Spirit Played

The Spirit has taken the National Professional Soccer League by storm. Or should that be blizzard, as in Saturday night's 17-11 victory over the Buffalo Blizzard?The win gave Baltimore a 4-0 record in the NPSL, good for first place in the American Division. The Spirit is the only undefeated team in the league, and it doesn't play again until Saturday (2:05 p.m.) against Harrisburg at the Baltimore Arena.Rusty Troy led the Spirit offense with four goals Saturday night, and goalkeeper Cris Vaccaro had 23 saves, including some spectacular ones.

BANI, Dominican Republic - On the barren sandlot where Miguel Tejada used to field ground balls with folded milk cartons, a new generation of Dominican boys has come to play. Their gloves are leather. The field still doesn't have any bases. The weathered cement bleachers look like they could collapse under the weight of a hefty crowd. And one of the kids has gone home with the bat. But a young pitcher hurls a standard-issue baseball toward home plate, a young catcher throws to second base, and an aspiring shortstop tags a would-be base stealer with a black Mizuno glove - a glove just like the one Tejada uses today.

WEST BERLIN, N.J. -- When the Spirit played its first exhibition game yesterday against the Philadelphia Kixx, one player was conspicuous by his absence.Defender Lance Johnson remained in Baltimore to undergo arthroscopic surgery for removal of torn cartilage from his left knee.The former Towson State star is expected to be out two to four weeks and probably will miss the Spirit's National Professional Soccer League opener Oct. 19 against the Tampa Bay Terror at the Baltimore Arena.Johnson, a four-year veteran who played in all 40 games last season and produced a career-high 40 points, hurt his knee in practice Thursday.

In the space of 24 hours, Jason Dieter demonstrated why he is the most versatile player in Spirit history.In Friday night's loss to the Edmonton Drillers, he played forward. In Saturday's loss to the Harrisburg Heat, he played midfield. In Sunday's win over the Toronto Shooting Stars, he played defender.Oh, and a little as goalkeeper, too.When Joe Mallia was penalized in the Toronto game, with the Spirit safely ahead 24-6 in the fourth quarter, Dieter volunteered to fill in. The team's other goalies, Cris Vaccaro and Jim McCombs, didn't make the trip.

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to win your National Professional Soccer League home debut.At least, you have to if you're the Baltimore Spirit.The Spirit played its first Baltimore Arena regular-season game Saturday night, defeating the Chicago Power, 19-12, before 6,471."This is what we've worked so hard for. This was a very long day," said Spirit coach Kenny Cooper. "We had to get up at 4:45 this morning in Milwaukee, and the players deserve all the credit. We outplayed two good teams this weekend."

The Spirit may be able to stop old teammate Goran Hunjak, but it can't stop his new team, the Kansas City Attack.Hunjak, who scored 247 points the past two seasons for the Spirit, was shut out in the teams' first meeting nine days ago, a 17-16 Kansas City victory. It broke his string of games with at least one point at 24.Last night, before a Baltimore Arena crowd of 6,011, Hunjak once again was shut out, but the Attack won again, 14-8.It was the Spirit's second loss in 11 games against teams in the National Professional Soccer League's National Division.

Spirit coach Dave MacWilliams wasn't happy that his team nearly squandered a 13-point lead in the second half last night, even after Barry Stitz's two goals ensured 19-13 victory over the Dayton Dynamo at the Baltimore Arena."

The Spirit let down its guard for a stretch in the second half and almost paid dearly for it.Leading by six points at halftime, the Spirit let the Buffalo Blizzard creep back into the game and had a two-point edge with 4 1/2 minutes gone in the fourth quarter.The Spirit then awoke, scored five of the game's next seven goals and defeated the Blizzard, 21-14, last night before 3,181 at the Baltimore Arena. It raised the Spirit's record against Buffalo at the Arena to 9-1.Asked whether he was happier with the big start or the big finish, coach Dave MacWilliams said: "I'm happy with both, but I'm not happy with what happened in between.

It's a good thing for the Spirit that the Cleveland Crunch was without half of its one-two scoring punch.One half, Zoran Karic, was problem enough.But Karic's six goals, matching his career high, and 15 points left Cleveland a point shy. Kevin Sloan's one-point shootout with 24 seconds remaining gave the Spirit an 18-17 victory over the Crunch last night before 4,414 at the Baltimore Arena.Sloan, acquired from the Dayton Dynamo, scored 10 points on five goals and an assist. The five matched the team record shared by Goran Hunjak, Jon Parry, Paul Wright and Doug Neely.

