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 Tony Donatelli the Blast earned a convincing 21-12 MISL Championship Series Game One road victory Thursday night over the Missouri Comets. Game Two is set for Saturday night at 1st Mariner Arena. Donatelli recorded at hat trick and Ptah Myers, Adauto Neto and Machel Millwood added two goals each while goalkeeper William Vanzela recorded 18 saves.

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.

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 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.

Saturday, December 15 vs. Missouri Comets

1^st Mariner Arena, 7:35 p.m.

By the Numbers:

Baltimore Blast: First place, 8-0

*Missouri Comets: Second place, 5-3

* The Comets will play the Syracuse Silver Knights Friday night at 7:30

The Blast has kicked off their 33^rd season of professional indoor soccer in Baltimore with eight straight wins, marking the seventh time since the 1992-93 season the team has started with five or more wins.  The Blast is looking to extend the win streak to nine games Saturday night against the Comets and, ultimately, to match the 1993-94 Baltimore Spirit squad’s record of 10 straight wins to open the season.

The 2012-13 Blast squad features seven new players, including goalkeepers Troy Hernandez and William Vanzela (both are 4-0).  The team is led by Machel Millwood, Baltimore’s longest-tenured player, who has 27 points.  Max Ferdinand follows with 25 points and newcomer Tony Donatelli has 24 points in his return to the indoor game.  Pat Healey and Neto (14 points) as well as Mike Lookingland and Lucio Gonzaga (13) also rank among the league’s top 25 point scorers.  Lookingland and Vanzela, who have combined to lead the Blast’s defensive efforts, were named November MISL Players of the Month.

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, 5-0 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 returns to 1^st Mariner Arena Saturday night with hopes of extending its 14-game regular-season home win streak.

The Competition

The Comets started the season 4-0 before the Blast came to town and handed them their first loss of the season (12-4 on November 24).  The loss to the Blast was the first of three straight Comets’ losses before the team rebounded last weekend with a 14-11 win over Chicago.  Led by this week’s MISL Player of the Week, Byron Alvarez (32 points), the Comets will play in Syracuse Friday night before heading to Baltimore for Saturday’s game.  Leo Gibson (13 points) was also named to the MISL Team of the Week after recording three points and four blocks in Sunday’s victory over the Soul.

MISLNation

Every MISL game this season can be seen live on the Internet at MISLNation.com.

Upcoming Games

Friday, December 21 at Chicago Soul

Saturday, December 22 at Milwaukee Wave

Make Your Holidays Blastastic

Blast game tickets and merchandise make great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.

BLAST ANNOUNCES 2012-13 SCHEDULE

The 33^rd Season of Indoor Soccer in Baltimore Will Begin on November 3

Baltimore – The Baltimore Blast released its 2012-13 schedule today, with the action slated to kick off on Saturday, November 3 at 1st Mariner Arena against the Chicago Soul, the MISL’s newest addition.  The Blast will play 26 regular season games, 13 at home and 13 on the road, and will compete against teams from Milwaukee, Missouri, Syracuse, Rochester, Wichita and Chicago.

In a rematch of the 2011 and 2012 MISL Championships, the Blast and Wave will meet for the first time this season on November 16 in Baltimore.  The two teams, who boast the fiercest and longest-standing rivalry in the MISL, will play each other four times during the 2012-13 regular season.

The MISL Playoffs will begin with the semifinals March 8-10, featuring matchups between the No. 1 and No. 4 seeds and the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Each pair will meet in a home-and-home series with a mini game following the second game if needed.  The championship will follow the same format on March 15-17. The higher seed will have the option to choose which game it hosts.

The MISL Board of Governors increased each team’s number of regular season games from 24 to 26 beginning with the 2012-13 season, adding two games for each team without increasing the length of the regular season. The Governors also voted for a single-table format, eliminating the past divisional alignment.

Keeping with the Baltimore Blast tradition of affordable family entertainment, fans will be treated to various promotional items throughout the season.  The team will also host a variety of theme nights including Hall of Fame night, Boy and Girl Scout nights and a post-game Christian concert featuring Thousand Foot Krutch on January 25.

Season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets for the 2012-13 Blast season will go on sale soon.  Season tickets and mini plans will be available through the Blast office at 410-73-BLAST.  Single-game tickets will be available at the 1^st Mariner Arena Box Office and at all TicketMaster outlets including TicketMaster phone charge at 410-547-SEAT.  Tickets can also be purchased online atwww.ticketmaster.com.  For additional information on Blast tickets, call the Blast at 410-73-BLAST.

BALTIMORE BLAST 2012-13 SCHEDULE

Date                                                  Opponent                                Eastern Time

Saturday, November 3                                 vs. Chicago Soul                                   7:35 p.m.

Friday, November 9                                      vs. Chicago Soul                                   7:35 p.m.

Saturday, November 10                               vs. Syracuse Silver Knights                 7:35 p.m.

Friday, November 16                                    vs. Milwaukee Wave                            7:35 p.m.

Saturday, November 17                                    at Rochester Lancers                               7:00 p.m.

Friday, November 23                                        at Wichita Wings                                     8:35 p.m.

Saturday, November 24                                    at Missouri Comets                                  8:35 p.m.

Friday, December 7                                       vs. Wichita Wings                                 7:35 p.m.

Saturday, December 15                               vs. Missouri Comets                             7:35 p.m.

