MASL San Diego Sockers

San Diego Sockers Game Notes vs. Ontario Fury

Published on February 21, 2015 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
San Diego Sockers News Release


Ontario Fury (13-6) at San Diego Sockers (15-4)

DATE: Saturday, February 21st, 2015

PLACE: Valley View Casino Center

TIME: 7:05pm PST

0 ESPN Radio 1700-AM (radio)

GoLiveSportsCast (video)

PLEASE CHECK MASLSOCCER.COM FOR UP-TO-DATE STANDINGS

SOCKERS AND FURY CLOSE OUT REGULAR SEASON

The San Diego Sockers (15-4) host the Ontario Fury (13-6) in the Major Arena Soccer League regular season finale for both teams. The Sockers have locked up the top spot in the MASL Pacific Division, while the Fury have secured second place. This is the third meeting of the year between the two sides, with San Diego owning a 2-0 series lead. The two teams met early in the season at the VVCC with the Sockers posting a 7-2 win. On February 12th the Sockers won in Ontario 9-5 to clinch the division title. The first 5,000 fans in attendance receive team photo posters.

LAST GAME: LEGENDS 8, SOCKERS 5

The Las Vegas Legends scored the game's final five goals to post an 8-5 victory at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 13th. The Sockers (15-4), who had clinched the division title in Ontario the night prior, rested several key regulars and neither team started their primary goalkeeper. San Diego was whistled for a season-high seven blue card penalties in the game. Ivan Simental scored twice for Las Vegas while Enrique Tovar added a shootout goal, his first in two games since returning to the Legends.

BATTLING BERNIE'S BOYS: SOCKERS v FURY

Whether with the Anaheim Bolts or the Ontario Fury, owner/coach Bernie Lilavois has had a tough time taking down the San Diego Sockers on the field. Tonight's meeting between the Sockers and Fury is the sixth all-time between San Diego and Ontario, with the Sockers holding a perfect 6-0 record. Lilavois also went 0-6 with the Anaheim Bolts for a 0-12 record. His last win over San Diego came on the bench for the California Cougars in 2010.

SINGING THE BLUE CARD BLUES

Team captain Kraig Chiles will sit out tonight's game, a one-game suspension due to an accumulation of blue card penalties.

THE POINTS STREAK ENDS FOR CHILES AT 63

Sockers captain Kraig Chiles- who, as mentioned below, will sit tonight's game due to a one-game blue card suspension- rests on top of the MASL goals list with a league-high 45. However, in the Sockers' last match, Chiles was held without a goal or point in an 8-5 loss to the Las Vegas Legends. The blanking ended a MASL/PASL record run of 63 consecutive games with at least one point. In addition, Chiles had an 18-game goal scoring streak brought to a halt.

PERERA TWO POINTS SHY OF A 50-BURGER

Chiles' suspension should open up the top of the field for target forward Nick Perera, who was also shut out in the Sockers' 8-5 loss to Las Vegas last Friday. Enjoying his breakout season in the MASL, Perera is sitting two points shy of his first-ever 50-point season as a pro indoor soccer player. Perera leads the Sockers in assists (22) and is second to Chiles in points (26 goals, 48 points).

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: NEY FOR "ROY"

It's movie awards season, and soon enough the MASL season awards will be rolling out as well. While the MASL Rookie of the Year battle will be hotly contested between several worthy candidates, the Sockers have an impact rookie on their roster in Brazilian midfielder Ney. Despite playing in only 11 games, Ney has 16 goals and 6 assists for 22 points on the season. He has scored at least one goal in seven straight games. Ney has not rolled up the stats against lesser teams: he had two goals against the Missouri Comets and a key goal against the Baltimore Blast.

LUIS PIFFER OUT FOR SEASON

The win over Baltimore on February 7th came at a heavy cost for the remainder of the season. Defender Luis Piffer came down on top of an opponent's foot going for a header early in the third quarter and suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right ankle. Piffer will be lost for the remainder of the season and playoffs.

REZA COMING ON STRONG AT END OF SEASON

Midfielder Raymundo Reza has been a workhorse all season for the Sockers, and his hard work is starting to pay off in points. In San Diego's division-clinching 9-5 win over Ontario, Reza assisted on three straight goals. He scored against Las Vegas the following night to give the Sockers a temporary 5-3 lead in the third quarter. On the season, Reza has played all nineteen games and has six goals and ten assists.

