Sports

Bel Air Patch Editor To Star In Blast Halftime Game

Patch editors will be squaring off against other Baltimore-area media personalities in the "Celebrity" half-time show this Saturday. The professionals are scheduled to play, too.

It seems history is destined to repeat itself again this season as league leaders Baltimore Blast and Milwaukee Wave prepare one final showdown ahead of the Major Indoor Soccer League playoffs.

The Blast (20-5) and the Wave (18-3) are currently tied for first in the league standings. The Wave have five more games to play, although both teams have secured spots in the post season.

The Wave were riding a 16-game winning streak before last Sunday. The Blast meanwhile go into Saturday's match-up with five consecutive victories.

Find out what's happening in Bel Airwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Pro indoor soccer fans know that the Blast and the Wave is currently the hottest rivalry in the league.

"Dating back to the 1992-93 season, the Blast vs. Wave rivalry is the fiercest and longest-standing rivalry in indoor soccer," according to a news release from the Blast. "The Blast is 31-48 all-time against the Wave in the regular season while holding a 9-6 edge in postseason play.

Find out what's happening in Bel Airwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Since the 2003 postseason, the Blast and Wave have played each other six times in the playoffs with Baltimore winning the Championship match-ups in 2003 and 2004 and Milwaukee beating the Blast for the title in 2011 and 2012," the release continues.

True fans of Baltimore soccer know the trademark chant when the team scores—"One! Two! We want more! We want more!"

While the fans count up, local Patch editors Sean Welsh, Kirsten Dize and myself have been counting down to Saturday's game from a very different, although equally exciting reason.

For three seasons now Sean and I have been asked to play in the media personality half-time show—a fan-favorite attraction. They call it the "Celebrity Media Half-Time Show," except Sean and I have no misconception of being labeled celebrities outside of our Patch towns Aberdeen and Lutherville-Timonium

We brought Bel Air Patch editor Kirsten Dize on to frustrate former Johns Hopkins lacrosse All-Star Paul Rabil in 2012.

Yes. We're heartless.

We made 5-foot-4-inch Kirsten defend against a current professional lacrosse player who could easily substitute his stick for a Spartan sword. Watch the video to see what we mean.

Speaking of the video, you'll notice Sean and I link up for the first goal of the "game" in the first 10-seconds of playing. Sean, one of my bosses, promises he'll set me up for a goal this year.

But we few proud Patchers and a handful of the Baltimore sports media elite will only take centerstage for 10 minutes—the approximate time it'll take we journalists to pass out from exhaustion.

The true glory will be watching the Blast try to knock off the defending league champions.

Leading Scorers

  • Machel Millwood (59 points)
  • Lucio Gonzaga (55 points)
  • Mike Lookingland (49 points)
  • Max Ferdinand (48 points)
  • Tony Donatelli (47 points)
  • Adauto Neto (45 points)
  • Pat Healey (35 points) 

The O's made the playoffs. The Ravens won the Super Bowl. Can the Blast bring the title back to Baltimore?

Kick-off is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7:35 p.m. at First Mariner Arena in Baltimore. Catch Kirsten, Sean & I at halftime.


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