WEEK FOUR PREVIEW

by Jeff Husted

KANSAS CITY (Nov 18, 2016) – Week Four of the Major Arena Soccer League season begins tonight. There are eight games on the slate this weekend, including the first game of the year for the Syracuse Silver Knights. All games can be found on the league’s new YouTube channel, MASLtv.

Syracuse Silver Knights vs Harrisburg Heat – Friday, November 18th 7:30 p.m. ET
The Silver Knights open up at home with new leadership behind the bench. Bryan O’Quinn, the team’s primary goalkeeper for five years, is now the head coach. He returns top scorers from last season, Jerjer Gibson and captain Bo Jelovac. Also returning is 2015-2016 All-Rookie goalkeeper Andrew Coughlin. Harrisburg returns to action after an exciting overtime win at home last week against the Milwaukee Wave. Forward Fernando Gatica earned himself a spot on the MASL’s Team of the Week by scoring the winning goal with just over six minutes remaining in the extra period.
#SYRvHAR – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2fcj4tA

Baltimore Blast vs Florida Tropics – Friday, November 18th 7:35 p.m. ET
Baltimore is hoping to bounce back after a tough loss to the Milwaukee Wave last weekend. Tony Donatelli leads the team with 8 points, including six assists, while his teammate Vini Dantas is second on the roster with six points and five goals. Defense is the name of the game for Baltimore though. They are tied for 3rd in the league with only 5 goals given up per game. Florida isn’t afraid of tough defense though. Facing a 4-1 deficit heading into the final quarter of their inaugural match last week, the Tropics forward Ricardo Diegues scored two of the team’s five 4th quarter tallies, including the game winner in the final minutes of the match. They hope to continue their momentum on their first road trip.
#BALvFLA – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2g4RNIm

Cedar Rapids Rampage vs Milwaukee Wave – Friday, November 18th 8:05 p.m. ET
Divisional games usually come with some form of familiarity. When the Rampage and Wave get together this season, that feeling is multiplied. Six Cedar Rapids players at one time called Milwaukee home, including Head Coach/player Hewerton. The Rampage started their season strong with the team’s first ever victory in Kansas City, but lost both games in a weekend home-and-home series against the Chicago Mustangs. Milwaukee also opened their season in Kansas City, but lost 11-4 with their young roster. They rebounded with win over the defending champion Baltimore Blast, but lost again the next day (this time in overtime) to the Harrisburg Heat. Coach Guiliano Oliviero hopes to get some consistent success from his team.
#CRvMIL – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2g6fEb6

Dallas Sidekicks vs Tacoma Stars – Friday, November 18th 7:35 p.m. ET
Tacoma Stars make their first trip away from the Pacific time zone as they travel to Dallas to face the Sidekicks. Tacoma is off to a hot start with a 2-1 record that includes an opening day win against the 2015-2016 MASL runners-up, the Soles de Sonora. Forward Dan Antoniuk leads the Stars with 7 points. Dallas already has five games under their belt this season, with a 2-3 record. Last week they went the long-route in trying to find a win at home against the San Diego Sockers. After ending regulation tied at 4, the Sidekicks couldn’t score in overtime and were stopped in the Shootout that ended the game.
#DALvTAC – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2g6fYqo

Turlock Express vs San Diego Sockers – Friday, November 18th 10:05 p.m. ET
The Turlock Express (1-3) return home after a tough two-game weekend in Mexico against Soles de Sonora and Atletico Baja. They opened their season at San Diego, losing 12-1 but have averaged nearly ten goals per game since then. They are led offensively by Anibal Echeverria, who scored six goals in their two games last weekend. San Diego has been the most consistent team in the MASL this season. Their only bump on the road so far has been a late-game collapse in Florida that saw the Tropics score five 4th quarter goals. Otherwise, they lead the league in defense, only allowing 3.75 goals per game and boast two players (Kraig Chiles and Matt Clare) that rank among the top ten in points.
#TURvSD – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2goh9En

Milwaukee Wave vs Kansas City Comets – Saturday, November 19th 7:05 p.m. ET
The Comets hit the road for the first time this season, as they travel north to visit the Milwaukee Wave. Kansas City has made this rivalry fairly one-sided lately, winning 5 of the past 6 matches, including an 11-4 win at home two weeks ago. Forward Leo Gibson has returned to form with four goals and six assists in the past two games. Oliviero’s young Milwaukee roster is learning fast since their loss in KC. This will be their second weekend of back-to-back games, but they are hoping the atmosphere at home will carry them to a big win.
#MILvKC – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2fNfWTo

St. Louis Ambush vs Tacoma Stars – Saturday, November 19th 8:05 p.m. ET
Tacoma continues their Midwest tour with a stop in St. Louis. This will be the first time for them playing back-to-back games and they face a tough task in their second match of the weekend. The Ambush are expecting to open in front of their normally rowdy fans and rebound from their 8-3 loss against the Comets last week.
#STLvTAC – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2g6hedj

Soles de Sonora vs El Paso Coyotes – Saturday, November 19th 9:05 p.m. ET
Sonora boasts one of the most explosive offenses in the MASL. They are averaging 11.7 goals per game and are riding a 2 game winning streak. Last week they played one of the most exciting matches of the season in a game that saw 33 goals scored. El Paso, one of the MASL’s newest franchises, is still seeking their first win. They travel to Sonora with nine goals in two games. They hope to boost their offense against Sonora’s defense that gives up an average of 10.33 goals per game.  
#SONvELP – MASLtv http://bit.ly/2g6h1GU