MILWAUKEE WAVE ROLL PAST THE BLAST IN OVERTIME; NEWCOMER FLORES PROVIDES 5 POINTS AND GAME WINNER.

By Henry Amini.

MILWAUKEE, WI - The 7-Time Champion Milwaukee Wave emerged victorious after battling throughout an exhilarating overtime challenge against the Baltimore Blast.

Final Score: Milwaukee Wave 10, Baltimore Blast 9.
BOXSCORE | GAMESHEET | REPLAY

The rivalry which transcends generations of indoor soccer was reignited on Sunday afternoon when the Milwaukee Wave hosted the first place Baltimore Blast in a heated fixture. 

The heart-palpitating stage was set for two teams battling for the regular season shield and a first round bye to the Ron Newman Cup Playoffs. At the start of the afternoon, the Blast loosely held onto a first place spot with 39 points; a two point advantage over the second place Wave. Both teams were tasked with playing their second game of the weekend, the Blast notably having lost to the Kansas City Comets the previous night. 

The score sheet was jam-packed and opened by the leading MASL point and goalscorer Alex “Saucy” Sanchez when he struck the top corner granted through ball from Richárd Rábold. From the dawn of the first quarter, the scoreline rode a seesaw throughout nearly the entire game. The game was tied on nine separate occasions, the first of which was caused by Kevin Fraughter’s goal, accompanying three lead changes. The newcomer and Western Michigan native, Tanner Hodgson, scored his first career goal in a Milwaukee Wave uniform to separate the two sides in the home team’s advantage and 2-1 would be the score leading into the second quarter. 

After nearly eight minutes into the second quarter without a goal, Chad Poarch tied the game once more for the Blast. As if inevitable to remain true to the game’s rhythmic patterns, Alex Steinwasher scored a one-touch goal following a masterful transition through the midfield, ultimately assisted by Oscar Flores. 

“I'm actually not 100% happy,” Head coach Marcio Leite said. Being a legend of indoor soccer that he is, Leite’s relationship with the Baltimore Blast dates back to his early days including two championships which he won as a player against this team, earning the Finals MVP award in the latter of the two. When this historical context melds itself with the situational necessity of a win at home versus the first place side, high-impact choices were plentiful for the first-year head coach. 

The first of two straight goals as the result of blue cards came when Flores was sent to the penalty box and Juan Pereira scored the respective shootout goal. Cesar Correa was then penalized for boarding and Chad Poarch claimed the Blast’s 4-3 lead, their first of the game. As a result of this period of play, Leite made a shift in the team’s setup with respect to their momentum on both sides of the ball. 

“We needed a goalkeeper that was gonna help us in possession to break pressure,” Leite said. Of course the Milwaukee Wave typically employ the All-Star goalkeeper William Banahene, a fierce defensive presence. The goalkeeping change meant bringing on newcomer Gerardo “Jerry” Perez who plays particularly well in possession, having scored seven goals this season alone. After the switch was made, the Milwaukee Wave brought the game back to even and Mario Alvarez scored the team’s fourth goal after Flores’ assist. 

The thriller would march on in the second half and Fraughter would score his second goal to bring the Blast ahead. With respect to the flow of the game, one might have guessed that the Milwaukee Wave would tie the game again and they did just that. Two time MASL MVP Ian Bennett scored before Flores scored again to reinstate the home team’s lead. 

At the turn of the final period, Thompson scored once more before Alvarez netted his second to place the Wave ahead 7-6. Alvarez provided the response with a strike to the top corner. It was after this that Jerry Perez left the game with a head injury and Banahene would return in his place. Poarch went on to complete his hat trick, though this didn’t put the cap on his offensive performance. Rábold reminded the league of his experience around the small-sided game and scored his fourth goal in only four games. Pereira would ultimately tie the game at 8-8 and the final five minutes were as electric as any. 

With hardly more than 30 seconds left to play, Flores stripped the Blast of possession. The Newcomer of The Year candidate took aim from well beyond the yellow line, striking the inside of the far post at the top corner before making its way into the back of the net. With the Baltimore Blast sending a sixth attacker by way of necessity, Poarch was in the right place at the right time to net his fourth goal and the late equalizer that sent the game into overtime. Flores remained the one to watch into the overtime period. The Baltimore Blast were well aware of his offensive acumen and sent a double team to defend against him. Flores, holding up play with his back to the goal, turned to beat two defenders and netted the game winner, again kissing the back post before finding the inside of the goal.

“Yeah, it's great to beat Baltimore but we lost the point today. That's the way I feel.” Leite said. His championship mindset remains firm. The loss of a point will make fighting for the first round playoff bye much more difficult, as the top five teams in the MASL all remain within one point and in striking distance of the regular season shield. 

The Milwaukee Wave will play their final game of the season when they host Utica City FC at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Sunday, March 29 at 2:05pm CST. ###