San Diego Sockers Game Notes
November 17, 2012 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Watertown Privateers News Release
SOCKERS HIT ROAD IN SEARCH OF RECORD
San Diego Sockers (2-0) at Arizona Storm (1-1)
DATE: Saturday, November 17th, 2012
PLACE: Arizona Sports Complex
TIME: 4:35pm (PDT)
BROADCAST: ESPN Radio 1700 (radio)
SDSockers.com, AmericaOne (net)
PASL Pacific Division Standings (on 11/16)
Team W-L Goals GA
SOCKERS 2-0 26 7
Anaheim Bolts 2-1 37 27
Tacoma Stars 0-0 -- --
Turlock Express 0-1 6 10
Sacramento Surge 0-3 9 36
SOCKERS OPEN ROAD SCHEDULE IN ARIZONA
Winners of two straight at home to open the 2012-13 PASL season, the Sockers begin what looks to be a challenging road schedule with their first away contest, a trip to Glendale, Arizona to take on the Arizona Storm. The Storm snapped a 16-game PASL losing streak last weekend with a 14-13 home victory over the Anaheim Bolts, setting a franchise high for goals scored. The Sockers have won 15 straight road contests coming into Saturday's action, scheduled for a 4:05pm kickoff San Diego time.
THE STREAK: 39-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 39 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 U.S. pro sports, major or minor league. The top-five list follows.
LONGEST U.S. PRO SPORTS TEAM WIN STREAKS
Sioux Falls Storm (UIF, 2005-2008): 40
San Diego Sockers (PASL, 2010-present): 39*
L.A. Lakers (NBA, 1971-72): 33
Washington Kastles (WTT, 2011-present): 32*
Salt Lake City Trappers (MILB): 29
*=active streak
LAST GAME: SOCKERS BEAT REAL PHOENIX 11-5
The Sockers extended their winning streak to 39 games with an 11-5 win over Real Phoenix last Saturday at the Valley View Casino Center. Sockers captain Aaron Susi led the way with a hat trick and two assists, while midfielder Brian Farber netted a hat trick with one helper. Paul Wright added two goals and two assists as the Sockers jumped out to an 8-1 halftime lead before sitting back in the second half. San Diego extended their home mark since their 2009 restart to 37-0.
IN CASE YOU LIKE STREAKS, HERE ARE SOME MORE
The Sockers enter this game with the following streaks intact:
- 39 consecutive overall victories
- 37 consecutive home wins
- 26 consecutive PASL regular season wins
- 15 straight road wins
- 6 straight PASL playoff victories
FAST FARBER LEADS SOCKERS IN SCORING
All-PASL midfielder Brian Farber has found the spacious Valley View Casino Center to be a good track on which to run. Farber had five points in San Diego's 15-2 season-opening win and followed it with a hat trick and assist in the Sockers' 11-5 victory over Real Phoenix. Farber's nine points (five goals, four assists) ranks tied for fourth in the PASL while his 4.5 points per game leads the league.
MANNY HAPPY RETURNS FOR SAN DIEGO
Saturday's 11-5 win over Real Phoenix saw the return of two key veterans to the Sockers' lineup, as team captain Aaron Susi and top defender Ze Roberto came back from one-game suspensions. Both had been docked a game due to actions in the PASL playoffs last March. Susi came back in style with one of his best games as a Socker, scoring a hat trick with two assists. Roberto added an assist in his return.
THE BASH BROTHERS ARE BACK
The Sockers welcome back their two fiercest members of the back line on Saturday, as "Bash Brothers" Dan Antoniuk and John Krause make their season debuts in the starting lineup. Antoniuk, an all-PASL defender in 2009-10 and 2010-11, was a member of the NASL outdoor champion Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring the key goal to send the league final into a penalty shootout. Krause has been playing with the Puerto Rican National Team as well as the NASL Carolina RailHawks. HO HUM: CHILES NETS THREE MORE POINTS
You know the bar has been set pretty high when a three-point game is cause for concern. Back-to-back PASL MVP Kraig Chiles "only" potted a goal with two assists in the Sockers' 11-5 win over Real Phoenix. During the Sockers' 39-game winning streak, Chiles has been held to one goal eight times, and has been shut out only twice. He missed four games due to injury (three in the FIFRA Club Championships) and has scored a total of 91 goals in the 35 games he has played during "the streak", including eight four-goal games, two five-goal games and a seven-goal game.
AGE IS ONLY A NUMBER IF YOU'RE PAUL WRIGHT
At age 43, midfielder Paul Wright is playing like he's always played, and that's saying something. Paul had a four-point game in the Sockers' 11-5 win over Real Phoenix, scoring two goals with two assists, and has six points in two games this season. 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, his career dating back to the 1989-90 season.
THE LONE STREAKIN' MOHICAN: ANTHONY MEDINA
Midfielder/forward Anthony Medina has a unique distinction of being the only Sockers player to appear in all 39 consecutive wins. While all players succumb to injury at some point, Anthony's timing has been excellent, as he suffered a broken foot in the final game of the Sockers' 2010-11 season and was able to return just in time for 2011-12's season opener. Medina also suffered a broken nose later in the streak against Las Vegas in the U.S. Open Cup and played the next game wearing a facial shield. Ze Roberto and Eric Wunderle played in the Sockers' first 37 wins of the streak.
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, has a 2-0 record and 3.50 GAA so far this season with a 72% save percentage. 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 U.S. National Beach Soccer Team, is 10-0 lifetime in goal for San Diego and will make his first start of the season in Arizona on Saturday afternoon.
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/midfielder Diego Rovira returns from a groin strain to make his season debut against Arizona on Saturday.
OPPONENT'S PROFILE: ARIZONA STORM
In essence this is the third straight PASL expansion team the Sockers are facing, as the Storm retain their name and record from last year but operate under new management and with a completely new roster. Top forward is David Hague, a star at Grand Canyon University who once scored 33 goals in an 18-game outdoor season and played on the USL Portland Timbers with current Sockers Brian Farber, Chiky Luna and Scott Martin. Leading goal scorers are Mitch Garcia and Adrian Saldana with four apiece. Garcia scored all four of his goals in the Storm's 14-13 win over Anaheim, snapping Arizona's 16-game PASL losing streak. The Storm opened the season with an 11-2 loss at Las Vegas.
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