Misl

Indoor soccer The Major Indoor Soccer League will be operated by United Soccer Leagues starting in the 2011-12 season and will consist of at least seven teams. The Blast will be joined by fellow MISL holdovers in Milwaukee, Kansas City and Wichita, Kan., as well as first-year USL indoor franchises in Norfolk, Va., Rochester, N.Y., and Syracuse, N.Y. The league will be led by Chris Economides , senior director of USL's professional leagues. Scheduling, competition and playoff format and rules for the MISL will be determined by the league's board of governors.

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot called on Towson University President Maravene Loeschke to resign, saying her actions in attempting to cut the baseball and men's soccer teams represented "a lack of leadership that has done great damage to the school's reputation. " Franchot, who originally made the statement Wednesday morning at a Board of Public Works meeting in Annapolis, reiterated his feelings in a phone interview with The Baltimore Sun. Loeschke was scheduled to appear at the meeting but did not. Franchot said she had given a "phony excuse" for why she could not make the trip.

Blast midfielder Pat Healey was named the Major Indoor Soccer League's player of the week, the league announced Monday. Healey scored four goals Wednesday to lead the Blast to a 22-6 road win over the Missouri Comets. The Comets struck first but Healey tied the game at 2-2 in the first quarter and scored a goal in every quarter; he also had four blocks in the game. Healey added another goal Friday afternoon in Baltimore's first loss of the season, a 9-8 decision in favor of the Omaha Vipers.

It took a half Saturday night for the Blast to play the top-notch style of indoor soccer it had displayed throughout the 2012-13 Major Indoor Soccer League season, but it was worth the wait for the home team. Overcoming a shaky start, the Blast relentlessly attacked the goal against the Missouri Comets to overcome a halftime deficit in the second game of the MISL Championship Series. After Adriano Dos Santos scored in the fourth quarter and rookie Lucas Roque followed shortly after with another goal, the Blast was able to confront the Comets' final stand with its signature defense to come away with an 8-6 win and a two-game sweep in front of an announced 8,704 at 1st Mariner Arena . "They've been tremendous all season long, only five losses, and a couple of those we probably could have won," coach Danny Kelly said.

The Milwaukee Wave defeated the Blast, 13-10, Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Arena, bringing the Blast's scoreless streak to three straight games. The win moves the Wave into a tie with the Rockford Rampage for first place in the Major Indoor Soccer League, and the Blast (5-5) fall into third place, a half game behind. The Blast and Wave meet again Saturday at 1st Mariner Arena. Despite an early 6-2 lead, the Blast fell behind 13-8 in the fourth quarter and was unable to battle back. Giuliano Celenza led the Blast with two goals, including the late goal that made it 13-10, but MISL leading scorer Marco Terminesi paced the Wave with a 3-point goal and a 2-pointer to clinch the victory.

Blast forward Max Ferdinand was voted Major Indoor Soccer League Rookie of the Year by coaches, general managers and members of the media. Ferdinand, 23, had 14 goals and five assists for 35 points in 18 games; he was ninth in the MISL in points and led the league with four game-winning goals. Ferdinand also made the All-Rookie team along with Blast forward Rod Dyachenko , who had 19 points in 18 games this season; 17 of those points came in the last eight games of the regular season.

Indoor soccer Missouri Comets to begin play next season as 6th team in MISL Major Indoor Soccer League announced Monday that it granted unanimous approval to the newest MISL team, the Missouri Comets, which will play its home games at the Independence Events Center in Independence, Mo., for the upcoming 2010-11 season. The league now has six member clubs: the Baltimore Blast, La RaZa de Monterrey, Mexico, the Milwaukee Wave, Philadelphia KiXX, Rockford Rampage and the Comets.

Eastern Conference Blast Coach: Kevin Healey Last season: 18-26, fourth place; eliminated by Milwaukee in one-game semifinal Outlook: On paper, the Blast once again has one of the most talented collection of players in the league. The aim now is to win. An offense that already featured 100-points-plus scorers Denison Cabral and Paul Wright, among others, added firepower with the signing of former Harrisburg Heat standout Gino DiFlorio. The 38-year-old forward, coming off knee surgery last December, brings poise with the ball and a powerful left foot.

Blast goalkeeper Sagu was named Major Indoor Soccer League Player of the Week after shutting out the Rockford Rampage, 9-0, on Sunday. It was the second shutout in team history and the third of his career. Sagu, who ranks third in the MISL with a 9.63 points-against average, stopped all 16 of the shots he faced in the match. Capitals: Washington right wing Mike Knuble will participate in a question-and-answer session at the ESPN Zone on East Pratt Street on March 1 at 7 p.m. - From Sun staff and news services

The Blast was held scoreless in an opening half for the first time all season in Saturday night's second game of the Major Indoor Soccer League semifinals against the Chicago Soul. The only goal the Blast allowed in that span was a close-range shot that deflected off defender Stephen DeRoux. Chicago's game plan was clearly to pack players around the penalty area, escape with a low-scoring victory and force a 15-minute mini-game to determine the series winner. The Blast, however, is a seasoned playoff team and began to break down the Soul defense with sharper passes around the goal.

