The 2008–09 National Indoor Soccer League is the inaugural season for the league and the 31st anniversary of professional Division 1 indoor soccer in the United States. The members of the NISL's first season are the Baltimore Blast, the Massachusetts Twisters, the Monterrey La Raza, the Philadelphia KiXX, and the Rockford Rampage. The Orlando Sharks were supposed to play, but due to scheduling conflicts with the Amway Arena the Twisters took the Sharks' spot for the season.
The league kicked off on November 15, 2008, with the Philadelphia KiXX defeating the Massachusetts Twisters 34-11 and the Baltimore Blast defeating the Rockford Rampage 14–4. The regular season concluded March 29, 2009.
Each team played eighteen games, nine home and nine away. La Raza also played, and won, the Copa América against PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier teams.
Teams TeamCity/AreaArenaBaltimore BlastBaltimore, Maryland 1st Mariner ArenaMassachusetts TwistersWest Springfield, Massachusetts Eastern States ColiseumMonterrey La RazaMonterrey, MexicoArena MonterreyPhiladelphia KiXX Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wachovia SpectrumRockford Rampage Rockford, Illinois Rockford MetroCentre
Map of clubs
Final standings
Blue indicates bye into the NISL Championship Green indicates playoff berth clinched
ClubGPWLPct.GBPFPAPDHomeRoad1Baltimore Blast18144.777-277144+1338-16-32Rockford Rampage18108.5564.0248168+807-23-63Monterrey La Raza18108.5564.0275218+577-23-64Philadelphia KiXX18108.5564.0251184+677-23-65Massachusetts Twisters18117.05613.0127464-3371-80-9
Playoffs
Game 1 Friday, 10:35PM EST, April 3, 2009 at Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Nuevo León
SeedTeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final2Rockford Rampage4702133Monterrey La Raza640616
Game 2 Sunday, 5:35PM EST, April 5, 2009 at Rockford MetroCentre in Rockford, Illinois
SeedTeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final3Monterrey La Raza002462Rockford Rampage30249
Game 3 (Sudden death golden goal game) Sunday, April 5, 2009, at Rockford MetroCentre in Rockford, Illinois (Immediately followed game two)
SeedTeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final3Monterrey La Raza0XXXX2Rockford Rampage2XXX2
Championship Saturday, 7:35PM EST, April 11, 2009 at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland
SeedTeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final2Rockford Rampage4402101Baltimore Blast542213
Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points Player Team GP G A Pts Byron Alvarez Monterrey La Raza 18 22 11 56 Matthew Stewart Rockford Rampage 16 22 7 53 Pat Morris Philadelphia Kixx 18 17 11 51 Ricardinho Cavalcante Philadelphia Kixx 17 13 22 49 Machel Millwood Baltimore Blast 15 18 12 48 Hewerthon Moreira Philadelphia Kixx 9 17 9 47 Mark Ughy Monterrey La Raza 18 19 9 47 Giuliano Celenza Baltimore Blast 16 19 7 45 Anthony Maher Philadelphia Kixx 15 15 13 43 Bato Radoncic Rockford Rampage 18 17 4 39
Player of the Week
WeekDatePlayerPos.Team111/17/08Hewerton MoreiraFPhiladelphia KiXX212/1/08Matthew StewartMRockford Rampage312/8/08Anthony MaherFPhiladelphia KiXX412/15/08Robbie AristodemoMBaltimore Blast512/22/08Machel MillwoodFBaltimore Blast612/29/08Ivan MedinaFMonterrey La Raza71/5/09Carlos GarciaFBaltimore Blast81/12/09Ptah MyersFPhiladelphia KiXX91/19/09Jose Luiz BircheDMonterrey La Raza101/26/09Hewerton MoreiraFPhiladelphia KiXX112/2/09Ivan MedinaFMonterrey La Raza122/9/09RicardinhoFPhiladelphia KiXX132/16/09Adrian BumbutFBaltimore Blast142/23/09Machel MillwoodFBaltimore Blast153/2/09RicardinhoFPhiladelphia KiXX173/9/09Jamar BeasleyFRockford Rampage183/16/09Byron AlvarezFMonterrey La Raza193/23/09Jamar BeasleyMRockford Rampage203/30/09Mark UghyFMonterrey La Raza
Players of the Month
DecemberPlayersPos.TeamHewerton MoreiraFPhiladelphia KiXXPhat MorrisDPhiladelphia KiXXSaguGKBaltimore Blast JanuaryPlayersPos.TeamBato RadoncicFRockford RampageGenoni MartinezDMonterrey La RaZaPeter PappasGKPhiladelphia KiXX FebruaryPlayersPos.TeamMachel MillwoodFBaltimore BlastPJ WakefieldDBaltimore BlastPete PappasGKPhiladelphia KiXX
End of Year Awards
PersonPos.TeamMVPByron AlvarezMonterrey La RazaDefensive Player of the YearPat MorrisPhiladelphia KiXXGoalkeeper of the YearSaguBaltimore BlastRookie of the YearPat HealeyBaltimore BlastCoach of the YearDanny KellyBaltimore BlastFinals MVPSaguBaltimore Blast
All-Rookie Team
PersonPos.TeamPat HealeyFBaltimore BlastAdrian BumbutFBaltimore BlastJoel BustiMMonterrey La RazaRoberto GalloDRockford RampageKevin ColemanDPhiladelphia KiXXSteve ReeseGKMonterrey La Raza
All-NISL 1st Team
PersonPos.TeamByron AlvarezFMonterrey La RazaMachel MillwoodFBaltimore BlastRicardinhoMPhiladelphia KiXXPat MorrisDPhiladelphia KiXXGenoni MartinezDMonterrey La RazaSaguGKBaltimore Blast
All-NISL 2nd Team
PersonPos.TeamHewerthon MoreiraFPhiladelphia KixxBato RadoncicFRockford RampageMatthew StewartMRockford RampageP.J. WakefieldDBaltimore BlastTijani AyegbusiDRockford RampageSanaldoGKRockford Rampage
References
External links MISL