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INTERACTIVE
ALSO ON SLAM!
Attack dethrone Crunch in NPSL final
(CP) -- Receptionists at the Kansas City Attack and Cleveland Crunch were getting used to new greetings Monday.It was "NPSL champions Kansas City Attack" and just plain "Cleveland Crunch, how may I help you?" after the Attack swept the defending champion Crunch in four games in the indoor National Professional Soccer League final.
For Kansas City, it was sweet revenge. The Attack led the Crunch 2-0 in last year's championship series, only to lose the next four games.
It also gave the Attack the rubber match in championship play. Kansas City beat Cleveland 3-2 in the best-of-five 1993 finals.
And for Attack general manager Zoran Savic, Sunday night's deciding game capped a unique triple championship crown. He had already won titles as a player (in 1987 with the Louisville Thunder) and as a coach (in '93 with the Attack).
"When you look at all three of them, one thing is very consistent," the 37-year-old Savic said Monday of the championships. "It's people. We're only as good as the people we work with.
"I've been very fortunate to be surrounded with a lot of great people."
The Attack showed great character throughout the playoffs, posting a 11-2 record after losing four of their last six regular season games.
And they set the tone in Game 1 of the final in Cleveland, going on a 16-0 run in the second half to overcome a 12-2 deficit. Kansas City went on to win 18-14.
"It reassured us that 'hey, we can come back against everybody,' " Savic said. "I think it also gave Cleveland a little sense of insecurity -- that no lead was safe with us.
"I think that as the turnaround of the series."
"The first game really killed us," echoed Cleveland coach Bruce Miller, a native of Vancouver.
The Attack went on to win Game 2 25-19 before returning home to wrap up the series with 14-8 and 15-12 wins. In all, they won their last seven playoff games.
Lee Tschantret, who like Brian Loftin had a pair of game-winning goals in the final, led the Attack with 50 points in the playoffs.
Goalie Waren Westcoat was named playoff MVP, helping weather a potent Cleveland offence led by Hector Marinaro Jr. of Mississauga, Ont., and Zoran Karic.
"Unbelievable," Miller said of Westcoat. "Brilliant. He deserved it."
Karic led all playoff scorers with 60 points while Marinaro had 43 to become the first NPSL player to score more than 300 playoff points.
But it was an off postseason for Marinaro, who set a league record with 101 points in the playoffs last season.
"He struggled a bit this year," Miller said. "He wasn't putting the ball in . . . If you count the number of posts and crossbars this guy hit throughout the whole playoffs. It was an inch off. It wasn't through lack of trying."
As a team, the Crunch were left wondering how a club that went 18-2 at home during the regular season could go 2-4 at home in the playoffs.
"We wanted the championship but they deserved it," all-star goalie Otto Orf told the Kansas City Star.
And the team's receptionist was left pondering a new telephone greeting.
"American Conference champion?" she suggested.
American Conference Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3)
Cincinnati 2, Tampa Bay 1
Cincinnati 13, Tampa Bay 11
Tampa Bay, 17, Cincinnati 15, OT
Cincinnati 16, Tampa Bay 11
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Baltimore 2, Philadelphia 0
Baltimore 15, Philadelphia 8
Baltimore 18, Philadelphia 8
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National Conference Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3)
Edmonton 2, Milwaukee 0
Edmonton 20, Milwaukee 6
Edmonton 10, Milwaukee 9
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Kansas City 2, Wichita 1
Kansas City 13, Wichita 11
Wichita 14, Kansas City 13
Kansas City 22, Wichita 5
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CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
(Best-of-3)
American Conference
Cleveland 2, Baltimore 1
Baltimore 19, Cleveland 14
Cleveland 21, Baltimore 9
Cleveland 14, Baltimore 13
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Harrisburg 2, Cincinnati 0
Harrisburg 11, Cincinnati 9
Harrisburg 13, Cincinnati 12
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE
St. Louis 2, Edmonton 1
St. Louis 19, Edmonton 18
Edmonton 19, St. Louis 9
St. Louis 16, Edmonton 11
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Kansas City 2, Buffalo 0
Kansas City 18, Buffalo 12
Kansas City 13, Buffalo 11
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Conference Finals
(Best-of-5)
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Harrisburg vs. Cleveland
Saturday, April 19
Cleveland 11, Harrisburg 8
Sunday, April 20
Harrisburg 19, Cleveland 13
Wednesday, April 23
Cleveland 17, Harrisburg 14
Friday, April 25
Cleveland 14, Harrisburg 2, Cleveland wins series 3-1
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Kansas City vs. St. Louis
Friday, April 18
St. Louis 21, Kansas City 15
Saturday, April 19
Kansas City 15, St. Louis 11
Sunday, April 20
Kansas City 22, St. Louis 16
Wednesday, April 23
Kansas City 13, St. Louis 11, Kansas City wins series 3-1
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Championship
(Best-of-7)
Wednesday, April 30
Kansas City 18, Cleveland 14
Sunday, May 4
Kansas City 25, Cleveland 19
Friday, May 9
Kansas City 14, Cleveland 8
Sunday, May 11
Kansas City 15, Cleveland 12, Kansas City wins series 4-0