MASL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS TOP PERFORMERS

by Manuel R. Medina

The road to conquer the Ron Newman Cup is always exciting, but eight teams made sure the  Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Divisional Finals were fun to have all fans on the edge of their seat. The following players shine with their own light and stepped up to represent their team in the search for glory.

PACIFIC DIVISION
Erick Tovar (San Diego Sockers)
- With three goals against the Ontario Fury, the Mexican footballer helped his team reach the Western Conference Finals. He added five assists to his incredible performance.

Kraig Chiles (San Diego Sockers) - At home, Chiles scored one goal and helped his teammates score two more. The Sockers veteran continues to lead his team to success.

Luan Oliveira (San Diego Sockers) – Luan Oliveira scored three goals in the series. One of those was the game-winning score that sent his team to Western Conference Finals.

Joey Kapinos (Ontario Fury) - After losing 9-4 at San Diego, the Fury came back and Joey's .810 save percentage on the second match gave Ontario hope and forced a Game Three Mini-Game against the Sockers.

Leonardo de Oliveira (Ontario Fury) - Three goals and one assists, that's how de Oliveira tried to push his team to the Conference Finals. He had four shots against the Sockers on the third game of their Divisional series and almost gave the Fury a place in the next round.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION
Mauricio Salles (Soles de Sonora) - The Brazilian has fit right in with his new team. With five goals against Baja, the midfielder helped his team to end Atletico's hope of a Conference Finals ticket.

Erick Rosas (Soles de Sonora) - Midfielder Rosas helped burn any of Baja's hopes with three distinct celebrations and one goal pass.

Gustavo Rosales (Soles de Sonora) - Mean machine Gustavo Rosales scored three times in two games last week while giving four assists for the Soles to check their ticket to the next round.

Timothy Liermann (Atletico Baja) - Tim Liermann played his best game of the season against an always difficult side, Soles. He scored three times, including an amazing free kick goal which was impossible to stop for Sonora's goalkeeper, Diego Reynoso.

Christian Gutierrez (Atletico Baja) - After his record-setting-season, Mexican midfielder Gutierrez scored three times against Sonora, giving Atletico some hope of beating Soles. Defensively speaking, he stopped seven shots from his rivals to hold the Tijuana fort for a while.

EAST DIVISION
William Vanzela (Baltimore Blast) - The Divisional Finals' goalkeeper with the lowest goal against average made sure his team is still on the run for a back-to-back championship.

Daniel Peruzzi (Baltimore Blast) - The player scored two goals, including one during the second quarter of the second match against the Harrisburg Heat that would turn around the scoreboard in favor of his team.

Pat Healey (Baltimore Blast) - With one goal and two assist, the defender made sure his team made it through the next round of the MASL Playoffs.

Hugo Silva (Harrisburg Heat) - Goalkeeper Hugo Silva had a 5.14 goals against average to push the Heat up to a mini-game with the hope of beating the Baltimore Blast to the next round.

Tom Mellor (Harrisburg Heat) - Mellor's goal gave the Heat a surprising victory against the Blast in Baltimore, and sent the series into a third game.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Ian Bennett (Milwaukee Wave) - Six goals from the midfielder helped the Wave secure a place in the Eastern Conference Finals. He added one assist to help his team beat the Comets.

Josh Lemos (Milwaukee Wave) - The goalkeeper recorded a 6.25 goals against average, giving his team two wins and a ticket to the Conference Finals.

Daniel Mattos (Milwaukee Wave) - Mattos recorded three assists to help his Milwaukee side win over Kansas City.

Vahid Assadpour (Kansas City Comets) - Scoring four times, and giving one assist, Assadpour made sure his team would fight until the last minute against the Wave. Assadpour’s goal in Game One proved to be the Game Winner as the Comets were able to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Lucas Rodriguez (Kansas City Comets) - Rodriguez scored twice against the Wave to help his team turn around the scoreboard during the first game of the Divisional Series.