Blast defense is Stormproof in win over Chicago

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - If Blast defenseman Mike Lookingland was told last week his team would give up 23 points in a game, he wouldn’t have believed it.

And if he was told his squad would rebound six days later to post the first shutout in franchise history, he would have been just as skeptical.

But the improbable and the historic happened last week, as the Blast recorded a 26-23 win over the California Cougars and picked up the club’s first shutout with a 13-0 win against Chicago just six days later on Saturday.

“Cal is a tricky team to play against in that they have a lot of young guys running around,” Lookingland said. “Chicago is a veteran team, and going in there we know we were playing against a tough opponent, and just trying to play good team ‘D’ and not give up anything cheap.”

They did just that.

Blast goalie Sagu, the reining Major Indoor Soccer League Player of the Week, turned aside 11 shots against Chicago. Sagu nearly picked up the first shutout in franchise history on March 7 at 1st Mariner Arena against the Philadelphia KiXX, but gave up a goal 27:15 into the game before the Blast (17-9) secured an 18-2 win. Sagu leads the league by allowing just 7.83 points per game, which is at least 1.41 better than the rest of the field.

But a commitment to team defense, something the Blast lacked last year when it lost its last six games to miss the playoffs, is what makes this year’s team a contender. The Blast is in third place — a 1 1/2 games behind Milwaukee (18-7) and two games behind Detroit (19-7) — with four games remaining.

“If we commit to team ‘D’ we will have a chance to win every game,” Blast coach Danny Kelly said. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment for the team to shut them out, but at the same time it’s just one game we and it doesn’t count as any more than that.”

The Blast, which had a five-game losing streak that stretched from late November to mid-December, is playing its best soccer of the year, winning 11 of its past 13 games. During those games, Baltimore has given up 10 or more points just four times —going 2-2 in those matchups.

Lookingland, who had two goals, including a three-pointer, against Chicago, will try to help his team maintain its momentum on Thursday night in Monterrey, Mexico, against La Raza (14-12). The Blast, which lost in Monterrey in its only visit on Dec. 13, returns to 1st Mariner Arena on Friday night at 7:35 against the Chicago Storm (14-13).

“We are blue collar and work hard,” Lookingland said. “Last year we doubted ourselves, but that’s not happening this year.”

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com

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