Butcher leads Sockers to opening night victory
October 10, 2004 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
San Diego Sockers News Release
(SAN DIEGO, Calif.) - The San Diego Sockers defeated the Baltimore Blast Saturday night, 5-3, avenging three losses in four games during last season. Led by newcomer, Steve Butcher's two goals and an assist, the Sockers came from behind to earn the win before 7, 226 fans. The Sockers travel to Baltimore next Saturday, October 16 to face the Blast for the second time in one week.
Butcher registered the game-winning goal at 11:34 of the fourth period, with the assist from Paul Wright. The goal came with San Diego on the power play, after Baltimore's Carlos Garcia was whistled for holding. The Sockers then added the final nail Baltimore's coffin with an empty net goal at 14:22 of the fourth by Mauricio Alegre. Butcher recorded his third point of the night by assisting Alegre's goal.
The Sockers got on the board first at :41 of the first period with a power-play goal from Mark Ughy (1-0). Midfielder Braeden Cloutier assisted on the goal. Baltimore answered at 10:18 of the first period when Guiliano Celenza beat Socker's goalkeeper Victor Nogueira (1-1).
The second period saw only one goal at 2:18 of the period when former Socker Carlos Farias finished a pass from 2002-03 MISL rookie of the year, P.J. Wakefield (2-1).
Butcher put in his first goal of the night at 4:00 of the third, when Sockers' rookie Ryan Mack delivered a pass to the back post for Butcher to finish (2-2). Just over eight minutes later it was another new face, Heculez Gomez finding the net for San Diego, with an assist from Dan Antoniuk (3-2).
Blast forward Denison Cabral tied the game at 1:34 of the fourth, with an assist from Wakefield (3-3). San Diego then took the lead on the power-play goal from Butcher.
The Socker will face the Blast next weekend in Baltimore at First Mariner Arena. The team returns home to host the Kansas City Comets on Friday, October 22, at 7 p.m. The team will celebrate "Legend's Night" that evening, with stars from the past playing an exhibition game during halftime.
For more information or to purchase tickets, to Friday's game call 858.836.GOAL.
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