Irons Host Storm In Crucial Meeting On Sunday

It's not quite desperation time, but it sure is getting close to it.

With the midway point of the season vastly approaching, the Ironmen (3-5) find themselves in need of a win to keep pace with the first place Milwaukee Wave--who have dropped the Irons in their last two meetings.

The Irons enter Sunday's home match against the Chicago Storm (2-6) in the midst of a three game slide. They are hoping that the return of goalkeeper Le Clembo do Carmo will help bolster a defense that has conceded a combined 46 points during the last three games. Le suffered a pre-season cheekbone fracture. He was 0-3 with a .583 save percentage during his rookie campaign last season.

Former Red Bull New York draft pick Randi Patterson will make his debut in an Ironmen uniform. The Hackensack, NJ native was acquired from the Storm in a trade for Frederico Moojen last week.

Moojen and former Ironmen midfielder Lazo Alavanja will try to get the sputtering Storm back on track after losing their last five games.

The match will get underway at 1:00 PM at the Prudential Center. Coverage can be seen on the B2 Networks.

Some more Ironmen notes:

* Ironmen Lucio Gonzaga was named XSL Offensive Player of the Month for January. The Brazilian midfielder notched 28 points during the month.

* The New York Titans of the National Lacrosse League will also be in action at the Prudential Center on Sunday. They will take on the Philadelphia Wings starting at 7:00 PM. Fans can see both games for $20 by calling 1-800-IRONMEN.

* The first 3000 fans into the doors before the Ironmen match will receive a 2008-09 Ironmen Dancers Photo Card.

Reeling Irons Deal For Patterson

Randi Patterson

The Ironmen shook up their roster this weekend when they sent Frederico Moojen to the Chicago Storm in return for forward Randi Patterson.

Patterson, a Hackensack, NJ native, started his club career in 2007 as a member of Red Bull New York. The 23-year-old most recently played for the Charleston Battery where he lead the club with 10 goals. He had registered two assists in seven matches this season for the Storm.

Moojen leaves the Irons after scoring four goals and one assist this year. The Brazilian forward earned Rookie of the Year honors last season after a 22 goal campaign. He has been hampered by a toe injury.

The move comes on the heels of a dismal three game slide that dropped the Irons to a disappointing 3-5 record. The team is hoping that the shakeup bolsters team chemistry."We just felt that we had too many targets and needed to create a better mix of midfielders and targets on our roster," said Ironmen head coach Omid Namazi in the press release.

We hope it works. The season is too short to be in a hole at the midway point.

Ironmen At Milwaukee Wave (Game Preview)

The Ironmen (3-2) travel to U.S. Cellular Arena today to take on the Milwaukee Wave (3-2) with first place at stake. The match is slated to get underway at 8:00 PM and can be seen live online on the B2 Networks.

The Irons jumped into a three-way tie for first with a 14-4 win over the Wave at the Prudential Center this past Sunday. The victory was Jersey's third straight.

Milwaukee has dropped their last two games.

Midfielder Lucio Gonzaga has scored six goals in the last two games. Four of those strikes have been three-pointers.

The Irons and Wave are part of the three-way tie for first along with the Detroit Ignition.

Ironmen Win Third Straight

Lucio Gonzaga And Brett Phillips

It took less than a month for the Ironmen to climb out of the cellar and into a two-way tie for top spot in the league standings.

After dropping the first two meetings of the season, the Irons (3-2) have regrouped and strung together a three-game win streak. The latest victory came this Sunday at the Prudential Center in Newark against the first place Milwaukee Wave (3-2).

After a tightly played first half, the Ironmen began to pull ahead midway through the third quarter when midfielder Lucio Gonzaga created space outside the arc and beat Marcel Feenstra far post for a 3-point strike to bring the score to a 7-2 count.

Gonzaga would add another 3-pointer later in the game to increase his team leading goal total to 10 on the season. The goal was part of a seven-point Ironmen fourth quarter that saw Frederico Moojen pick up his third goal on the year and Chile Farias deposit his second on a chip shot over a retreating Milwaukee sixth attacker with less than a minute on the clock. The late scoring spree ended the match at 14-4 in the Irons' favor.

Brett Phillips was back in goal for the Ironmen after a one-game absence from an ankle injury. The veteran keeper notched 12 saves to record his second win of the current campaign.

The victory was the Irons' first over the Wave in franchise history. The Wave, losers of two-straight, find their grip on the XSL lead slipping as the Ironmen now stand tied atop the league table after Sunday's win.  

The Ironmen will seek to wrest sole possession of first place from the Wave when they travel to U.S. Cellular Arena this Friday night for the second game of back-to-back meetings.

Ironmen Vs. Milwaukee Wave (Game Preview)

Don't forget, the Ironmen (2-2) play their second of two weekend games this afternoon at the Prudential Center. The match is slated to get underway at 4:30 PM and can be seen live online on the B2 Networks.

Today's opponent will be the Milwaukee Wave (3-1), who currently hold the top spot on the XSL table. The Wave will be looking to rebound after their first setback of the season, a 14-12 overtime loss to the Detroit Ignition on Friday night.

