Match Preview: Saturday 12/27 vs. Omaha
- The Raptors Report
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Attention Jurassic Fanatics! Get ready for a great day of indoor soccer as your Raptors do battle with Omaha FC.
The Kings are looking for revenge after your Raptor men spoiled their home opener last weekend at Baxter Arena in Omaha, a thrilling overtime affair that ended with Jonah Dancer netting his second game-winner in a row.
Recently reorganized, the Kings bring a wealth of M2-level experience. Their two main scorers from last Saturday night, Manuel Lira and Leonides Mejia, are veterans of the 2021-2 team which made a deep playoff run, losing an overtime heartbreaker to San Diego in the semifinals. That year, Mejia netted 18 goals and contributed 5 assists; Lira -- who scored twice against your Raptors -- had 16 goals and 15 assists in 2021-2. Both Lira and Mejia are known for coming up big in the clutch, as each scored four goals in the Kings' 2021-2 playoff run. Veterans Say Say and Morgan Penn also scored for the Kings last Saturday, along with newcomer John Palencia. They'll be a tough matchup.
Your Raptors have been all about the drama so far this season, winning both of their games by a single goal. We took it right down to the wire against Minnesota, and it took an extra frame to beat Omaha. Both times, Jonah Dancer knocked home the winning goal. He now leads the entire MASL2 in goals (6), total points (7), and game-winners (2); he's tied for the lead in power play goals (1).
It's far from a one-man show, though. Your Raptors pride themselves on a balanced attack, and so far this season seven players have tallied points. Outstanding forward Ronaldo Rojas has netted three goals, and he's tied with fellow Raptors Bobby Hurwitz, Jake Johnson, and Beni Mubake for the league lead in assists, with two. Veteran defender Sarrive Rukakiza and electric newcomer Johan Bowen-Burt have each added goals; Mubake and Johnson have one apiece as well.
Your Raptors have been anchored by strong goalie play from a trio of keepers. Veteran Junior Holland started the December 6 tilt in net, but was replaced by fellow veteran Sean Austin after suffering an injury midway through the first period. Last Saturday, newcomer Ymaury Casillas got the start and was spectacular, surrendering just four goals on a barrage of 17 shots.
Players to watch: Bowen-Burt is a shifty attacker with breakaway speed; he opened the scoring against Minnesota, and will only get better as he grows more comfortable with the indoor game. The same goes for Champ Krah, a surprisingly quick big man who logged some quality shifts in Omaha last weekend. Kolby Godbolt is a strong two-way player with M2 experience, and on the defensive side, veterans David Lapan-Islas and Orlando Clark always lock it down.
On the women's side, your Lady Raptors are looking to rebound from a hard-fought loss to the Queens at Baxter Arena, 9-1. Both sides are finding their rhythm. The Queens made their MASLW debut this season; this is the second indoor campaign for the reorganized Lady Raptors. So far this seasons, the penalty kill has been a strong point: the Lady Raptors have killed off 75% of their chances, one of the league's best marks. They'll need a lot of offense, though, to beat the Queens, whose goalkeeper tandem of Kylie Comba and Ivette Estrada have surrendered only one score so far this season. The Lady Raptors have a trio of scorers: Indoor veteran Madisyn Hunt has two goals and an assist; Esther Attwood and Taylor Zabrocki each have a goal on the season. It'll be a tough fight, but your Lady Raptors are always up for the challenge.
The gates are set to open at 6pm for the men's side. Currently the women's game is livestream only, but you can help us open the gates for the Lady Raptors by purchasing tickets -- let's #PackThePowerhouse! Get your tickets online or at the box office. It's our Educator Appreciation Night, so anyone with a valid school employee ID can get two tickets for the price of one at the box office! If you're not an educator, don't worry, we've got two ways to save! Use code CRWATCH at the box office from now through December 26, and you'll get two tickets for the price of one. Use code 25OFF at the box office at any time through gameday, and you'll receive 25% off your tickets! Tickets start at just $12 (exclusive of arena fees); get yours today, and get ready to #RunWithTheRaptors!
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