Harrisburg Defeats Cedar Rapids, Faces Central Division Leaders Tomorrow Night
Cedar Rapids, IA (Feb. 16, 2017) - The Harrisburg Heat prevailed over Cedar Rapids tonight with a big 9-6 final score. The game started a bit slow for the Heat, ending the first half 5-3 with Cedar Rapids in the lead.
The second half is where things came together for the Heat and they racked up 5 more goals. Elmo Neto scored the tying goal to begin some serious momentum. The final score was made after the Heat defense stopped a 6 v. 4 power play, making it 9-6.
The Heat will be on the road Friday for the second night in a row against Kansas City Comets. Tasting victory tonight means the Heat will be hungry for more wins.
Tomorrow’s game is an important one for the Comets as winning both of their games this weekend (they are also scheduled to take on Milwaukee Wave) means they will clinch the Central Division Title for the 4th straight year. They have celebrated 8 straight consecutive wins, 5 in January which earned Coach Goran Karadzov MASL Coach of the Month.
The overall record between the two franchises is 2-0, the Comets. However, the Heat has improved significantly since the 2015 season when they last met. Double the wins of the last two years combined, in the playoff race for the first time since 2000 and enjoying 2 landmark wins (Baltimore for the first time in 14 years and Chicago for the first time ever) makes for a team that’s serious about making their mark.
The team improvements are paying off for individual players as they have seen gains in standings in the MASL, with Kerstetter, DaSilva, Basso, Freitas and Gatica all enjoying recognitions from the MASL.