The Blast entered the new year expecting to climb to the top of the Major Indoor Soccer League standings, but on Saturday, the team sunk to an unprecedented low.

The Blast was shutout for the first time in franchise history during a 4-0 loss at Philadelphia after scoring at least a point in each of the franchise’s previous 633 games dating to 1992.

The Blast’s futility came on the heels of one of its better performances of the season. Baltimore ended a five-game losing streak by posting a convincing, 15-2 victory over the New Jersey Ironmen at 1st Mariner Arena.

But fewer than 24 hours later, the Blast (6-6) couldn’t kick a ball into the goal, as Philadelphia goalkeeper Peter Pappas made 14 saves to move the KiXX (6-8) to within a game of the Blast in the standings.

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“We were creating opportunities and not finishing,” Blast coach Danny Kelly said. “Sometimes you run into a good goalkeeper and sometimes it feels like there’s a brick wall in front of the goal.”

Pappas, Major Indoor Soccer League’s Goalkeeper of the Year when he led the KiXX to the title last season, is fourth among keepers with an 8.72 points per game average and first with 163 saves.

Sammy Castellanos scored in the first quarter, and Johnny Steele beat Blast goalkeeper Sagu in the third to lead Philadelphia to its fourth win in five games.

The Blast is in sixth place, 2 1/2 games behind league-leading Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee, all 9-4. The Blast faces the Ironmen (8-5) on Friday night at 8 in Newark, N.J.

“We have actually put ourselves in a position where we so more pressure on ourselves,” Baltimore forward David Bascome said. “It’s just panicking.”

The Blast certainly didn’t panic against the Ironmen, who arrived at 1st Mariner Arena tied for first place. Bascome scored two goals, Machel Millwood added a goal and two assists and Adauto Neto, the 2005-06 Most Valuable Player who made his season debut after breaking his foot during the team’s first practice, assisted on a goal by P.J. Wakefield.

But Baltimore couldn’t maintain its stellar play against the KiXX.

“Obviously losing is not fun,” Kelly said. “We’ve been unlucky, unfortunate and finding ways to lose — a mistake here, a defensive lapse there, a turnover here. It’s tough to take, especially with these guys laying it on the line and you’re not getting the results. That’s when you start to question yourself and lose a bit of your confidence.”

Blast vs. Ironmen

» Kickoff: Friday, 8 p.m.

» Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.

» Radio: 680 AM

» Tickets: Available

mpeters@dcexaminer.com