San Diego Sockers Playoff Game Notes at Las Vegas
February 28, 2014 - Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL)
San Diego Sockers News Release
San Diego Sockers (14-3) vs. Las Vegas Legends (13-3)
DATE: Saturday, March 1st, 2014
PLACE: Las Vegas Sports Park
TIME: 7:05pm PST
BROADCAST: www.Sockers.com (audio)
AmericaOneSports.com (video)
PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP IN SIN CITY
The San Diego Sockers (14-3) take on the Las Vegas Legends (13-3) to decide the PASL Pacific Division and send one team to the Windy City for the Ron Newman Cup Final Four on March 15th. The winner-take-all game will be played at Las Vegas Sports Park, the facility the Legends have used after losing the Orleans Arena as their home field. A head-to-head aggregate goal differential of +1 allowed Las Vegas to gain home field after San Diego finished the year tied with the Legends at 13-3. This is the third meeting of the year between the two sides. On December 15th at the Orleans, the Sockers posted a 7-5 win. Las Vegas returned the favor on January 11th with a 12-9 victory over the Sockers in San Diego. Last season the Sockers and Legends met in a Newman Cup national semi-final with San Diego prevailing 6-5 in overtime on Chiky Luna's golden goal.
LAST GAME: SOCKERS 7, TOROS 4 (PAC SEMI)
The Sockers opened their pursuit of a fifth consecutive Ron Newman Cup with a clinical 7-4 win over their Tijuana rivals the Toros de Mexico on February 22nd at the Valley View Casino Center. Aaron Susi scored a pair of goals in the final home game of his career. Eduardo Velez also scored twice while Kraig Chiles had a goal and two assists. Chris Toth made seventeen saves for the win in goal.
"THE DOC" IS NOW "THE LOGO"
Sockers captain Aaron Susi has announced he will retire at the conclusion of this, his 17th year of professional indoor soccer. The PASL honored Susi prior to their home playoff win over Toros, re-naming the league's Playoff MVP award the "Aaron Susi Trophy". Aaron now has the unique opportunity to try and win his own trophy. Susi has 592 career points in 424 games across the length of his career, and is the only player in PASL history to have been on the first five championship teams, winning once in Stockton before leading San Diego's run of four straight titles.
THE PATH TO THE NEWMAN CUP
Four teams will meet at the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois on March 15th-16th to decide the Ron Newman Cup championship for 2014. The host Chicago Mustangs (16-0) are guaranteed a berth in the second national semi-final. The Las Vegas Legends, Hidalgo La Fiera and Detroit Waza Flo all earned first-round byes in the single elimination tournament to determine the other three spots. In the East, the Cleveland Freeze will host the Cincinnati Saints today, with the winner traveling to Detroit to battle the Waza next Saturday. In the Central, first-place Hidalgo hosts third-place Monterrey today for a Final Four berth. The Flash eliminated Dallas 6-4 last week. The Central and Pacific champions will square off in the first national semifinal on March 15th in Chicago, while the Mustangs will play the Eastern second-place team in the second semi. The winners will meet on March 16th to decide the Ron Newman Cup.
THREE SOCKERS NAMED ALL-PASL
Kraig Chiles, Evan McNeley and Chris Toth were honored by the PASL when the league released its all-league teams for 2013-14. Chiles was the only Socker named to the First Team at forward, while McNeley and Toth received Honorable Mention third team honors.
THREE STRAIGHT 60+ SEASONS FOR CHILES
With 60 points on the regular season, three-time defending MVP Kraig Chiles became the first player in PASL history to record three straight seasons of sixty or more points. After scoring 66 in 2011-12, Chiles set the league record with 72 points in 2012-13 before notching 60 this year for a record 198 point three-year run.
Chiles added three points in his playoff opener against Toros, netting the game's first goal and adding a pair of assists. Kraig is a two-time winner of the league's playoff MVP award, now known as the "Aaron Susi Trophy", capturing the honor in 2010-11 and 2012-13.
A DIFFERENT LOOK ON THE BACK LINE
When the Sockers lost to the Legends 12-9 on January 11th the team was missing two top defenders and had a third sent off early. Defenders Evan McNeley (toe) and Scott Martin (head) were out for the Legends game while Eduardo Velez was shown a red card in the first quarter. Since the Las Vegas game, McNeley has returned from injury, the Sockers have signed MISL defender Jonatan Santos, and Jeff Hughes has been moved to the back line to bolster the defensive unit.
