KiXX ELIMINATED FROM POST SEASON PLAY WITH 16-12 LOSS TO MONTERREY
Apr 04, 2008 - Reigning champs miss chance to defend title in playoffs
The defending MISL Champion Philadelphia KiXX (12-17) fell out of the playoff race Thursday night with a loss to the Monterrey La Raza (16-13) in Monterrey, Mexico. Former KiXX player and two-time MISL MVP Dino Delevski scored a hat-trick to end his former team’s postseason hopes. With the KiXX loss, the expansion New Jersey Ironmen have been awarded the sixth and final playoff spot, setting up a possible first round match with the third-seed Baltimore Blast.
Byron Alvarez began scoring 3:52 into the first quarter. The KiXX answered with two goals to take the lead 4-2, from Aaron Susi and John Barry Nusum. Delevski scored the first of his three goals with 3:48 remaining in the first frame, but KiXX captain Pat Morris answered with 12 seconds remaining in the quarter to give the KiXX a 6-4 lead after one. The game was the 300th of Morris’ career.
Ivan Medina and Jose Birche tallied for La Raza in the second quarter, the loan goals of the frame. Monterrey took an 8-6 lead into the locker room.
Philadelphia scored three unanswered goals in the third quarter, courtesy of Sandre Naumoski, Wendell Regis, and KiXX player/coach Don D’Ambra. Morris was credited with the assist on D’Ambra’s goal.
Monterrey would return the favor in the final quarter, scoring four unanswered, one from Birche and two from Delevski to complete the hat trick. With the three-goal output, Delevski takes over the league-lead with 44 goals in just 28 games played. Genoni Martinez, the KiXX leading assist man last season and 2006-07 MISL Defender-of-the-Year scored the final goal.
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