The Syracuse Silver Knights found out they didn’t make the playoffs this year when the Rochester Lancers won and eliminated the Knights, who had two games remaining, from contention last week.
Many professional teams would have given up and let the final games go to waste, as there was little to play for. But not the Silver Knights. The team’s next game was Feb. 25 at home against the Witchita Wings, a game that went into overtime after some great back-and-forth play. In the end, the Knights won thanks to Nelson Santana’s tying goal late in the fourth quarter and spirited playing in the extra frame. Andriy Budnyy’s 3-pointer in overtime was the deciding goal.
It was a game that has helped define the Silver Knights, the newest addition to the Major Indoor Soccer League. Coached by Tommy Tanner and run by Jon Ramin, the Knights came into the season with little in the way of expectations, and while there have been a few bumps, the organization believes the 2011-12 season was a success, even with a losing record and no playoff appearance.
“I am happy with the season, but I know we’re going to be a lot better next year,” said Tanner. “It takes two-to-three seasons to really understand and grasp the indoor game, and I think we gained a lot of knowledge for next year.”
There’s a lot more to the success than wins and losses, though. Playing at the War Memorial, the Silver Knights were able to bring in nearly 3,000 fans each home match.
“We got a late start,” Tanner said, referring to the team being a late addition to the MISL. “But our crowds have grown each time out, and the future looks really bright.”
Tanner had a big hand in the Syracuse Salty dogs, a now-defunct soccer team that played in the city in 2003 and 2004. He said that team used to draw upward of 7,000 fans, and that he’d like to see the Knights grow closer to that number.
With one game remaining, Syracuse sits at 9-14, good for third in the Eastern Division. The last game is Saturday against the Baltimore Blast at 4 p.m. at the War Memorial, and Tanner hopes to see a sellout crowd.
He also said that if a few bounces had gone the Knights’ way this season, the postseason may be a different story.
“I think there were four games we could have won that turned out to be very close losses,” he said.
The Silver Knights will be wearing specially made pink jerseys in support of breast cancer. Tickets for the game are $17, of which $5 will go toward the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. When the game is done, the jerseys worn by the Silver Knights are going to be auctioned off, with the proceeds also going to the charity.
“I hope we can get the place full and rocking,” Tanner said. “It’s for a good cause.”
Daniel Stevens, a 26-year-old Liverpool High School graduate, has played in 21 games. It’s his first stint in a professional indoor league, but not his first professional contract. He spent the two years prior on a club team in Finland before the Ramins started recruiting him to join the Knights.
While he was not thrilled the team missed the playoffs, he did say the inaugural season was a success.
“This is a soccer community here in central New York,” he said. “Syracuse is one of the great little cities in the league. There are so many club leagues, and I think the organization has done such a great job connecting with the kids. A lot of people really enjoyed this season.”
Neil Benjamin Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
