When the Kixx visit the expansion Detroit Ignition in tomorrow's Major Indoor Soccer League championship game, they will be playing a team that some would characterize as having beginner's luck.
While the Ignition weren't picked to win the MISL title in this, their first year, the expectations were high, and they came from a familiar source.
The architect of the Ignition's success has been team president Greg Bibb. He was the Kixx' executive vice president and general manager from January 2003 to September 2005 before heading to Michigan with the challenge of building a team.
Detroit finished first in the tightly contested six-team MISL with an 18-12 record and then defeated fourth-seeded Milwaukee two games to one to advance to tomorrow's 4 p.m. final.
The 33-year-old Bibb has seen the construction of the team from the beginning, and he said the key to the success was having more than a year to prepare for the season.
"People ask what I think the key has been, and I think, No. 1 has been the lead time," Bibb said in a phone interview.
He said owner John Hantz made a prudent decision to give him 14 months to prepare for this season.
"It was invaluable to establish ourselves in the community and it gave me time to do due diligence on our player and coaching search, find the right venue, negotiate a contract with TV, and get all the necessary things done," Bibb said.
Bibb was fortunate in that he not only got to build from the expansion draft, but was also able to pick up players from a dispersal draft when the franchise in St. Louis folded.
"With the expansion and dispersal draft, he built one of the more experienced teams in the league," Kixx player-coach Don D'Ambra said. "It was a unique situation, and he did a good job."
Bibb became affiliated with the sport shortly after graduating from Marist in 1996. He began as the director of public relations and media relations for the old Harrisburg Heat from 1997 to 2001 and then held the same position with the MISL from 2001 until joining the Kixx in 2003.
Bibb's familiarity with the MISL and a strong work ethic helped make the Ignition an immediate success.
"Greg is a tireless worker," Ignition head coach Mark Pulisic said. "He came here with a vision to put out a very good product for the MISL, and when he sets his mind on something he is going to work extremely hard to make sure it gets done."
Bibb, who said he expected to contend for a championship, has kept close ties to his former Kixx team and says that it will be special going up against his former employer.
"It's not the same team that it was when I left, but to spend 21/2 years and to go to work every day with Don D'Ambra, [goalie] Peter Pappas, and [defender] Pat Morris was special," Bibb said.
Like the Kixx, Detroit had to win two games in one day to advance. After beating Milwaukee, 10-6, on Sunday to even the series at one game apiece, the teams played a sudden-death "golden goal" game. The first team to score won the series.
The Ignition won that game, 2-0, on a two-point goal to earn their berth in tomorrow's final.
"I've been in the league 10 years and I don't get emotional, but when we won I was caught in the emotion," Bibb said. "Anybody who can't get excited would need to check his pulse."