Sanchez’s Six-Point Night Lifts Wave Past Ambush in Overtime Thriller
- Jonathan Turner
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
MILWAUKEE, WI — The 7-time Champion Milwaukee Wave returned home to play a rematch against the St. Louis Ambush in an electric overtime victory
Final Score: Milwaukee Wave 7, St. Louis Ambush 6
BOXSCORE | GAMESHEET | REPLAY
The Milwaukee Wave delivered a thrilling overtime comeback Sunday night, edging the St. Louis Ambush 7–6 in a match that showcased resilience, tactical bravery, and a standout performance from Alex “Saucy” Sanchez.
Milwaukee opened the scoring on the power play, as Andre Hayne set up Sanchez for the early strike. The Ambush quickly answered through Mario Falsone, but Sanchez continued to make his presence felt. Using the boards to perfection, Sanchez played the ball around goalkeeper Paulo Nascimento and finished brilliantly to restore the Wave’s lead.
“The team was creating chances. St. Louis just seemed to be super efficient with the chances they had,” said Head Coach Marcio Leite.
That efficiency showed as the Ambush rattled off three unanswered goals, forcing Milwaukee into a difficult chase for much of the match.
Sanchez brought the Wave closer in the third quarter, chipping the ball over Nascimento with an assist from Oscar Flores. However, Keaton Woods responded for St. Louis to preserve the Ambush lead heading into the final quarter.
“I have to give hats off to Paulo. I thought he was obviously man of the match after Sanchez because he was amazing today,” Leite said.
Milwaukee peppered the Ambush goal with 37 shots, but Nascimento’s 16 saves helped St. Louis protect their advantage deep into the second half.
Rafael Alvarez struck early in the fourth quarter, assisted by Max Ferdinand—his second of three assists on the night—to pull the Wave within striking distance. Riley Urie answered for St. Louis, but that would be the final Ambush goal as Milwaukee mounted a dramatic comeback.
“It’s fun to see Jerry [Perez] and the team and the confidence the guys are building with him when we are in these kinds of situations, it can change the game,” Leite said.
Gerardo “Jerry” Perez entered the match in the fourth quarter after William Banahene’s solid eight-save performance. Acting as a hybrid sixth attacker, Perez scored a crucial momentum-shifting goal—his second of the season—to cut the deficit to one. With under two minutes remaining, Sanchez completed his hat trick and tied the match 6–6, sending the game into sudden-death overtime.
Leite once again turned to Perez as a sixth attacker in overtime, opting for aggression over caution. Just 37 seconds into extra time, the strategy paid off. Sanchez struck the game-winner, capping a six-point night for the 24-year-old MASL MVP candidate and sealing an unforgettable home victory.
“The mentality is what I’m most proud of. We never quit. We had our backs against the wall,” Leite said.
The Milwaukee Wave now turn their attention to the road as they face Utica City FC at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York, on Sunday, February 1 at 2:00 PM CST.
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