The contest will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Wave swept all four games with the Irons last year.

Irons Sink Chicago, 23-8

Pat Hannigan

After a dismal 0-2 start to the season, the Ironmen have pulled themselves to an even .500 after knocking off the Chicago Storm 23-8 at the Prudential Center Friday night.

The offense looked to be firing on all cylinders for the first time this year. The 23-point performance was a season high for the 2008-09 campaign.

Lucio Gonzaga showed why the Irons were keen to sign him away from Baltimore during the off season. The Brazilian midfielder registered four goals on the night, including an empty net three-pointer late in the fourth to seal the game.

Ironmen midfielder Goran Vasic had his strongest performance of the season. He scored two on the night and assisted on a couple other. His first goal gave the Ironmen an 11-8 advantage late in the third quarter.

The victory marked goalkeeper Pat Hannigan's first career indoor win.

The Ironmen are now 2-2 on the season. The loss drops Chicago to 2-4.

Ironmen VS. Chicago Storm (Game Preview)

The Ironmen will take on the Chicago Storm Storm tonight at the Prudential Center starting at 7:30 PM. The match can be seen live online on the B2 Networks.

After starting the season with a disappointing 0-2 record, the Ironmen will be looking for their second straight win tonight. Their first victory came this past Sunday when they downed the Storm 13-7 at the Sears Centre. The win was their first on the road in 11 games dating back to last season.

Ironmen forward Frederico Moojen will look to continue his scoring form. The Brazilian netted two goals in Sunday's match with the Storm.

The Storm feature former Red Bull New York first round draft pick Randi Paterson, who has no goals and two assists on the year.

Patrick Hannigan, a former MetroStars draft pick, will get his first start in goal for the Ironmen tonight.

Irons Pick Up First Win On The Season

Frederico Moojen

The Ironmen (1-2) earned their first win of the 2008-09 campaign this afternoon when they defeated the Chicago Storm (2-3) by a count of 13-7 at the Sears Centre. The victory snaps a 10-game road skid that dates back to last season.

Ryan Hall opened the scoring for the Ironmen with an unassisted shorthanded goal in the second period. The tally was the veteran defender's first of the season.

Also among the New Jersey scorers was 2007-2008 MISL Rookie of the Year Frederico Moojen, who netted his first and second goals on the year. Both of Moojen's strikes came during a 10-point Ironmen offensive explosion in the second period.

The potent second frame also saw the Ironmen convert their first powerplay of the season when forward Aduato Neto scored off of a Chile Farias feed.

We here at the Local Fe26 are relieved that the Ironmen are finally in the win column. An 0-3 start would have been ugly. The Irons' next match will be this Friday at the Prudential Center. Check back for a game preview.

IRONMEN 13, STORM 7
Scoring
First quarter: No scoring.
Second quarter: 1, NJ, Hall (unassisted), shorthanded, 4:32; 2, CHI, Fabinho (Knezevic), 3PG, 6:07; 3, CHI, Savic (Zebic), PPG, 7:32; 4, NJ, Moojen (unassisted), 8:07; 5, NJ, Neto (Farias), PPG, 10:11; 6, NJ, Martinez (Vasic), 10:56; 7, NJ, Moojen (McNeley), 14:12.
Third quarter: 8, CHI, Fabinho (Morad), 11:20.
Fourth quarter: 9, NJ, Gonzaga (unassisted), 3PG, 13:40.
Penalties
First quarter: No penalties.
Second quarter: 1, NJ, Bonser (pushing), 3:17; 2, NJ, Boney (dissent - yellow), 3:17; 3, NJ, too many men (served by Tiguinho), 7:01; 4, CHI, Knezevic (violent charge), 10:04.
Third quarter: 5, NJ, Martinez (pushing), 14:35.
Fourth quarter: 6, NJ, Farias (protesting a penalty - yellow), 14:51; 7, NJ, Farias (foul language - red), 14:51.
Attendance: 1,308.

Ironmen At Chicago Storm (Game Preview)

Goran Vasic

The Ironmen will be facing an early season test Sunday afternoon when they travel to the Sears Centre to take on the Chicago Storm. The match gets underway at 2:00 PM and can be seen online on the B2 Networks.

The Irons are off to a disappointing 0-2 start in the shortened 20-game season. They dropped their last match on December 21 to the Detroit Ignition after blowing a late four-point lead. The Ironmen power play went scoreless during the two-game slide.

The loss at Detroit did produce a few positives. The offense put up 14 points after their dismal one-goal performance on opening day. Defender Rey Martinez lead the way with two goals and an assist on the day. Captain Shawn Boney's brace brought his career regular season point total to 301.

The Storm are also coming off a defeat in their last contest. They fell 14-10 to the league leading Milwaukee Wave on New Year's Eve. The loss dropped the Storm to 2-2 on the season. They sit in second place on the league table.

The Ironmen dropped their first meeting with the Storm 4-2 at the Prudential Center on December 14.