Friday, December 21                                        at Chicago Soul                                       8:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 22                                    at Milwaukee Wave                                  7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 1                                          at Rochester Lancers                               4:00 p.m.

Friday, January 4                                          vs. Rochester Lancers                          7:35 p.m.

Saturday, January 5                                     vs. Rochester Lancers                          7:35 p.m.

Friday, January 11                                            at Chicago Soul                                       8:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 12                                       at Milwaukee Wave                                  7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 18                                            at Syracuse Silver Knights                        7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 20                                          at Syracuse Silver Knights                        1:30 p.m.

Friday, January 25                                        vs. Rochester Lancers                          7:35 p.m.

Saturday, January 26                                   vs. Missouri Comets                             7:35 p.m.

Friday, February 1                                            at Syracuse Silver Knights                        7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 2                                    vs. Syracuse Silver Knights                 7:35 p.m.

Friday, February 8                                            at Wichita Wings                                     8:35 p.m.

Sunday, February 10                                        at Missouri Comets                                  4:10 p.m.

Saturday, February 16                                 vs. Wichita Wings                                 7:35 p.m.

Saturday, February 23                                 vs. Milwaukee Wave                            7:35 p.m.

PORTLAND, Ore. — (AP) The Portland Trail Blazers selected guard Will Barton out of Memphis (Lake Clifton) with the 40th overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft.

The Conference USA player of the year last season as a sophomore, the 6-foot-6 Barton averaged 18 points and 6.5 rebounds.

The Blazers also took point guard Damian Lillard out of Weber State with the sixth pick and 7-foot-1 center Meyers Leonard out of Illinois with the 11th overall selection Thursday.

WNST presents a three-night trip to the friendly heart of the midwest as the Baltimore Ravens travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs this fall.

All WNST Purple Roadtrips are sponsored in 2012 by our friends at Jiffy Lube and Miller Lite. Not only will we be again enjoying ice cold Miller Lite on all trips we’ll be giving you a 15.70% discount to use at Jiffy Lube this season to keep your car or truck going.

Everyone who goes on a WNST Purple Roadtrip this fall saves money on their next oil change in Baltimore!

Our trip departs on Friday, Oct. 5 and will arrive in Kansas City in time for you to enjoy a steak, the Negro Baseball Hall of Fame or legendary Jazz Museum in the downtown area.

We will be staying three nights at the Q Hotel and Spa, where we enjoyed our stay during the 2011 victorious playoff run for the Ravens. Plenty of bars, restaurants and shopping are nearby.

WNST will host a Saturday event along with The 810Zone Sports Bar in the Country Club Plaza and admission will be included for all WNST Purple Roadtrip travelers.

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND A CAR RENTAL IN KANSAS CITY!!!!

Trip includes:

Roundtrip airfare on Southwest Airlines (leaving BWI on Oct. 5, returning on morning of Oct.

Three nights deluxe accommodation at Q Hotel & Spa in Kansas City

Upper deck game ticket for Chiefs-Ravens

Party admission for Saturday’s WNST Purple Pep Rally

COST:

SINGLE: $1,199

DOUBLE: $1,049

TRIPLE: $949

QUAD: $849

Simply click on ADD TO CART below…

How many in your room?

SINGLE $1,199.00 USD DOUBLE $1,049.00 USD TRIPLE $949.00 USD QUAD $849.00 USD

Etherly Earns NABC All-Region Honors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On the eve of its first NCAA Tournament game in 18 years, Loyola University Maryland junior Erik Etherly (Alexandria, Va./Annandale H.S.) was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District II Second Team.

Etherly, who earned All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference First Team honors, was one of seven MAAC players to earn first or second team honors from the NABC.

He is just the second player in Loyola history to earn NABC All-District honors at the Division I level, joining Mike Powell who was tabbed to the First Team in 1998. The Greyhounds joined Division I in 1981-1982. Overall, just three Greyhounds have earned Division I or Division II honors from the NABC, as Tim Koch picked up Second Team laurels in 1979.

Iona College’s Scott Machado and Mike Glover, Fairfield University’s Rakim Sanders and Siena College’s O.D. Anosike were named to the First Team, while Etherly, Manhattan College’s George Beamon and Fairfield’s Derek Needham earned Second Team nods.

Etherly enters the NCAA Tournament as the Greyhounds’ leading scorer (13.5 points per game) and rebounder (7.5 rpg). He also topsLoyola (24-8) in field-goal percentage (.531) and blocked shots (46).

The junior, who transferred from Northeastern University and first played for the Greyhounds as a sophomore in 2010-2011, has scored 756points in his two years at Loyola, and he has 467 rebounds as a Greyhound. Etherly also is now fourth on the school’s all-time blocked shots list with 80.

He posted eight double-doubles this season and had a team-high 25 games with 10 or more points. Etherly led the Greyhounds in rebounding in 22 or 32 games and scoring 12 times.

Etherly was named the MAAC Championships Most Outstanding Player after helping the Greyhounds win their first title since 1994. He scored 21 points against both Niagara University and Siena in the MAAC Quarterfinals and Semifinals.

He then was the team’s leading scorer with 10 in a 48-44 win over Fairfield in the MAAC Championship Game on March 5.

Etherly and the Greyhounds are in Pittsburgh for tomorrow’s NCAA Second Round game against Ohio State University. Loyola and the Buckeyes will take the CONSOL Energy Center court at approximately 9:50 p.m. for a game that will be televised on TNT.