De Oliveira helps clinch playoff berth
Blast rookie defender Elton de Oliveira only had one goal this season coming into Friday’s night’s game against the Syracuse Silver Knights.
In a three-minute stretch, he scored twice as many.
The two goals were nifty and precise — the first a rocket from the right side late in the second quarter and the second neatly placed from the middle coming 32 seconds into the third quarter. More importantly, they were pivotal in helping the defending Major Arena Soccer League champions shake off the visiting Silver Knights, 8-4, to clinch a playoff berth before an announced 6,131 at Royal Farms Arena.
The Blast, first in the MASL’s Eastern Division with an 11-5 mark, moved three games in front of the second-place Harrisburg Heat (8-9), who lost Friday night’s road game against the Kansas City Comets, 12-4. If the Blast beat the Silver Knights (6-11 and last in the division) a second time this weekend — the teams return to Royal Farms Arena at 4:05 p.m. today — they would lock up the division title with three games left in the regular season.
“Usually [the opposing team’s] targets don’t follow us [defenders], so it’s a big opportunity, and when the coach says make the runs I was happy [to score] and have the big night,” de Oliveira said.
In addition to de Oliveira’s offensive outburst — he later added an assist — the Blast got a two-goal, three-assist effort from leading scorer Tony Donatelli, who now has 18 goals and 19 assists this season. Vini Dantas added two goals and Lucas Roque pitched in with one goal and an assist. Blast goalie William Vanzela finished with 10 saves.
“I thought it was a good overall performance,” Blast coach Danny Kelly said.
For most of the first half, the Silver Knights didn’t look like a last-place team as the Blast only mustered a 2-1 lead late into the second quarter. That’s when de Oliveira went to work, making it 3-1 with the only goal of the quarter 2:14 before halftime. In the opening minute of the third quarter, he took a pass from Donatelli and made it 4-1. The Blast scored three more goals in the third quarter to take charge. Syracuse Blast FIRST QUARTER Scoring: 1. Blast, Dantas, (Donatelli), 4:145; 2. Syracuse, Ubiparipovic, (Gonzalez), 13:11; 3. Blast, Donateilli, pp., 13:21. Penalties: Syraucse, O’Quinn (handling), 13:18. SECOND QUARTER Scoring: 4. Blast, de Oliveira, 12:46. Penalties: None. THIRD QUARTER Scoring: 5. Blast, de Oliveira, (Donatelli), :26; 6. Blast, Dantas, (Healey), 3:55; 7. Syracuse, Ubiparipovic, (Tavernese), pp., 7:57; 8. Blast, Roque, (Donatelli), 11:28; 9. Blast, Hoxie, (de Oliveira), 14:15. Penalties: Blast, Pereira, (boardiing), 6:20. FOURTH QUARTER Scoring: 10. Blast, Donatelli, (Roque), 7:16; 11. Syracuse, Schindler, (Ubiparipovic), 9:49; 12. Syracuse, Ubiparipovic, 11:58. Penalties: Blast, Dos Santos, (handling), 11:58. Shots: Syracuse 11-3-7-6—27; Blast 3-7-5-7—22. Power play opportunities: Syracuse 2-for-2; Blast 1-for-1. Goalie saves: Syracuse, O’Quinn 2-2-0-3 -- 7; Blast, Vanzela 2-2-4-2 -- 10. A—6,131 1 2 0 1 1 4 2 1 — — 4 8