ROVIRA RETURNS FOR PLAYOFF RUN
The Sockers have selected midfielder/defender Diego Rovira for tonight's starting lineup. Rovira had missed the last four games of the regular season after transferring to the Bay Area on a business move. Rovira has been training and playing outdoor to stay fit. Diego returned to the starting fourteen against the Toros in the playoff opener. On the season Rovira has five goals and six assists (11 points) in eleven games.
LEGENDS-SOCKERS SERIES BREAKDOWN
The Legends and Sockers are meeting for the third time this season, with the series tied 1-1. The teams first met on December 15th at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, with the Sockers earning a 7-5 victory. Aaron Susi had two goals and an assist as San Diego jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 7-2 before conceding three goals late. The Legends earned their revenge on January 11th with a 12-9 win in San Diego, setting marks for the biggest margin of victory and most goals scored against the PASL Sockers. Las Vegas sprung to leads of 4-0 in the first quarter and 7-1 in the second quarter. San Diego scored five straight to cut the lead to 7-6 and later 9-8, but a failed gambit with six attackers allowed the Legends not only to grab the win but also the head-to-head goals aggregate. Ricardo Sobriera had two goals and four assists to lead the Legends while Anthony Medina scored a hat trick for the Sockers in the loss.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Sockers are a perfect 8-0 on the road this season, one of only two PASL teams to sweep their road schedule (16-0 Chicago being the other). San Diego's only losses away from home in the past three seasons came at Dallas (to end the 48-game winning streak) on January 27th, 2013, and in Detroit for the U.S. Open Cup Final on March 2nd, 2013. Counting FIFRA Championships in 2012 the Sockers are 28-2 on the road in their past 30 results.
TOTH RACKING UP QUALITY NUMBERS IN GOAL
In his first full season as Sockers starting goalkeeper, Chris Toth is near the top of the league leaderboard in multiple categories. Amongst qualifying keepers (eight or more starts), Toth ranks fourth in GAA (4.89) and second in save percentage (.735). In addition, Toth's career-high 205 saves are the fourth most in the league, but the second-most by any keeper with a winning record. Only Joey Kapinos of Detroit (10-4, 7.02 GAA) has more saves 211 among winning keepers.
PASL NOTES: ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS ANNOUNCED
PASL All-League First Team
GK Juan Gamboa, Hidalgo (14-2, 3.85 GAA)
D Genoni Martinez, Monterrey (11g, 33a, 44pts)
D Alex Caceras, Las Vegas 25g, 14a, 39pts)
M/F Enrique Tovar, Las Vegas (22g, 40a, 62pts)
F Kraig Chiles, San Diego (38g, 22a, 60pts)
F Efrain "Wilo" Martinez, Chicago (40g, 23a, 63pts)
PASL All-League Second Team
GK Jesus Flores, Chicago (16-0, 5.19 GAA)
D Costea Decu, Detroit (19g, 12a, 31pts)
D Josh Grossman, Cleveland (24g, 12a, 36pts)
M Jamie Lovegrove, Dallas (26g, 22a, 48pts)
M Miguel Vaca, Chicago (35g, 19a, 54pts)
F Allen Eller, Cleveland (28g, 34a, 62pts)
PASL All-League Honorable Mention
GK Chris Toth, San Diego (12-3, 4.89 GAA)
D Evan McNeley, San Diego (7g, 8a, 15pts)
D Omar Santillan, Chicago (14g, 6a, 20pts)
F Nestor Hernandez, Dallas (33g, 16a, 49pts)
F Ivan Campos, Las Vegas (28g, 25a, 53pts)
F Bryan Moya, Chicago (40g, 15a, 55pts)
OPPONENT PROFILE: LAS VEGAS LEGENDS (13-3)
The Legends tied with the Sockers for the Pacific Division regular season title at 13-3 but earned home-field advantage based on head-to-head aggregate goals. Vegas is deadly on the power play ranking 1 st in the PASL with 35 power play goals and a 61.4% conversion rate (35-of-57). On penalty kill the Legends are 14 th in the league killing just 55% of opposing power plays (21-of-47). Goalkeeper Zeke Sanchez (9-1, 5.48 GAA, league-best .781 save pct.) plays with emotion and can carry Vegas if he gets hot. Power play specialist Felipe Gonzalez is out for the year due to injury. The Legends signed forward from last season Franck Tayou (14g, 23pts in Tulsa) and new striker Junior Alencar to their roster.
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Professional Arena Soccer League Stories from February 28, 2014
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