Blast hopes to ignite winning streak

“This game has got to be the biggest game of the year for us,” midfielder Robbie Aristodemo said. “We’re 6-7. We want to stay within reach of all the teams that are kind of breaking away. So for us, this is the biggest game of the year. We’ve got to win.”

The Blast is 1-1 against the La Raza (5-9) this season, but both teams enter a pivotal game heading in opposite directions. The Blast has lost two straight games and seven of its past eight to fall from first to seventh place in the nine-team league — four games behind league-leading Milwaukee (11-4). Meantime, the expansion team from Mexico has won four of its past six games to move to within 1 1/2 games of the Blast.

The Blast is coming off a 13-12 loss at New Jersey last week when it gave up the game-winning goal with 55 seconds remaining, just 43 seconds after it took the lead on a goal by Giuliano Celenza.

“It’s a game we should have won,” Blast coach Danny Kelly said. “We scored our sixth-attacker goal with 1:38 to go, and we wind up giving one up on our sixth-attacker defense. It’s just one of those games where you’ve got to win. Our defense just wasn’t good enough.”

After facing Monterrey, which posted a 16-13 victory over the Blast on Dec. 13, the Blast plays at defending champion Philadelphia (7-8) on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. The KiXX has won five of its past six games, including a 4-0 victory over Baltimore on Jan. 5, when the Blast were shutout for the first time in franchise history.

The Blast, however, is 5-2 at home this season, outscoring its opposition, 83-59.

“It does play a little bit more that its a home game, playing in front of our fans,” Aristodemo said. “We usually perform well at home. I think just the pressure that it’s a big game, it’s at home, and hopefully everyone raises their game and realizes the importance of it.”

BLAST (6-7) VS. MONTERREY LA RAZA (5-9)

» Kickoff: Tonight, 7:35

» Where: 1st Mariner Arena

» Radio: 680 AM