03/09/2010 12:20 PM -
MILWAUKEE (March 9, 2010) – The Milwaukee Wave are the first MISL team to clinch one of the three available postseason berths and now set their sights on hosting the MISL Championship Game, awarded to the regular season champion.
After winning Sunday, the Wave are 11-6. Rockford (6-11) is already unable to catch them. Baltimore (10-7) and Philadelphia (6-9) meet each other two more times, and no matter how those games turn out, one of them will also finish behind Milwaukee:
- At least one Philadelphia loss means the KiXX’s best finish is 10-10; the Wave’s worst finish is 11-9.
- Two Philadelphia wins in that series would give Baltimore at least nine losses. Because the Wave own the tiebreaker on the Blast, Baltimore would join Rockford as the two teams unable to catch the Wave.
Milwaukee has made the playoffs every year except two under Keith Tozer – 1992-92, Tozer’s first season with the Wave, and 2008-09, when the Xtreme Soccer League did not have a playoff format.
As far as the regular season championship, the Wave have two “magic numbers.” Any combination of two Wave wins or Baltimore losses keep the Blast from the title. And any combination of one Wave win or Monterrey loss does the same with LaRaza. If the Wave do earn the right to host the championship game, it will be at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 4 at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
The Blast, winners of five in a row, host Rockford and Philadelphia on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Monterrey wraps up a five-game road trip at Milwaukee on Sunday. La Raza has dropped the first four games of the trip, two at Philadelphia and two at Baltimore.
Monterrey, however, has triumphed in both its trips to Milwaukee this year. The first victory was 15-4 in the Wave’s home opener on Dec. 12, and the second was an 18-10 verdict on Jan. 10.