Baltimore, Md. (Thursday, April 10, 2008)- The New Jersey Ironmen hit the road today for 1st Mariner Arena to play their first-ever postseason game, a quarterfinal match-up against the Baltimore Blast. Despite scoring the first goal of the contest, New Jersey would come out on the wrong end of a 22-10 decision. The series now heads to Prudential Center this Saturday when the Ironmen play host to the Blast at 7:00 p.m.
Defender Donny Gray netted the first playoff goal in New Jersey history when he scored a Nebo Stamenkovic ball at 13:03 of the opening stanza, but a deflected ball at 7:23 resulted in an own goal against the Ironmen. Baltimore forward Guiliano Celenza was credited with the three-pointer, and the Blast took a 3-2 lead. Baltimore defender P.J. Wakefield made it 6-2 when he scored a Adauto Neto pass from beyond the arc at 1:26.
Forward Freddy Moojen sent a pass off the wall to Tiguinho at 11:36 of the second frame, and the Brazilian forward finshed the ball to pull the Ironmen within a goal, 6-4. At 7:06 Stamenkovic centered a ball off the glass, and New Jersey midfielder Tim O’Neill put it in the back of the net to even the count at six each. The home team quickly reacquired the advantage 15 seconds later on a Celenza to Machel Millwood two-point tally, and Neto extended the gap to 10-6 in favor of the Blast at 4:09. The two clubs would inevitably take that count into the locker rooms at halftime.
The lone goal of the third quarter came off the foot of Baltimore defender Mike Lookingland who finished a Millwood assist at 3:35 to give the Blast a 12-6 lead.
At 2:06 of the fourth period, a Robbie Aristodemo to Denison Cabral two-pointer stretched the Baltimore advantage to 14-6, and the Ironmen would suffer an onslaught of goals to finish the game. New Jersey defender Gordon Kljestan and O’ Neill netted the final goals for their team on unassisted scores.
The two clubs now head back to Newark to close out the series this Saturday at Prudential Center. Should the game tally be tied at one each following the second game, an immediate “mini-game” golden goal (first to score wins) will be played for the right to advance to the semifinals.
Tickets for the first-ever Ironmen home playoff game this Saturday are available now. Call 1-800-IRONMEN today to reserve your place in team history!
ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY IRONMEN
The New Jersey Ironmen, operated by Jeff Vanderbeek and Michael Gilfillan of the NHL New Jersey Devils ownership group, join the Baltimore Blast, California Cougars, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition, Milwaukee Wave, La Raza de Monterrey (MX), Orlando Sharks, and the Philadelphia KiXX in the 2007-08 MISL regular season, which commenced in mid-October and will conclude at the end of March. The Ironmen play a 15-match home schedule at Prudential Center in the Downtown Core Redevelopment District of Newark. The Ironmen are coached by two-time MISL Coach of the Year Omid Namazi and Assistant Coach Kevin Sloan. For more information on the New Jersey Ironmen, visit www.njironmen.com.
ABOUT THE MISL
The Major Indoor Soccer League, a single-entity organization with a coast-to-coast presence, represents the major league of professional indoor soccer, featuring the finest indoor soccer players from 32 countries around the world. The nine MISL clubs competing in the 2007-08 season are the Baltimore Blast, California Cougars, Chicago Storm, 2007 championship finalist Detroit Ignition, Milwaukee Wave, and the defending MISL Champion Philadelphia KiXX, with the addition of three expansion clubs, La Raza de Monterrey, New Jersey Ironmen, and the Orlando Sharks. The standings for the 2007-08 regular season are based on a single table of the nine Member Clubs. The MISL regular season commenced on the weekend of October 19-21, 2007 and concludes on the weekend of April 4-6, 2008. Each Club plays a thirty-match (30) regular-season schedule (15 home / 15 away). The 2008 MISL Championship Series consists of six of the nine MISL Member Clubs competing in three rounds, the Quarterfinal Round (April 11-13), the Semifinal Round (April 18-20), and the Championship Series Final (April 26) at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee. For more information on the MISL, visit the League’s official website www.MISL.net.