AISL Playoffs Come Down to Final Week

Twisters Have Destiny In Own Hands

March 4, 2008

CLEVELAND, Ohio – After almost four months of back-and-forth action, the final berth in the March 15 American Indoor Soccer League Championship Game will be decided this weekend.

The Massachusetts Twisters and the Cincinnati Excite are in a dead heat for the right to face the Rockford Rampage in the final. But the Twisters have their destiny in their own hands, holding a slim advantage in the head-to-head- goals scored tiebreaker (26-25) and needing just a win to get in.

The Twisters took both of their games this weekend, defeating the Northern Illinois Rebels by identical 14-4 scores at the Eastern States Coliseum. On Saturday night, Kyle Texiera scored three one-point goals and added four assists to lead the Twisters in the winning effort. Colin Cook scored a career-high four one-pointers, Kevin Radziwon chipped in three, and Jeff Deren scored twice for the defending AISL champions.

The next evening was more of the same, as the Twisters poured it on to an injury depleted Rebel squad. The Rebels, who came into the weekend series with just nine players, were down to eight for Sunday, after losing forward Jaime Morote with a broken ankle. Morote, who has played well in his rookie pro season, collided with Twister midfielder Franco Catiearra, when both were making a play for the ball.

In Rockford, the Rampage continued along their "Pursuit of Perfection", with a solid 12-6 victory over the Cincinnati Excite. Ante "the Law" Cop led the Rampage scoring with four goals, while Bato Radoncic chipped in a pair, and Mike Rigas, Erik Lukin, and Zlatko Zebic each added a goal of their own.

This weekend, the Rampage will travel to Springfield to take on the Twisters and the Excite will head to Waukegan to face the Northern Illinois Rebels.

Should the Excite take care of business Saturday night against the Rebels, they would still need the Rampage to defeat the Twisters for the Cincinnati club to earn that final playoff berth. If the Twisters win, the defending AISL champions will return to the final, no matter what the result is coming from Waukegan, since the Twisters hold the tiebreaker, which are goals scored in the season series. In the four games played between the Twisters and Excite this season, the Twisters hold a slim 26-25 margin in points scored.

The 2008 American Indoor Soccer League Championship Game will be played on March 15 at the Victory Sports Complex in Loves Park, IL. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.