MUSKEGON – If ever there were a game when the Muskegon Risers needed their fans to come out in big numbers and make a lot of noise, it would be Saturday’s 7 p.m. playoff showdown against the Chicago Mustangs.
There are lots of reasons why the home crowd could make a big difference for the Risers this weekend:
The Risers are competing in the first playoff game in the history of their franchise, indoor or outdoor. They’ve had some good teams over the years, but never before had this type of chance to compete for a league championship.
A victory would give the Risers a berth in the Major Arena Soccer League 2’s “Championship Weekend,” scheduled for April 8 and 10, right here in Muskegon. Who knows when they will get another chance to play for all the marbles, particularly on their home field?
[1]The Risers are a little rusty, because they haven’t played a game since March 12. They were put in that position because they started the regular season in December, weeks before most of the other teams in the league, and finished several weeks earlier.
Finally, the Risers will be playing short-handed, with several key players missing from the lineup in the biggest game of the season. That list includes leading scorer Miguel Flores.
But the Risers still have a real chance of beating Chicago and moving on to the Final 4, and they are very much hoping to have a big crowd on their side, cheering them on to a huge win.
“It would be great to have a large crowd there supporting the boys,” said Risers Coach Ben Ritsema. ‘They have worked so hard this season, and they could use a big crowd to support them in what I’m sure will be a close, exciting game.”
The Risers, competing in their first full season as members of the MASL 2, qualified for a playoff spot by finishing the regular season with a 6-6 record and taking second place in the Great Lakes Division.
[2]Chicago finished third in the division with a 5-7 record.
The two teams are pretty evenly matched, which was demonstrated during the regular season when they split four games 2-2.
Muskegon won both games at Mercy Health Arena by scores of 11-10 and 13-2. Chicago won both games in its building by scores of 7-6 and 14-4.
Logic says that the Risers should have the upper hand on Saturday, since the home team has had the edge in the season series, but Muskegon beat Chicago twice with a largely healthy lineup.
Missing this time will be Flores, who is the second-leading scorer in the league with 21 goals. Eight of his goals this season came against Chicago, including four in the 13-2 victory at home.
[3]Flores severely sprained a knee in the Risers’ last home game on March 5, and he’s not ready to return, Ritsema said. There’s a chance he could be available for the league semifinals if the Risers advance, but there’s no way to know at this point, according to the coach.
“He’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball, so when you take that off your team, that’s a huge loss,” Ritsema said. “Not only does he score goals, he assists as well. He creates more than just the goals he scores.”
Also missing with be several other offensive threats, including Ryan Zietlow (11 goals, including seven against Chicago) and Adam Knight (6 goals). Zietlow has been injured since midseason while Knight will not be able to play for personal reasons.
To complicate matters more, Risers veteran TJ Ifaturoti, a part-time player this season who has scored five goals in limited action, injured himself last week and is questionable for Saturday’s game.
With so many big scorers out, there will be plenty of opportunities for other players to step up and give the Risers the offense they will need on Saturday.
Ritsema believes his team can compensate for the lost firepower and win the game. He noted that the Risers won their final regular season game in Cincinnati 6-5 while playing without Flores or Zietlow.
“We’re going to have some other guys getting more playing time, and they’re going to have to create chances and finish chances,” the coach said. “We had a huge team win in Cincinnati after we were down by three at halftime, and we didn’t have one guy scoring three or four goals.
“Instead of having three or four goal scorers on Saturday, we’re going to have to have five or six.”
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