WAVE LATE GAME MAGIC; ALEX SANCHEZ SCORES FOUR AND A GAME WINNER IN OVERTIME BATTLE.

By Henry Amini
The Milwaukee Wave took the Baltimore Blast to overtime Friday night in a 7-6 overtime thriller. 

Final Score / OT: Milwaukee Wave 7 Baltimore Blast 6.
BOXSCORE | GAMESHEET

It was the Milwaukee Wave who struck first this game when Alex “Saucy” Sanchez opened the scoresheet in the first quarter followed by Max Ludwig’s goal to blast Milwaukee ahead by two goals. The Baltimore Blast responded with ferocity in the second quarter claiming a 2-3 Baltimore lead which was extended to 4-2 by Chad Poarch’s goal in the third quarter. 

The third quarter was a scoring barrage for both sides when Mario Alvarez scored his first goal of two and Sanchez netted his second of the game. 

“They showed how deep this squad is and how many good players we have,” Head Coach Marcio Leite stated about his team after the game. The Wave were without captain Ian Bennett, injured leader Ricardo Carvalho, and suspended target forward Derek Huffman tonight and showed the full extent of their roster’s brilliance. 

The fourth quarter was a period of chaos when Jerry Perez stepped into the net for the Milwaukee wave as an attacking goalkeeper while fighting from behind 4-6. 

While sending all six players into the attack, Sanchez netted another goal off of an assist from prolific playmaker Alex Steinwasher. The Milwaukee Wave fought from behind for an additional 5 minutes when Mario Alvarez received a two minute blue card for tripping. Leite had high praises for his defensive power play unit stating, “what they did with three minutes left with heavy legs... It’s super impressive.” 

The Milwaukee Wave’s man-down crew stepped up and killed the penalty leaving less than two minutes in the game for an equalizer. It was a moment of redemption for Alvarez when he scored a goal to tie the game at 6-6 with only 32 seconds left to play. This came in the week after his MASL Defensive Player of the Week performances in Missouri. 

The Milwaukee wave showed special team brilliance in the fourth quarter and stuck with Perez through the rest of the match. “I Think that Jerry just brings something different. [Jerry] having [William Banahene] to learn from, it’s fantastic,” Leite added. Friday’s performance was a testament to the Milwaukee Wave’s culture, leadership, and versatility. 

“I just want to say thanks to Marcio for trusting me,” Perez exuded humility after the game showing appreciation to his teammates and coaching staff. He finished the game with two saves and successfully battled through the first man-down power play and overtime win of his career. 

“One thing I’ve realized in the league is that you can feel the shifts in momentum,” Sanchez explained. The UW Milwaukee Panther Arena felt the shift and lifted the team into overtime. “Having our fans behind us… It’s the best,” Sanchez continues. 

The Milwaukee Wave went on to win the game 7-6 after Sanchez completed his four goal performance

“I believe in their heart, in their concentration, in their effort and I am extremely proud of all of that,” Leite explained. Battling from two goals behind through ups and downs, this Milwaukee Wave squad showed their ability to win despite adversity and their fans were right there behind them. 

The Milwaukee Wave return to UW Milwaukee Panther Arena for their historic New Years Eve game where they’ll play the Empire Strykers, Wednesday, December 31 at 3:05pm.