PASL San Diego Sockers

San Diego Sockers Game Notes

Published on November 9, 2012 under Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL)
San Diego Sockers News Release


SOCKERS WELCOME REAL PHOENIX

San Diego Sockers (1-0) vs. Real Phoenix (1-0)

DATE: Saturday, November 10th, 2012

PLACE: Valley View Casino Center

TIME: 7:05pm (PDT)

BROADCAST: SDSockers.com (internet)

SOCKERS TAKE ON EXPANSION REAL PHOENIX

The San Diego Sockers will look for their second win to open the 2012-13 PASL campaign when they take on Real Phoenix at the Valley View Casino Center on Saturday night. This is the first of two meetings between the expansion Phoenix club and the Sockers, with a return leg in Arizona on December 9th. Phoenix opened their PASL franchise history with an exciting 4-3 win over Toros de Mexico. The Sockers are coming off a 15-2 victory over the Sacramento Surge last Saturday in their return to the Valley View Casino Center. A PASL Sockers record 3,545 fans were in attendance for the game.

THE STREAK: 38-GAME WIN STREAK ON THE LINE

A perfect 24-0 season in 2011-12 has positioned the Sockers on the precipice of U.S. pro sports history. San Diego has won 38 consecutive matches dating back to their last loss, a 9-8 overtime defeat in Stockton on December 27th, 2010. The Sockers' win streak is the second longest in the history of US pro sports, major or minor league. The top-five list follows.

LONGEST US PRO SPORTS TEAM WIN STREAKS

Sioux Falls Storm (UIF, 2005-2008): 40

San Diego Sockers (PASL, 2010-present): 38*

L.A. Lakers (NBA, 1971-72): 33

Washington Kastles (WTT, 2011-present): 32*

Salt Lake City Trappers (MILB): 29

*=active streak

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN: BACK AT THE VVCC

The Sockers won ten championships in eleven years between 1981-82 and 1991-92 at the San Diego Sports Arena, thrilling a decade of sellout crowds. After shutting down in December of 2004, the Sockers had been away from the Sports Arena (now named the Valley View Casino Center) for eight years until their return on November 3rd against the Sacramento Surge. The Sockers picked right up where they left off, thrilling a crowd of 3,545 with a 15-2 win, with Kraig Chiles scoring four goals.

IN CASE YOU LIKE STREAKS, HERE ARE SOME MORE

The Sockers enter this game with the following streaks intact:

- 38 consecutive overall victories

- 36 consecutive home wins

- 25 consecutive PASL regular season wins

- 15 straight road wins

- 6 straight PASL playoff victories

SAME OLD, SAME OLD: CHILES SCORES FOUR

The back-to-back PASL MVP opened the 2012-13 season in familiar style, with Kraig Chiles potting a game-best four goals as the Sockers defeated Sacramento 15-2. Chiles set the league single-season goals record in 2011-12 with 46 in 15 games while capturing his second straight MVP, and his 111 PASL regular season goals in 46 games also tops the league.

FAST FARBER FLIES TO TOP OF SCORING LIST

The Sockers were led in points in their season-opening win by All-PASL midfielder Brian Farber, who netted a pair of goals with three assists for a five point game. Farber won the league MVP award in 2008-09 with Stockton and took home first-team All-PASL honors last year. Brian's 159 points in 52 career PASL games is best in league history.

DEL MAR OR VVCC, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE "W"

Since returning to the professional ranks in the PASL, the San Diego Sockers have yet to lose at home. The Sockers carried over from the Del Mar Arena a 24-0 home mark in PASL play, 4-0 in PASL playoff action, 5-0 in US Open contests and 2-0 in exhibition friendlies for a 35-0 total home record. A 15-2 season-opening win over the Sacramento Surge pushed the PASL Sockers overall home total to 36-0, while marking a modest 1-0 back at their Sports Arena stomping grounds.

HEY ROOKIE! REZA, COUCH SCORE IN DEBUT

While the Sockers average age of 31.3 years easily leads the PASL, the team has welcomed two rookies into the fold for 2012-13, both coming from the SDSU men's soccer program. Midfielder/forward Raymundo Reza scored a spectacular goal from outside the red line in his season debut and added an assist for a two-point game. Reza scored 20 goals at SDSU while earning first-team all-Pac 10 honors and was drafted by the MLS Portland Timbers. Defender Matt Couch fashioned an assist to mark the scorecard in his season debut as well. Couch was selected in the 2006 MLS supplemental draft by the LA Galaxy and brings a steady presence to the San Diego back line.

