Nation's Top Arena Soccer Player Headlines Saturday's Triple-Header
December 15, 2009 - Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL)
California Cougars News Release
Stockton, CA - Dec. 15, 2009 - Greg Howes, a three-time Major Indoor Soccer League most valuable player, six-time MISL All-Pro and three-time MISL All-Star, will lead the Tacoma Stars into Sacramento on Saturday, December 19, for an Arena Soccer Triple-Header event at Estadio Azteca Sports Arena. The event features three total matches, with the main event putting head coach Antonio Sutton and his defending Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) champion California Cougars versus head coach Howes and his Tacoma Stars at 7:00 PM.
The first leg of the December 19 event is a United States Arena Soccer Open Cup tournament (Round of 16) match between the Stars and the "Cinderella Story" Estadio Azteca All-Stars at 3:30 PM. The second match puts Estadio Azteca against the Sacramento Scorpions at 5:00 PM. The Cougars then play Howes and the Stars at 7:00 PM. Doors open at 2:30 PM.
Tickets are $10 for adults and just $5 for kids 16 and under. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Cougars at (209) 373-1550, and by visiting Estadio Azteca Sports Arena located at 1960 Railroad Dr. in Sacramento. Tickets are also available at the Cougars office located at 248 W. Fremont St. in Stockton.
The Cougars excitedly offer exclusive field side seating, starting at $88 for a family of four. The special seating includes table service by the Estadio Azteca staff and drink specials. This offer is available at Estadio Azteca before the games, or in advance at the Cougars office in Stockton.
Tacoma and the Estadio Azteca All-Stars will play a shortened game with 10 minutes per quarter, and use the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier) running clock format for the Open Cup match. In regard to the format change PASL Commissioner Kevin Milliken said, "this will allow the teams to take advantage of Tacoma already being in Northern California, and preserve their players for the other scheduled games."
Estadio Azteca upset the Cougars (3-1 PASL-Pro, 4-2 Overall) with a 5-4 overtime win in the first round of the Open Cup tournament on Sunday at Turlock Indoor Soccer. Clemente Fonseca, who scored 14 goals for Sacramento's McClatchy High School in the 2004-05 season, scored the game winning goal with 5:21 remaining in the overtime period on Sunday.
The loss eliminated the Cougars from the Open Cup tournament, but their chase to repeat as PASL-Pro champions continues on Saturday versus Tacoma.
California played Tacoma once last season on March 1, 2009, and defeated the Stars 11-8 in the Open Cup tournament at Cabernet Indoor Sports in Livermore, CA. Howes scored three goals and had one assist for the Stars in the loss. Majell Aterado led the Cougars with two goals and three assists in the victory.
Howes is currently a player/coach for Tacoma. He led the MISL in scoring with 130 points, which included 45 goals and 32 assists, during the 2007-08 season and earned MVP recognition in the process. He led the MISL in scoring during the 2005-06 season (85 points, 57 goals and 28 assists) and was the runner up for the PUMA scoring championship during the 2006-07 season (105 points, 35 goals and 29 assists) behind Jamar Beasley of the Detroit Ignition.
Howes also appeared in three games for the Cougars last season. He netted two goals and had four assists for Stockton in the inaugural PASL-Pro game at Stockton Arena versus the Colorado Lightning on October 25, 2008.
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Professional Arena Soccer League Stories from December 15, 2009
- Nation's Top Arena Soccer Player Headlines Saturday's Triple-Header - California Cougars
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