of the match, when Fred Degand opened the scoring with 11 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

After a scoreless second quarter and a three-point goal from the Soul to start the second half, the Blast came alive, scoring five straight goals in less than seven minutes.  Ptah Myers continued his scoring streak, knocking in the Blast’s first goal, followed by Lucas Roque and then Neto who gave the Blast their first lead of the night at 6-5. J.T. Noone scored the fourth goal to put the Blast on top 8-5 and Machel Millwood added a goal to make it 10-5.

The Soul scored the last goal of the match, with just about a minute to go but were unable to come back from the third-quarter deficit.

The Blast will host either the Wave or Comets in Game Two of the Championship Series on Saturday, March 16.  For tickets, call 410-73-BLAST or go to www.TicketMaster.com.

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The Soul jumped out to an early 2-0 lead but the Blast fought back to take a 6-4 lead into the first quarter break and never looked back. The teams traded goals in the first 12 minutes with Marco Sullo opening the scoring, just after the two-minute mark, and Roque tying the game at 2-2. Carlos Farias regained Chicago’s lead at 4-2 but Roque scored his second goal of the quarter to tie it again and Adauto Neto put the Blast on top 6-4.

Tickets for Saturday’s home MISL Semifinal Game against the Soul are available by calling 410-73-BLAST or by going to www.TicketMaster.com.

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10. Stars (Thursday 8pm Rams Head Live); Ballyhoo! (Saturday 7pm Recher Theatre); Machine Gun Kelly (Sunday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Oak Ridge Boys (Friday 6pm & 9pm Rams Head on Stage), Leon Redbone (Saturday 8:30pm Rams Head on Stage), Standing in the Shadows of Motown feat. Peabo Bryson & Leela James (Monday 6pm & 9pm Rams Head on Stage); Joe Nichols (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Center Stage); Rusted Root (Saturday 6pm 9:30 Club), Dropkick Murphys (Sunday & Monday 6:30pm 9:30 Club); Scott Weiland (Monday 8pm Howard Theatre)

If you like music and live in Charm City, you’ve probably seen Ballyhoo! at some point in the last 24 months.

No band has greater benefitted from car rentals than Rusted Root. (If you don’t already get it, you will.)

Dropkick Murphys are coming. Let this be a reminder that we’re only days from St. Patrick’s Day.

Recently Scott Weiland was fired by Stone Temple Pilots. It was uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as the meeting his solo project Scott Weiland had the same day where the need to fire Scott Weiland was also discussed…

9. Tom Arnold (Friday & Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); “Wreck-It Ralph” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Oz The Great And Powerful” out in theaters (Friday); Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Sunday 2pm Downtown Baltimore)

With all due respect to Tom Arnold, I’d rather be seeing Chris Farley AS Tom Arnold…

And I like this pre-St. Patty’s Day St. Patty’s Day. So here’s this.

(Continued on Page 2…)

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Darvill started the scoring, just three minutes into the match, to give the Blast a 2-0 lead and Adauto Neto added a power play goal late in the quarter to extend Baltimore’s lead to 4-0. The Wave got on the scoreboard in the final seconds of the quarter when Luan Oliveira cut Baltimore’s lead to 4-2.

Roque’s first goal put the Blast on top 6-4 early in the second quarter, five minutes before Bryan Perez scored for the Wave to cut it to 6-4.

Milwaukee’s Ian Bennett tied the game at 6-6 in the sixth minute of the third quarter but Roque scored his second goal, with just three seconds left in the third quarter, to put the Blast back on top, 8-6.

Lucio Gonzaga added to the Blast lead with a goal just 51 seconds into the final quarter to seal Baltimore’s 21st victory of the season.

The Blast ended the 2012-13 regular season the way they ended the last two MISL seasons, with a match against the Milwaukee Wave. The are no strangers to fierce battles and important games – they’ve played each other for more than 20 years and have met in the last two MISL Championships.

Blast vs. Wave

Like the Blast, the Wave have secured a spot in the 2013 postseason and are awaiting their playoff seeding and opponent. Unlike the Blast, who finish the regular season Saturday, the Wave have five more games to go.

Dating back to the 1992-93 season, the Blast vs. Wave rivalry is the fiercest and longest-standing rivalry in indoor soccer. The Blast is 32-48 all-time against the Wave in the regular season while holding a 9-6 edge in postseason play. Since the 2003 postseason, the Blast and Wave have played each other six times in the playoffs with Baltimore winning the Championship matchups in 2003 and 2004 and Milwaukee beating the Blast for the title in 2011 and 2012. The Blast defeated the Wave, 15-4, in Baltimore on November 16 but the Wave earned a 6-5 win on December and a 10-8 overtime win on January 12, both in Milwaukee.

Keeping the Winning Alive in Baltimore

On the heels of the successful Orioles season and the Ravens’ Super Bowl win, the Blast will begin the 2013 postseason in early March. Though their opponent is yet to be determined, the Blast will host a Semifinal home game on Saturday, March 9. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow.

Celebrity Game

The annual media/celebrity game ended in a 1-1 tie. Joel Greenwaldt scored early for the red team and Nick DiMarco tied it up in the final seconds.

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