WRIGHT MARKS RETURN WITH GOAL, ASSIST

43-year-old midfielder Paul Wright spent last season with the Anaheim Bolts, but his return to the Sockers lineup was as if he had never left. Wright scored a goal and added an assist in San Diego's season-opening 15-2 win, celebrating with a leap into the 7th Man cheering section. Wright was part of both of the Sockers first two PASL championship teams before departing for Anaheim on a one-year detour. "P-3" is the only player in Sockers history to have played for both a MISL and PASL championship team in San Diego.

SURPRISING SCORING FROM HAGERTY, O'CONNOR

Two Sockers made surprising contributions to the score line during Saturday's 15-2 thrashing of Sacramento, as Chad Hagerty finished with four points (two goals, two assists) and defender Brian O'Connor potted a pair of goals with an assist. Hagerty was making just his third Sockers start after playing in only two games last season, and his four points marked his highest output since a 34-point season with Louisville in 2010-11. O'Connor, a defender known more for his stay-at-home play, netted a career high two goals and tied his PASL best with three points in a game.

SOCKERS GOALIE COMBO TOPS IN PASL

The goalkeeper is the last line of defense in the game of indoor soccer, and the Sockers are lucky to have the services of arguably the two best keepers in the PASL. 35-year-old Riley Swift returns for his fourth season as the Sockers regular starting keeper, coming off a 10-0 season last year that earned second-team All-PASL honors. Swift, a two-time PASL playoff MVP, allowed just two goals with twelve saves in a 15-2 victory over Sacramento. Behind Swift is 23-year-old Chris Toth, who set a PASL record for lowest goals against average last year at 3.23 in eight games. Toth, who recently completed a tour with the US National Beach Soccer Team, is 10-0 lifetime in goal for San Diego.

PASL EXPANSION, DIVISIONAL REALIGNMENT

A busy summer saw the PASL expand from 12 to 19 teams, adding franchises in Sacramento, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Harrisburg, Dallas and Beaumont (Texas), Rockford, Chicago and Rio Grande Valley while seeing the departure of teams from Kansas and Louisville. The league now consists of four divisions of teams, with the Sockers in a Pacific Division featuring Anaheim, Tacoma, Turlock and Sacramento. In a scheduling quirk, the Sockers will only play six regular season games in-division in 2012-13, playing seven games against the new Southwest Division (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Mexico, Arizona).

SOCKERS GAMES BROADCAST ON AMERICAONE, ESPN RADIO 1700 AND SDSOCKERS.COM IN 2012-13

Fans will be able to follow the San Diego Sockers through every game of the 2012-13 season on multiple media platforms. The Sockers agreed to carry a select schedule of 8-11 games on ESPN Radio 1700-AM in San Diego for the second consecutive season, including the home opener. In addition, an audio broadcast of every game will be streamed online at sdsockers.com. Finally, the PASL contracted with AmericaOne Sports as the official provider of online video streaming in 2012-13. Fans will be able to purchase broadcasts by pay-per-view at $8 per game or $90 for a season pass that covers all PASL broadcasts league-wide. Craig Elsten will call the Sockers action across all platforms for the fourth consecutive season, joined by Tim Strombel as a sideline reporter for home games.

INJURY/ABSENCE UPDATE

The Sockers will be without midfielder Majell Aterado for the season after suffering an ACL tear in his knee during the summer. Midfielder/forward Eric Wunderle will miss at least the first month of the season with an injured tendon in his foot. Defender Diego Rovira is out for this game with a groin strain. Defenders Dan Antoniuk (NASL-Tampa Bay) and John Krause (Puerto Rican National Team) remain away concluding their outdoor commitments. Aaron Susi and Ze Roberto served one-game suspensions during the season opener but are back in the starting lineup tonight. Chris Toth has returned from his US National Beach Soccer Team tour and is available as the backup keeper.

OPPONENT'S PROFILE: REAL PHOENIX

Real Phoenix's inaugural game was an exciting 4-3 win over Toros de Mexico, led by captain/assistant coach Greg Veatch's pair of goals. Veatch, an indoor soccer veteran dating back to 1989, joins Grand Canyon University veterans Randy Soderman and Davey Lopez to provide a core of experience for an otherwise young Real Phoenix side. Five Phoenix starters are age 24 or younger.

Check out the San Diego Sockers Statistics

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Professional Arena Soccer League Stories from November 9, 2012


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