PHILADELPHIA -- As a kickoff for the Philadelphia Kixx, the Spirit-Chicago Power game was a huge success -- for everyone except the Power.Before the second largest crowd in the National Professional Soccer League this season, 13,052, the Spirit defeated the Power, 23-12, last night at the CoreStates Spectrum.The neutral-site game was played four days after the league announced that the Philadelphia Kixx will join the NPSL next season.For the Spirit (5-1), the win capped a two-victory weekend that began with Friday night's road triumph over the previously undefeated Cleveland Crunch.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- When the Spirit played at the Bayfront Center in December, it blew a six-goal, fourth-quarter lead and lost to the last-place Tampa Bay Terror. A controversial overtime goal prompted the ejection of coach Mike Stankovic after he stormed onto the field, throwing his sports jacket in protest.During halftime last night, Terror fans got the chance to re-enact that moment, and one of them won a gift certificate for throwing his blazer the farthest.g But Stankovic and the Spirit got the last laugh last night, winning, 9-8, and claiming sole possession of first place in the NPSL East Division after Philadelphia lost to Buffalo, 10-7.

WEST BERLIN, N.J. -- When the Spirit played its first exhibition game yesterday against the Philadelphia Kixx, one player was conspicuous by his absence.Defender Lance Johnson remained in Baltimore to undergo arthroscopic surgery for removal of torn cartilage from his left knee.The former Towson State star is expected to be out two to four weeks and probably will miss the Spirit's National Professional Soccer League opener Oct. 19 against the Tampa Bay Terror at the Baltimore Arena.Johnson, a four-year veteran who played in all 40 games last season and produced a career-high 40 points, hurt his knee in practice Thursday.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Ask the Baltimore Spirit players about their favorite places to visit in March and April, and it's not likely any will mention Pennsylvania's capital city.The Spirit hasn't enjoyed too many trips to Harrisburg's State Farm Shell Arena during the past four seasons and last night was no different.Bill Becher's goal with 3: 30 remaining proved to be the game-winner as the Heat edged the Spirit, 16-13, before a crowd of 7,596.The loss ended an eight-game winning streak for the Spirit (22-13)

PHILADELPHIA -- As a kickoff for the Philadelphia Kixx, the Spirit-Chicago Power game was a huge success -- for everyone except the Power.Before the second largest crowd in the National Professional Soccer League this season, 13,052, the Spirit defeated the Power, 23-12, last night at the CoreStates Spectrum.The neutral-site game was played four days after the league announced that the Philadelphia Kixx will join the NPSL next season.For the Spirit (5-1), the win capped a two-victory weekend that began with Friday night's road triumph over the previously undefeated Cleveland Crunch.

The Spirit let down its guard for a stretch in the second half and almost paid dearly for it.Leading by six points at halftime, the Spirit let the Buffalo Blizzard creep back into the game and had a two-point edge with 4 1/2 minutes gone in the fourth quarter.The Spirit then awoke, scored five of the game's next seven goals and defeated the Blizzard, 21-14, last night before 3,181 at the Baltimore Arena. It raised the Spirit's record against Buffalo at the Arena to 9-1.Asked whether he was happier with the big start or the big finish, coach Dave MacWilliams said: "I'm happy with both, but I'm not happy with what happened in between.

Harrisburg jinx? What jinx?The I-83 rival that has bedeviled the Spirit for three years finally may be ready to be taken.After hammering Harrisburg in two exhibition games by the combined score of 50-23, the Spirit defeated the Heat, 25-18, last night in its National Professional Soccer League opener before 6,196 at the Baltimore Arena.Of course, this wasn't the playoffs.Of course, Harrisburg didn't have goalie Scoop Stanisic.Harrisburg holds a 15-10 lead in its rivalry with the Spirit and has eliminated Baltimore from the playoffs in the first round for the past three seasons.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Ask the Baltimore Spirit players about their favorite places to visit in March and April, and it's not likely any will mention Pennsylvania's capital city.The Spirit hasn't enjoyed too many trips to Harrisburg's State Farm Shell Arena during the past four seasons and last night was no different.Bill Becher's goal with 3: 30 remaining proved to be the game-winner as the Heat edged the Spirit, 16-13, before a crowd of 7,596.The loss ended an eight-game winning streak for the Spirit (22-13)

The Baltimore Arena magic worked again for the Spirit.But it didn't work for Rob Ukrop. After being elbowed in the face by Harrisburg's Dennis Hamlett, Ukrop had to undergo jaw surgery last night at Union Memorial Hospital. He is expected to be out at least six weeks.The Spirit has won 11 straight regular-season home games, last losing Jan. 23 to the Wichita Wings. The team has a 21-3 overall record at the Arena.Undefeated at 5-0, the Spirit edged the Heat, 19-17, last night before 4,701 in the opener of a five-game home stand.

Spirit coach Dave MacWilliams wasn't happy that his team nearly squandered a 13-point lead in the second half last night, even after Barry Stitz's two goals ensured 19-13 victory over the Dayton Dynamo at the Baltimore Arena."

The Spirit may be able to stop old teammate Goran Hunjak, but it can't stop his new team, the Kansas City Attack.Hunjak, who scored 247 points the past two seasons for the Spirit, was shut out in the teams' first meeting nine days ago, a 17-16 Kansas City victory. It broke his string of games with at least one point at 24.Last night, before a Baltimore Arena crowd of 6,011, Hunjak once again was shut out, but the Attack won again, 14-8.It was the Spirit's second loss in 11 games against teams in the National Professional Soccer League's National Division.