Wave's Greg Howes Repeats As MISL Most Valuable Player
WESTPORT, Conn. (Thursday, May 12, 2005) – The Major Indoor Soccer League announced today that Milwaukee Wave forward Greg Howes has been voted the MISL Most Valuable Player for the 2004-05 Regular Season. It’s the second consecutive year that Howes has won the award. Last week he was honored with his second consecutive Spalding Scoring Championship after leading all MISL scorers with 73 points (41 goals and 32 assists).
Today he was presented with The Hector Marinaro Trophy at a press conference at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee. Unveiled on Tuesday, The Hector Marinaro Trophy honors the sport’s all-time leading scorer, Hector Marinaro, who retired in October following 19 seasons in the game, eight scoring titles, and six League MVP selections. Both Marinaro and MISL Commissioner Steve Ryan were present for today’s presentation.
“To receive this award after the MISL renamed the trophy in honor of a highly-decorated player like Hector Marinaro, is something very special,” said Howes, a 28-year-old native of Tacoma, Wa. “To be put in a class with professionals like Hector and some of the other greats in the storied history of this sport is unbelievable. When you’re young, and watching this game, you can’t even imagine this happening to you.
“Every award I receive comes as a direct result of the players around me, and I’m extremely proud of this honor. What I want more is to be wearing a MISL Championship ring after we win on May 14th and May 21st.”
Televised live and in prime time on ESPN2, the MISL Championship Series Finals between the Milwaukee Wave and the Cleveland Force will be played on Saturday at U.S. Cellular Arena (9 p.m. EST), and on Saturday, May 21, at St. Louis’ Savvis Center (7 p.m. EST). MISL Championship Series Finals sites were awarded in March.
Howes’ name appeared on all ballots cast by a voting panel of media and select team personnel. Collected on April 25 following the conclusion of the regular season, ballots required voters to cast a first-place vote (worth five points), a second-place vote (three points), and third-place vote (one point) for MVP. Howes, who’s in his fifth season in the League and with the Wave, received nearly 73 percent of the first-place votes.
“I think Greg is a great choice for this year’s award, a very worthy MVP” said Marinaro, who played 16 of his 19 seasons in Cleveland. “Greg’s been an exemplary professional throughout his career. He’s a leader, a good person and a good player. I played against Greg for a long time and have watched him become one of the stars of the MISL. One mark of a champion is that they continue to improve, and Greg always continues to improve.”
ABOUT THE MISL
The Major Indoor Soccer League is a single-entity organization featuring a coast-to-coast presence with seven teams located across the United States. The MISL is the single major league of indoor soccer. In February of 2004, the League announced an expansion team in Stockton, CA, that will begin play in 2005-06. On May 4, 2004, the League announced plans for an expansion team in Newark, NJ, that will begin play in 2007-08. The 2005 MISL Championship Series Finals, featuring the Milwaukee Wave and the Cleveland Force, is scheduled for Saturday, May 14 at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee (Game One) and Saturday, May 21 at Savvis Center in St. Louis (Game Two). The MISL Championship Series Finals will be telecast live in prime time on ESPN2. For more information on the MISL, visit the League’s website at www.MISL.net.