KiXX Take 2007 MISL Crown

(Plymouth, MI, April 23, 2007) - The Philadelphia KiXX won its second MISL title in franchise history this past weekend with a 13-8 victory over the Detroit Ignition before a sellout crowd at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. Player/coach Don D'Ambra and goalkeeper Peter Pappas, two players who have been with the KiXX since it's inception in 1996, led Philadelphia—just as they have for the past 11 years—in a season where Pappas was named Goalkeeper-of-the-Year and D'Ambra All-MISL First Team to go along with the Championship Game's MVP award.

D'Ambra began scoring 9:09 into the first quarter with his third goal of the post season. John Barry Nusum, the hero from last Saturday's Golden Goal, put the KiXX up 4-0 just 1:11 into the second frame, his third of the postseason. Philly's hot start continued with Shawn Boney's first of the post-season, a back heel rebound with his back to the net after a Casey Barton shot, putting the KiXX ahead 6-0. The game was the 250th of Boney's 10-year career.

With Detroit goalkeeper Sanaldo out of the net, Sandre Naumoski took a shot that Ignition defender Josh Rife stopped with his hand, resulting in a two-minute penalty. On the ensuing penalty shot, Genoni Martinez buried his third goal of the playoffs. Martinez, the MISL's Defender-of-the-Year, went 4-4 in penalty shots this regular season. Bill Sedgewick put Detroit on the board just before halftime, and the teams went to the locker rooms with the score 8-2.

Ptah Myers and the KiXX came out firing in the second half, stretching Philadelphia's lead again. Detroit then scored the game's next three goals, pulling the margin to two, 10-8. Second Team All-MISL standout Jonathan Greenfield first cut into the KiXX lead, and Jamar Beasley, the MISL's regular season MVP, scored the next two.

But it was D'Ambra day, as he provided the bookend with a much-needed three-point goal, giving his team an insurmountable 5-point lead after an errant pass from Sanaldo at midfield.

Scoring Summary: