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Split decision: Wave fall to Chicago, then fend off Cedar Rapids

12/15/2015, 10:15pm CST
By ERIC ANDERSON
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Veteran Marcelo Fontana snapped a tie with 49 seconds left as the Milwaukee Wave salvaged a split of their weekend road matches, holding off the host Cedar Rapids Rampage 8-6 in a Major Arena Soccer League game Saturday night in Iowa.

Goalkeeper Matt Eisold (Burlington/Wisconsin Lutheran) made 26 saves and Sean Totsch scored into an empty net with 12 seconds remaining to cap off a hat trick for the Wave (5-3), who lost to the Chicago Mustangs 8-3 a night earlier.

Milwaukee opened up leads of 4-1 and 5-2 in the third quarter, but the expansion Rampage rallied and tied it twice in the final 8 minutes.
Max Ferdinand restored the Wave's lead with his second goal of the night and ninth of the season with 5:40 to play, then the 42-year-old Fontana finally put Milwaukee in front for good with his third of the season in the final minute. Hans Denissen set up both goals, the first two assists of the 31-year-old Dutchman's indoor career.

Second-year midfielder Andrew Wiedabach (Mequon Homestead/UW-Milwaukee) scored his first professional goal and Ian Bennett added his team-best 12th goal of the season as the Wave denied Cedar Rapids (0-6) its first victory.

On Friday in Hoffman Estates, Ill., former Mexican national team striker Adolfo "Bofo" Bautista had two goals in his MASL debut and Taylor Bond had a hand in five goals as the Mustangs past Milwaukee for the second time in as many games this season.

The 36-year-old Bautista, who has 108 goals in his 17-year outdoor career and 11 goals in 38 caps with El Tri, and Bond combined for four straight goals in the second and third quarters as Chicago (5-2) answered Fontana's opener late in the first.

Bennett scored twice for the Wave, with his second of the night bringing Milwaukee within 5-3 early in the fourth. However, Bond and Miguel Vaca each had a goal and an assist as Chicago pulled away down the stretch. Eisold finished with 19 saves and allowed six goals in his first start of the season.

Game highlights

The Wave are off next weekend and return to action Dec. 27 at the St. Louis Ambush, who fired coach Daryl Doran on Monday and replaced him with Tony Glavin. The Ambush (0-6) face Cedar Rapids in a matchup of winless teams on Saturday.

  • Milwaukee assistant coach-goalkeeper Nick Vorberg was named to the MASL Team of the Week for Week 7 after helping the Wave sweep past the Missouri Comets 7-6 in a shootout on Dec. 4 and St. Louis 5-2 on Dec. 6. The 40-year-old stopped 32 of 40 shots overall and didn't allow the previously unbeaten Comets to score in the shootout.

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