BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Blast scored four second half goals to claim an 8-6 victory against the Missouri Comets in Game 2 of the MISL Championship Series on Saturday night at 1st Mariner Arena, giving the Blast a 2-0 series victory and their seventh MISL Championship. Blast goalkeeper William Vanzela claimed Most Valuable Player honors for the series, as he finished with 30 saves in two games to key Baltimore’s pair of victories.

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.

Led by Adauto Neto and Lucas Roque, the Blast earned a 22-13 victory in Game One of the MISL Semifinal Series Tuesday night against the Chicago Soul. Neto, the veteran, and Roque, the rookie, each recorded three goals. Game Two of the series is scheduled for Saturday night at 1st Mariner Arena.

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.

In their last game of the 2012-13 regular season, the Blast defeated the Milwaukee Wave, 10-6. Rookie Lucas Roque led the way with two goals and Jamie Darvill scored his first goal of the season to give the Blast an early 2-0 lead. The Blast will return to 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday, March 9 for a home playoff game against an opponent still to be determined.

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.

The Missouri Comets scored three unanswered second-half goals to beat the Blast 14-11 Saturday night and snap Baltimore’s nine-game home win streak.  MISL Player of the Week Leo Gibson led the way with three goals. The Blast will return to 1st Mariner Arena on February 2 to host the Syracuse Silver Knights.

The Comets struck first, taking a 4-0 lead off goals from Coady Andrews and Gibson.  Lucas Roque and Ptah Myers scored late in the first quarter to tie it at 4-4.

Lucio Gonzaga scored the only goal of the third quarter, a three-pointer, to give Baltimore its first lead of the night at 7-4.

Blast team captain Mike Lookingland extended the Blast lead to 9-4 in the sixth minute of the third quarter, shortly before John Sosa cut the Blast lead to 9-6.  Gibson’s second second goal of the night made it 9-8 but Blast rookie Tino Nunez answered by chipping the ball over the head of Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman, putting the Blast on top 11-8. Gibson’s third goal cut it to 11-10 and kicked off the Comets’ three-goal run.

Stefan St. Louis recaptured the lead for the Comets just 19 seconds into the final quarter and Cristiano sealed the 14-11 victory.

The Blast will play in Syracuse on Friday, February 1 before returning to 1st Mariner Arena on the 2nd to host the Silver Knights.

The Blast defeated the Rochester Lancers, 15-5, Saturday night for their eighth straight home win of the season, improving to 12-2.   Leading scorer Machel Millwood led the way with two goals as the Blast set a franchise record for most home wins to open the season.

Rochester’s Mauricio Salles scored a three-point restart goal late in the first quarter to give the Lancers a 3-0 lead before J.T. Noone struck twice in four minutes to put the Blast on top, 4-3.  Former Blast player Rey Martinez scored next to put the Lancers back on top, 5-4, but Blast rookie Lucas Roque scored late in the first half to make it 6-5 at halftime.  Roque also scored two goals in Friday’s 23-12 win over the Lancers and two goals in Tuesday’s victory in Rochester.

Millwood scored his first goal of the night, the only goal of the third quarter, to extend the Blast lead to 8-5.  His second goal, a three-pointer, came on the power play midway through the final quarter. Tony Donatelli and Lucio Gonzaga added late goals to seal the 15-5 victory.

The Blast are on a 17-game regular-season home winning streak.

Upcoming Games
Friday, January 11 at Chicago Soul
Saturday, January 12 at Milwaukee Wave

Max Ferdinand recorded a hat trick Friday night to lead the Blast to a 23-12 victory over the visiting Rochester Lancers.  The Blast, 11-2, will host the Lancers again Saturday night for the third game between the teams in the first five days of 2013.

Ferdinand opened the scoring in the fifth minute of play to give the Blast an early 2-0 lead before Rochester’s Mauricio Salles tied the game and Jeremy Ortiz gave the Lancers a 4-2 lead late in the quarter.

Blast team captain Mike Lookingland scored early in the second quarter to tie the game at 4-4 and Ferdinand’s second goal put the Blast back on top, 6-4.  Rookie Lucas Roque, who scored two goals in Tuesday’s 17-4 win over the Lancers, added a goal to increase the the Blast lead to 8-4 at halftime.

The Lancers came out fast in the second half, scoring two quick goals to tie the games at 8-8. Elliot Fauske scored in the third minute to cut the Blast lead to 8-6 and Salles recorded his second goal of the game a minute later to tie it up. Roque’s second goal of the game kicked off a four-goal run for the Blast to end the quarter with a 17-8 lead.  Machel Millwood, the team’s leading scorer, knocked in two goals in the last five minutes and Lucio Gonzaga added a long-range three pointer.

“We had to dig deep to come back and win this game,” said Millwood of the team’s third-quarter scoring frenzy.

The teams traded goals in the final quarter with Alan McGreal scoring first for the Lancers to cut the Blast lead to 17-10.  Ferdinand completed his hat trick in the ninth minute (19-10) before former Blast player Rey Martinez cut the score to 19-12. Ptah Myers scored next and Adauto Neto ended the game with a shootout goal to make it 23-12.

Notes:

• The Blast have started the 2012-13 season with seven straight home wins, trying the team record set by the 1993-94 then-Baltimore Spirit; a win tomorrow would break the record
• Seven different Blast players scored in the win
• The Blast are on a 16-game regular-season home win streak

Upcoming Games
Saturday, January 5 vs. Rochester Lancers
Friday, January 11 at Chicago Soul
Saturday, January 12 at Milwaukee Wave

The Blast improved to 9-0 on the season and held the Comets scoreless for 46 minutes in Saturday’s 15-9 victory.  Lucio Gonzaga led the way with two goals and rookie goalkeeper William Vanzela recorded 16 saves in his fifth win of the season.

Baltimore started and ended the first quarter in similar fashion – with goals.  Team captain Mike Lookingland got things started, just 40 seconds into the game, giving the Blast an early 2-0 lead and Lucio Gonzaga added a goal late in the quarter to extend the Blast lead to 4-0.

The Blast scoring streak continued into the second quarter with Gonzaga scoring a three-point goal and Mike Deasel knocking in another goal to put the Blast on top, 9-0. Tony Donatelli scored late in the half to give the Blast an 11-0 halftime lead.

Lucas Roque and Machel Millwood added goals in the third quarter to increase Baltimore’s lead to 15-0.

After holding the Comets scoreless for 46:21, the Blast gave up four goals in the final quarter as Missouri continued to fight through their second road game in 24 hours.  Ryan Junge ended Vanzela’s shutout at 1:21 of the fourth quarter and Brian Harris cut the Blast lead to 15-4 less than two minutes later.  Lucas Rodriguez scored a three-point goal to make it 15-7 and Byron Alvarez concerted a penalty kick to make the final score 15-9.

The Blast has kicked off their 33rd season of professional indoor soccer in Baltimore with nine straight wins, marking the seventh time since the 1992-93 season the team has started with five or more wins.  The team will look to match the 1993-94 Baltimore Spirit squad’s record of 10 straight wins to open the season.

There’s no Place Like Home
The Blast, 9-3 at home last season, started 2012-13 with four home games in the span of just 13 days.  The team, 6-0 at home this season, has boasted winning records at home each of the last six seasons and has had winning home records in 18 of the last 20 seasons.  The Blast are currently on a 15-game regular-season home win streak.