Soccer Spotlight: KiXX Blast Past Baltimore, 9-6 Club Snaps Two-Game Losing Skid and Improves to 5-2 Versus the Defending Champs this Season Saturday, March 19, 2005 By David Deal Philadelphia KiXX Director of Communitions The Philadelphia KiXX (18-14) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 9-6 victory over the two-time defending Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Champion Baltimore Blast (13-17) in front of 6,106 fans at the Wachovia Spectrum tonight. KiXX player/coach Don D’Ambra registered the game-winning goal on a pass from teammate Ze Roberto at 12:55 of the third quarter. Peter Pappas (16-12) earned the victory in net for Philadelphia, stopping all four of the shots he faced in the first half, while Brian Rowland took the loss for the Blast with six saves on 15 chances. Philadelphia opened the scoring, 1-0 at 2:22 of the first quarter, as rookie forward John Barry Nusum slipped a shot past Rowland after a flurry of shots bounced off the boards. KiXX midfielder Edgar Bartolomeu followed with a big left-footed blast to lengthen the club’s advantage to 2-0 at 6:11 of the stanza. Ze Roberto and Goran Vasic each registered unassisted scores, separated by only 37 seconds of play (8:30 and 9:07 respectively), to stretch Philadelphia’s lead to four, 4-0. Baltimore pulled within two, 4-2, with a pair of unanswered goals in the second quarter. Midfielder Allen Eller struck first on a dish from teammate Lee Tschantret at the 10-minute mark, followed by a tally from David Bascome on an assist from defender Wendell Regis at 13:11. Blast defender Scott Schweitzer notched a restart goal at 5:58 of the third stanza to cut the team’s deficit to one, 4-3, but Nusum responded with his second tally of the evening a mere 31 seconds later (6:29). Philadelphia native Pat Morris drilled home a centering pass from player/assistant coach Kevin Sloan to again stretch the club’s lead to three, 6-3, at 10:57. Roberto then found player/coach Don D’Ambra streaking down the left sideline, who in turn, blasted a shot into the top corner of the net to put Philadelphia ahead, 7-3, at 12:55 of the quarter. After Gloucester Township native Jeff Moore was sent to the penalty box for a two-minute holding infraction, Baltimore’s Giuliano Celenza registered a power-play score on an assist from Danny Kelly at 1:30 of the final period. Nusum completed his hat trick with his third score of the contest, on a dish from Sloan to again give Philadelphia a four-goal advantage, 8-4, at 8:08. The KiXX continued their offensive assault, as Roberto found the back of the net for the second time of the evening on a Nusum shot that deflected off the boards at 11:06. Celenza recorded a pair of goals, 12:43 and 14:54 respectively, but Philadelphia held on to earn a 9-6 victory. Notes: KiXX midfielders Ze Roberto and Edgar Bartolomeu returned to action tonight; Roberto had missed the club’s previous 13 contests due to a knee injury, while Bartolomeu was sidelined for four consecutive games with a toe injury. Roberto registered three points on a pair of goals and one assist and Bartolomeu chipped in with a single score. Philadelphia matched their best single-quarter output of the season with tonight’s four goal performance in the first period. John Barry Nusum’s three-goal performance tonight marked his third hat trick of the season. Boxscore: Attendance: 6,106 Philadelphia: 4-0-3-2=9 Shots: 18 Goalkeepers: Pappas (W, four saves), Dobson (-, nine saves). Scorers: Nusum (three goals, assist), Roberto (two goals, assist), Sloan (two assists), Vasic (goal, assist), Bartolomeu (goal), D’Ambra (goal), Morris (goal). Baltimore: 0-2-1-3=6 Shots: 23 Goalkeepers: Rowland (L, six saves). Scorers: Celenza (three goals), Schweitzer (goal, assist), Tschantret (two assists), Bascome (goal), Eller (goal), Kelly (assist), Regis (assist). The club remains home for a visit from former player/coach Omid Namazi and the Cleveland Force on Saturday, March 26. The first 2,500 fans under 14 will receive a complimentary Philadelphia KiXX Nesting Doll, featuring Shawn Boney, Pat Morris and Ze Roberto. Game-time at the Wachovia Spectrum is scheduled for 7:05 pm ET, with the doors opening at 6:00 pm ET. For additional information or to purchase tickets, please contact the club’s Executive Office at 1-888-888-KiXX (5499) or visit www.kixxonline.com.