Kixx

Just one year after winning the Major Indoor Soccer League championship, the Kixx did not reach the postseason. The Kixx lost their season-ender, 18-14, to the California Cougars on Saturday night at Stockton Arena. Both teams had gone into the game without a chance of making the playoffs. This is just the second time in their 12-year history that the Kixx did not advance to the postseason.

The Kixx saw their three-game winning streak end in a 7-5 loss to the Milwaukee Wave (11-6) in the MISL last night. The Wave took a 5-0 lead early in the second period. Despite four straight goals by the Kixx (11-7), the Wave hung on.

Mexico's Monterrey La Raza completed a weekend sweep of the Kixx by winning, 16-14, in double overtime last night in a National Indoor Soccer League game at the Arena de Monterrey. Victor Quiroz scored the game-winner 36 seconds into the second overtime. Ptah Meyers scored his third goal for the Kixx (2-4) with 28 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. Pat Morris scored twice for the Kixx, while Ryan Heins and Don Castellanos each added a goal. The Kixx have lost four straight.

Chris Handsor's goal less than three minutes into overtime gave the California Cougars an 8-6 win over the Kixx last night at the Wachovia Spectrum. The defending MISL champions fell to 2-5, while the Cougars improved to 3-3. The Kixx had tied the game on Angel Rivillo's goal with 48 seconds to play in regulation. Handsor, a former member of the Kixx, scored his second goal of the night 2 minutes, 41 seconds into the extra period. Player-coach Don D'Ambra and Ptah Myers also scored for the Kixx.

The Milwaukee Wave scored 10 first-quarter points and went on to defeat the Kixx, 20-6, in an MISL game last night. Don D'Ambra and Jim Hesch each scored for the Kixx (15-10), who have lost three straight to Milwaukee. "Milwaukee has really had our number lately," Kixx coach Omid Namazi said. Todd Dusosky finished with two goals and three assists and Joe Reiniger had a goal and an assist for the Wave (21-5). Reiniger has scored in 99 straight games. Peter Pappas finished with seven saves for the Kixx, who have dropped three of four and five of their last seven.

The Kixx are having as many problems on the road as the Eagles. Coach Dave MacWilliams' team succumbed last night at Harrisburg, 23-19, as the Heat controlled most of the game after the Kixx (7-6) scored early to take a brief 1-0 lead. Although the visitors have been perfect in their own building at 6-0 this season, last night's setback dropped the Kixx' road record to 1-6. The winning Heat (6-7) were led by Geno DiFlorio, who had four goals and an assist. Willy Giummarra added two goals for Harrisburg, while David Bascomb contributed two goals and two assists.

The Kixx defeated the St. Louis Ambush, 21-14, yesterday in an NPSL game at the Kiel Center. Bo Vuckovic and Dominic Mobilio each scored three goals as the Kixx improved to 12-13 and dropped St. Louis to 7-19. The Kixx led, 18-7, early in the fourth quarter. After a St. Louis rally cut the margin to 18-14, Mobilio nailed a three-pointer for the Kixx to seal the win. Don D'Ambra, Carlos Rocha, Goran Hunjak and Pat Morris also scored for the Kixx. Mobilio has scored goals in 17 of the 19 games in which he has played this season.

The Kixx were defeated by the Harrisburg Heat, 15-10, last night at the Farm Show Arena. The loss dropped the Kixx to 19-18, while Harrisburg improved to 16-22. After the Kixx took a 2-0 lead on Domenic Mobilio's goal, Harrisburg scored 11 consecutive points. In the final quarter, the Kixx got goals by Carlos Rocha, Don D'Ambra and Goran Hunjak to cut Harrisburg's lead to three, 11-8. Harrisburg's David Bascome answered with his first goal of the game, but the Kixx again cut the lead to three, 13-10, on a goal by Mobilio.

The Kixx downed the first-place Baltimore Blast, 13-6, last night in a National Indoor Soccer League game at First Mariner Arena. Peter Pappas stopped eight of 11 shots for the Kixx, who improved to 5-5. Baltimore fell to 7-2. Forward Hewerton Moreira recorded a three-point goal and an assist to extend his point and goal streak to a team-high eight games.

Peter Pappas recorded the first Kixx shutout in nearly four years last night, stopping all 20 of Baltimore's shots in a 4-0 MISL victory. It was the first time the Blast (6-6) had been shut out in the club's 15-year history. Newcomers Jonathan Steele and Sammy Castellanos scored for the Kixx (6-8) in front of 6,313 fans at the Wachovia Spectrum. Castellanos' goal was the first of his career. The last previous Kixx shutout was on Jan. 14, 2004, against the San Diego Sockers.

