Sockers Look To Turn It Up Against Heat
March 15, 2003 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
San Diego Sockers News Release
The Sockers host the Harrisburg Heat as they wind down the regular season trying to sustain a surge that has seen them win three of their last four games, including two victories over Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia.
This is an important game for both sides, though there will be more pressure on the Heat (12-21), which must win to keep any playoff hopes alive. The Sockers (14-19) want a victory not only to keep up their momentum as the head to the postseason, but because they are 0-4 against the Heat this season. Take out that mark and the Sockers' 0-5 record against the Cleveland Force, and San Diego is 14-10 against the rest of the MISL. Milwaukee has also given the Sockers problems, winning five of six meetings.
The Opponent
Harrisburg Heat head coach (and former Sockers player and assistant coach) Erich Geyer most likely will pull out all the stops tonight as he tries to end his team's five-game slide that has just about eliminated the Heat from playoff contention. The Heat has dropped 12 of its last 15 contests, yet still has had the Sockers' number this season, winning all four meetings thus far.
The Sockers know to be wary of Harrisburg, which trailed at halftime 6-4 in their last visit to the Sports Arena on Feb. 6, then proceeded to outscore San Diego 17-4 in the second half for a 21-10 victory. The other Heat wins over San Diego have been by 13-7 (Oct. 11), 12-10 (Dec. 1) and 14-12 (Dec. 14) scores.
Next Home Game
The Socks will return home for one more regular season game of the 2002-03 season. On Friday, March 21, the team will face the Baltimore Blast at 7 p.m. Following the game, the Sockers will fly to Dallas for a Saturday game before meeting Kansas City in the playoffs.
Injuries...
The Sockers have struggled with injuries all season long, adding Anthony Farace back to the list after reaggravating his hamstring strain.
Matthew Stewart is being added to the IRL with an MCL injury, adding to injury woes for the team. Nate Hetherington will not be playing after a hamstring injury during practice last week.
WISL Rookie of the Year David Beltran could see action this game after sitting out the entire season with a pelvic strain. Shawn Beyer has been out more than in this season, the most recent injury a concussion. Shandley Phillips is out for the rest of the season with a broken foot. Seven other players on the San Diego roster have missed at least one game this season due to injury.
Pernia Breaks 100-Block Plateau With Sockers, 200+ In Career
Gaston Pernia is not the guy that opponents like to face. His 77 blocks this year beat his WISL-leading 53 blocks from last season. Pernia currently leads the league and has totaled 130 blocks in his career.
Farias Catapults Up All-Time Scoring List
Chile Farias has been with the Sockers for two years and is already starting to make his way into the teams' record books. With a total of 57 goals and 44 assists, Farias jumps to 21st place at 101 points. He needs just 8 more points to move into the Top 20, with such legends as Cha Cha Namdar (109) and current head coach Brian Quinn (335).
Rookie Rally
The rookies on the already young Sockers team have definitely made an impact this season.
⢠Robbie Aristodemo is making his bid for Rookie of the Year with 36 points this season, including two 3-pointers and 10 goals. Defensively, Aristodemo has played the sixth attacker in 12 games this season.
⢠Kevin Sakuda, a fan favorite, has played in every game this season. The defender has blocked 29 shots as a constant force in the defense for the Sockers. He has also racked up seven points, three goals and one assist.
⢠Mark Ughy, a 6-2, 195 lb. forward from Hungary, has joined the team after having his immigration paperwork cleared. Ughy has totaled 12 points in five games.
New Additions
Zach Scott, a 5-11, 185 lb., defender played seven games with the Cleveland Force on loan from the Seattle Sounders, before coming to the Sockers. With the Force, Scott totaled one goal and seven blocks.
Several Sockers Top MISL Leaderboard
Kansas City's Dino Delevski jumped into first place in the Spalding Scoring race with 136 points after a high-point affair last weekend. Chile Farias moves to second with 107 points and holds a 11-point advantage over Milwaukee's Joe Reiniger (96 points). Farias is also tied for third in the MISL with 26 assists and leads the league with 223 total shots.
Fellow teammate, defender Gaston Pernia has blocked 77 opponent shots in 30 games this season, putting him in second place in the MISL. Harrisburg's Genoni Martinez ranks first with 80. Pernia led the Sockers and the World Indoor Soccer League in blocks last season with 53 in 23 games.
Goalkeeper Nick Vorberg jumps third place on the MISL's leading goalkeeper board with an 10.36 points-against average. Milwaukee's Victor Nogueira leads the list with a 7.82 points-against average.
East Meets West
The team is 3-12 against Eastern Conference teams this season. The three wins in the Eastern Conference were against Baltimore (2) and Philadelphia (1). The Sockers are 0-4 against the Heat this season.
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from March 15, 2003
- Doyle Reaches 1000 Points as Sidekicks Fall 12-4 at Milwaukee - Dallas Sidekicks
- Sockers Look To Turn It Up Against Heat - San Diego Sockers
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