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| Soccer Spotlight: Philadelphia KiXX Weekly Philadelphia Kicks-off 2003-04 Campaign in San Diego Monday, September 29, 2003 By David Deal KiXX RECORD: vs. Eastern Division Opponents: 0-0 LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: THIS WEEK’S GAMES: The Philadelphia KiXX will kick-off the club’s 2003-04 Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) season on Saturday, October 4, 2003 as they travel to San Diego, CA to battle the San Diego Sockers. The kick-off is scheduled for 10:05 pm ET at the San Diego Sports Arena. With the return of the St. Louis Steamers and the addition of the Monterrey Fury for the 2003-04 season, the MISL revamped into a three-divisional format; East, West and Central. The Philadelphia KiXX will compete in the Eastern Division, with the defending MISL Champion Baltimore Blast and the Cleveland Force. The Central Division is composed of the Kansas City Comets, Milwaukee Wave and the St. Louis Steamers. The Dallas Sidekicks, Monterrey Fury and the San Diego Sockers compete in the Western Division. This Week’s Itinerary:
KiXX vs. Sockers: Last season marked the first meetings between San Diego and the KiXX, with the home team earning the victory in each of their four contests. In preparation of the 2003-04 campaign, the Sockers made several offseason moves to revamp their roster. San Diego first acquired All-Star forward Nino DaSilva from the Kansas City Comets for goalkeeper DJ Horvath. The Sockers continued with the addition of former Defender of the Year recipient and San Diego native Sean Bowers from the Baltimore Blast in exchange for the club’s leading scorer last season, Carlos Farias. The team then added Victor Noguiera, winner of eight consecutive Goalkeeper of the Year awards, from the Milwaukee Wave. In exchange of Noguiera, the Sockers sent Nick Vorberg, Matthew Stewart and Chris Morman (acquired in the first round of 2003 Disperal Draft of the Harrisburg Heat roster) to the Milwaukee Wave. New Faces: The Philadelphia KiXX 2003-04 roster features several new faces as well, including defender Jeremy Aldrich and midfielders Andy Guastaferro and Ze Roberto. The KiXX acquired Aldrich from the St. Louis Steamers in a three-team on August 26 that also included the Baltimore Blast. The 25-year old defender appeared in one contest for the Milwaukee Wave last season; he notched his first MISL assist for one point. Roberto was also obtained via trade with St. Louis following the 2003 MISL Dispersal Draft. Roberto, a member of the Harrisburg Heat in 2000-01 and 2002-03, recorded 33 points last season on one-3pg, 10 two-point goals and 10 assists. The Belem, Brazil native finished the 2000-01 campagin with 10 points in 33 games. Guastaferro, a five-year veteran of the outdoor A-League, joined the club as a free agent. 2003 MISL Pre-Season Tournament: The Philadelphia KiXX completed a two-game sweep in the MISL Easter Seals Preseason Classic with victories over the Kansas City Comets and the St. Louis Steamers. The KiXX defeated the Kansas City Comets 4-3 on Friday, September 26 courtesy of a game-winning second half goal from forward Goran Vasic, while unsigned trialist Jeff Moore notched two goals as Philadelphia cruised past the Steamers 4-1 on Saturday, September 27. Vasic and Shawn Boney led Philadelphia with three points apiece, while Peter Pappas earned both victories between the posts. Both exhibitions were played at the U.S. Cellular Arena in downtown Milwaukee, WI, using a two-half, 24-minute running clock format. Milestones Approaching:
Future Games: Philadelphia continues their road trip, as they square-off against the defending MISL Champion Baltimore Blast on Saturday, October 11 at 7:35 pm ET at the 1st Mariner Arena. The contest will mark the first meeting between the two clubs since the visiting Blast defeated Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The KiXX conclude the trip against the Dallas Sidekicks at Reunion Arena on Wednesday, October 22 with an 11:45 am ET kick-off. The KiXX will kick-off their 18-game home schedule against the Blast on November 1. The contest is scheduled to kick-off at 7:05 pm ET at the Wachovia Spectrum. The first 3,000 fans to walk through the gates will receive a Philadelphia KiXX magnetic schedule, courtesy of SEPTA. For ticket information, contact the KiXX Executive Office at 1-888-888-KiXX (5499) or log onto the team’s official website, www.kixxonline.com. The Philadelphia KiXX are a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League, a single-entity organization that features a coast-to-coast presence across the United States. The club is entering its eighth season of play in the Wachovia Spectrum located in Philadelphia, PA. For more information regarding the Philadelphia KiXX, please contact David Deal, KiXX Director of Communications, at 215.952.5431 or via cell at 267.688.4127. Fans can also log onto our website at www.kixxonline.com. |
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