Amy Rodriguez scored twice to help lead the Independence to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars in a Women's Professional Soccer league game at West Chester University's John A. Farrell Stadium last night. The Independence (8-5-3) also got a goal from Caroline Seger. The Red Stars, coached by former Kixx player and coach Omid Namazi, dropped to 4-8-5.

Amy Rodriguez admits that a level of fatigue has set in. The 23-year-old Independence forward has, like so many other elite-level soccer players, juggled competing for her team and her country while mixing in an all-star appearance. With the Women's Professional Soccer season heading into the home stretch, there is little time for rest - and Rodriguez isn't complaining. She is second in the WPS in goals with nine and has scored in five consecutive league games. The Independence (7-5-3)

Don D'Ambra is hoping that the success he has had as a soccer player and coach on the professional level will translate to the college game. D'Ambra, who retired on Wednesday as the Kixx's player-coach, was been named men's soccer coach at his alma mater, St. Joseph's University. He replaced Tom Turner, who retired after 26 seasons. D'Ambra was an assistant coach on Turner's staff from 1996 to 1999. A 1994 graduate of St. Joseph's, D'Ambra played 16 seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League, including the last 14 seasons with the Kixx.

The Denver Broncos traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins yesterday for a second-round pick in next week's draft and a second-rounder in 2011. Marshall and the Dolphins agreed on a 4-year, $47.5 million contract, ESPN reported, with $24 million guaranteed. Marshall has long wanted out of Denver. His 4-year stint in Denver was filled with fantastic plays but also plenty of frustration. He posted his third consecutive 100-catch season last year and made his second straight trip to the Pro Bowl despite several run-ins with coach Josh McDaniels on and off the field.

The Kixx retired goalkeeper Peter Pappas' No. 22 jersey last night in their home finale, then beat the Baltimore Blast, 19-12, at the Liacouras Center. The Kixx finished 8-12 and missed the Major Indoor Soccer League playoffs. Baltimore (12-8) will play a home-and-home series with La Raza de Monterrey this week, with the winner advancing to the championship game against the top-seeded Milwaukee Wave on April 4. An 8-0 run in the first half gave the Kixx a 10-2 lead, and they expanded it to 14-4 by halftime.

Ptah Meyers scored a hat trick but the Kixx fell to the Milwaukee Wave, 12-10, in a Major Indoor Soccer League game last night at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The Kixx (7-12) will finish the season against the Baltimore Blast this afternoon at 4:05 at the Liacouras Center, where they will retire the jersey of goalie Peter Pappas. Kevin Coleman and Semir Mesanovic also scored goals last night against the Wave (14-12). The Kixx narrowed an 8-2 deficit to 8-6 in the third period before the Wave answered both scores to gain control the rest of the way.

The Kixx fell out of playoff contention yesterday morning when Milwaukee used a 9-0 midgame run to gain a 14-12 win in the Wave's annual school-day game at U.S. Cellular Arena. The Kixx (7-11) took a 5-0 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 8-2 in the second period. But the first-place Wave (13-6) scored nine consecutive points for an 11-8 lead midway through the final period. Pat Morris led the Kixx with five points, on a three-point goal and a two-pointer. Adauto Neto contributed two assists to boost his point-scoring streak to 17 games.

The Kixx saw their Major Indoor Soccer League playoff hopes reduced to a slender thread last night after a 34-15 loss to the Rockford Rampage at the Liacouras Center. The 34 points were the most scored against the Kixx (7-10) in their 14-year history. To make the playoffs, they must win their final three games and hope for a win by the Rampage (7-12) over La RaZa de Monterrey (9-10). Philadelphia forward Adauto Neto extended his point-scoring streak to 16 games with four assists.

Semir Mesanovic's goal off a restart 5 minutes, 34 seconds into overtime gave the Kixx a 9-7 win over the Baltimore Blast last night in a Major Indoor Soccer League game at 1st Mariner Arena. The Kixx (7-9) scored all six of their regulation goals in the fourth period, including another by Mesanovic and one by Adauto Neto. Player-coach Don D'Ambra's goal near the end of the period forged a 6-6 tie with the Blast (11-8) to extend the match.

Sparked by seven points from midfielder Semir Mesanovic, the Kixx earned a 20-13 victory over La RaZa de Monterrey last night at the Liacouras Center. Mesanovic finished with a hat trick as the Kixx improved to 6-9 and kept their Major Indoor Soccer League playoff hopes alive. La Raza is 9-9. Philadelphia forward Adauto Neto extended his scoring streak to 14 games with a goal and two assists. Goalkeeper Nick Hovaker turned away nine shots to earn the win in his first start of the season.