Sanchez’s Four Goals Lift Wave to 7-6 Overtime Win Over Blast
- Jonathan Turner
- Dec 22, 2025
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
The Milwaukee Wave defeated the Baltimore Blast 7-6 in overtime Friday night at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, completing a dramatic comeback in an MASL thriller.
Milwaukee struck first in the opening quarter when Alex “Saucy” Sanchez opened the scoring, followed by a goal from Max Ludwig to give the Wave a 2-0 lead. Baltimore responded in the second quarter with three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 advantage before extending the lead to 4-2 on Chad Poarch’s goal in the third quarter.
The third quarter featured scoring from both sides as Mario Alvarez scored his first of two goals and Sanchez added his second of the night to keep Milwaukee within striking distance.
Despite playing without captain Ian Bennett, injured leader Ricardo Carvalho and suspended target forward Derek Huffman, Wave head coach Marcio Leite praised his team’s depth.
“They showed how deep this squad is and how many good players we have,” Leite said.
Milwaukee trailed 6-4 entering the fourth quarter and turned to Jerry Perez as an attacking goalkeeper to spark the comeback. With all six players pushing forward, Sanchez scored again off an assist from Alex Steinwascher to cut the deficit.
Momentum briefly shifted when Alvarez was issued a two-minute blue card for tripping, forcing the Wave to defend while shorthanded. Leite credited his penalty-kill unit for holding firm late in regulation.
“What they did with three minutes left with heavy legs, it’s super impressive,” Leite said.
After killing the penalty, Alvarez delivered a moment of redemption by scoring the tying goal with 32 seconds remaining to make it 6-6. The goal came one week after he earned MASL Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Milwaukee stuck with Perez through the remainder of regulation and overtime, a decision Leite said paid off.
“I think Jerry just brings something different,” Leite said. “Having William Banahene to learn from, it’s fantastic.”
Perez finished with two saves and earned his first overtime win, successfully navigating a man-down situation in the extra period.
“I just want to say thanks to Marcio for trusting me,” Perez said.
Sanchez completed his four-goal performance in overtime, sealing the 7-6 victory. He credited the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena crowd for helping fuel the comeback.
“One thing I’ve realized in the league is that you can feel the shifts in momentum,” Sanchez said. “Having our fans behind us, it’s the best.”
Leite said the win reflected the team’s resilience.
“I believe in their heart, in their concentration and in their effort,” he said.
The Milwaukee Wave return to UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on New Year’s Eve to face the Empire Strykers at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREMIER MEDIA GROUP / NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK /
NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561215500230
— All Rights Reserved, Premier Media Group / National Soccer Network
Comments