Ed Hale knows what a championship team looks like. After all, he's seen the Blast bring home five of its six Major Indoor Soccer League titles since he became owner of the team. So he's not hesitant in laying out his expectations for a Blast squad that's hoping to bring home its first MISL championship since 2009 on Saturday night against the Missouri Comets. "We fully expect to win," Hale said. "No ifs, ands or buts about it. " After winning the first game of the series in Missouri on Thursday, 21-12, the Blast could accomplish that task with a victory Saturday.

Led by Tony Donatelli's hat trick, the Blast earned a victory Thursday night over the Missouri Comets in Game 1 of the MISL championship series. Ptah Myers, Adauto Neto and Machel Millwood added two goals each for the Blast, and goalkeeper William Vanzela recorded 18 saves. Game 2 is set for Saturday night at 1st Mariner Arena , with a deciding mini-game to be played immediately after regulation, if needed. The Comets are no strangers to an opening loss, having rallied in the semifinals to beat the Milwaukee Wave in Game 2 and the mini-game.

Blast at Missouri Comets What: MISL championship Game 1 When: Thursday, 8:35 p.m. Site: Independence (Mo.) Events Center Video: mislnation.com Outlook: Surprise! Most people expected to see the two-time defending league champion Milwaukee Wave playing against the Blast for the Major Indoor Soccer League title, but the Comets upset Milwaukee in the semifinals. After dropping the first game in overtime last Thursday, Missouri came back to stun the Wave on Sunday in the second game, 9-8, and then advanced to the championship series with a 5-4 win in the deciding mini game.

Et cetera ESPN's Kiper among HOF inductees at Calvert Hall Calvert Hall announced that ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. will be inducted into the school's Alumni Hall of Fame on March 23 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront along with T. Peter Ruane , Sir Richard H. Trainor , John T. Carey , Dr. Thomas B. Smyth and Francis X. Kelly III . The event will feature live and silent auctions, music and dancing....

The Blast was held scoreless in an opening half for the first time all season in Saturday night's second game of the Major Indoor Soccer League semifinals against the Chicago Soul. The only goal the Blast allowed in that span was a close-range shot that deflected off defender Stephen DeRoux. Chicago's game plan was clearly to pack players around the penalty area, escape with a low-scoring victory and force a 15-minute mini-game to determine the series winner. The Blast, however, is a seasoned playoff team and began to break down the Soul defense with sharper passes around the goal.

Mission accomplished for the Blast earlier this week in Chicago. The team successfully dodged the nasty weather with barely a glitch, opened the Major Indoor Soccer League semifinal round with an impressive win against the Soul on Tuesday and was safely back home on Wednesday. It was a tidy turnaround that has the home team one win away from the championship series. The Blast will try to lock up that spot at 7:35 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Chicago in the second game at 1st Mariner Arena . If the Soul wins to tie the series, a 15-minute mini game would immediate follow to determine which team advances.

Here they go again. More often than not, the road to the Major Indoor Soccer League championship is traveled by the sport's two titans, the Blast and the Milwaukee Wave, and Friday night at 1st Mariner Arena they collide again in the first of two meetings to determine the 2012 titlist. These two franchises have long sported the teams that competitors hope to emulate, but what makes them so special? "They're just two quality organizations from top to bottom," Blast coach Danny Kelly said.

Blast forward Denison Cabral totaled seven points in two home wins this weekend to earn Major Indoor Soccer League Player of the Week honors. Cabral scored three goals in a span of 2 minutes, 29 seconds during the first quarter of the Blast's 12-8 win over the Philadelphia KiXX on Friday and had an assist in its 12-11 win over Monterrey La RaZa on Saturday. Cabral is second on the team in scoring with 35 points, which ranks him tied for fifth in the league.

The visiting Blast needed a five-goal fourth quarter to beat the Wichita Wings, 17-11, in a Major Indoor Soccer League game Friday night. Ptah Myers led the way with three goals as the Blast fought back from an 11-6 deficit. Myers scored two goals in the last quarter and J.T. Noone and Max Ferdinand also scored during Baltimore's five-minute five-goal run to end the game. The Blast got off to a slow start, as two goals by Freddy Moojen, who finished with a hat trick, contributed to a 7-0 Wings lead.

Navy football Ferguson a finalist for Uplifting Athletes award Navy sophomore safety Chris Ferguson is one of seven finalists for the 2013 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award. Penn State's Eric Shrive , Oklahoma's Austin Woods , Humboldt State's Dillon Reagan , Florida's Neiron Ball , Southern California's Frankie Telfort and Fordham's Andrew Milmore join Ferguson as finalists. Log on to upliftingathletes.org/vote to read about each finalist's personal story and connection to the rare disease community, as well as to vote for this year's winner.