VELEZ WALKING BLUE CARD TIGHTROPE

Already having the best scoring season of his San Diego Sockers career, midfielder Eduardo Velez may be held out tonight to protect the club's interests against a possible playoff suspension. Were Velez to pick up any kind of carded foul against Ontario, he would have to sit out the Sockers' opening playoff game on March 7th due to card accumulation. Cards, however, reset to start the playoffs. On the season Velez has 16 goals and 19 assists, and his 35 points rank third on the club.

KEEPERS OFFER A HELPING HAND

The Sockers could already say that they receive a big assist from a pair of talented goalkeepers, Chris Toth and Jesus "Chuy" Molina. After video review, it can now also be said that both keepers recorded assists on the Sockers' recently concluded road trip. Toth was correctly awarded an assist on Nick Perera's goal to open San Diego's 9-5 win in Ontario on February 12th. The following night, Molina picked up an assist on a distribution to Raymundo Reza, his second of the season.

BOWERS JOINS SOCKERS RADIO FOR HOME GAMES

Tonight's game and all 20 regular season MASL Sockers games will be carried live on ESPN Radio 1700-AM in San Diego. Audio streaming is available at www.espnradio1700.com. In addition, every MASL game has video streaming live on GoLiveSportsCast.com, including all Sockers games. Former Sockers star defender Sean "The Tower of Power" Bowers has signed on to join Craig Elsten on color commentary for the remaining home games of the season including playoffs. Bowers played pro soccer both in the MLS outdoors with the Kansas City Wizards (1996-99) and indoors with multiple teams from 1992-2010, including three stints with the San Diego Sockers (1992, 2003-05, 2009-10) and one with the Baltimore Blast (2001-03). Bowers' appearances on Sockers radio are presented by 619 Futsal.

SOME STATS TO TRACK ON MATCHDAY 20

The expansion to a 20-game schedule from the PASL's 16-game schedule has naturally skewed some of the seasonal counting stats for teams. With this caveat, we present some stats to watch tonight:

- The Sockers need 13 goals to score their most goals in a regular season during Sockers-3. Their previous high was 188 (in 16 games) in 2012-13.

- The Sockers would need to allow one or zero goals to prevent conceding 100 goals for the first time in Sockers-3 history. The team stands at 98 allowed.

- San Diego is trying for an undefeated home schedule for the fifth time in Sockers-3 history. The team has won 12 straight regular season home games and 13 in a row overall (counting last year's playoff win over Toros.)

- A win would give the Sockers 16 wins in the regular season, matching their Sockers-3 high (16-0 in 2011-12).

- One more assist would tie Jeff Hughes' career-best in the category (16) and give him a 30-point season for the fifth time in his career...a win would tie Chris Toth's career best for a season (12-3 last year).

MASL NOTES

- The WMF World Cup will take place between March 21-29th across the United States. Team USA will play their opening-round Group A games in Ontario March 23rd-24th and in San Diego on March 25th. The World Cup final will be in Chicago on March 29th.

- Kraig Chiles' suspension puts the Golden Boot very much back up for grabs in the MASL. St. Louis' Gordy Gurson has 43 goals, two behind Chiles, with one game remaining for the Ambush against Tacoma. Thanks to his trade from Seattle to St. Louis, Gurson will have played 23 games by season's end. Missouri's Leo Gibson, who already obliterated Chiles' points record, stands at 81 points and 40 goals with one game left.

OPPONENT PROFILE: ONTARIO FURY (13-6)

The Fury (13-6) turned over ten of their fourteen roster spots during a furious month of trading in January. Newcomers Juan Gonzalez and Arturo Pulido Jr. from Turlock joined Seattle striker Jamar Beasley and defender Oliver Dyson, and former Sockers Johnny Topete and Guto in an extreme roster makeover. Midfielder Tiguinho leads the Fury in scoring (31 goals, 22 assists, 53 points). The Fury may rest some regulars in preparation for their March 1 st playoff game against Las Vegas.

Check out the San Diego Sockers Statistics



Major Arena Soccer League Stories from February 21, 2015


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