Match Preview v Empire
The San Diego Sockers—presented by Kaiser Permanente—wrap up their quick two-match homestand by welcoming the Empire Strykers back to Frontwave Arena on Saturday, January 3. The match is set for a 7:00pm PST kickoff and will be telecast live nationally on Fox Sports 2, with international coverage on Fox Sports Mexico, Sportworld, and the Unbeaten Network.
The Sockers (2-1-1, 7 points) have won two in a row, returning to the .500 mark with a chance to climb the standings table. The club is currently in sixth place in the eight-team table with seven points, but a regulation win on Saturday would move them into a tie for third place. If the Sockers could win both at home on Saturday and in Tacoma on Sunday, they would tie Milwaukee for second place (13 points) with a match still in hand. San Diego faces their first true logistical challenge this weekend with a home-road back-to-back, having to travel to Washington state on Sunday morning for a 5:00pm kickoff after playing Empire on Saturday night in San Diego. The trip will kick off a six-match road trip for the Sockers, which will carry them through the month of January, including a pair of travel back-to-backs. In all, San Diego will play four different weekend back-to-backs this season, each involving travel between the first and second match.
San Diego’s last match was on Tuesday at Frontwave Arena, where the Sockers earned their first home win of the season in emphatic style, shutting out the Tacoma Stars 8-0 in front of a crowd of over 3,500 fans. Goalkeeper Boris Pardo earned his first career sixty-minute and regular season shutout, stopping 10-of-10 shots by the Stars. Pardo had combined with Xavier Snaer-Williams on a playoff shutout of the Texas Outlaws on April 10, 2023. The blanking was the third modern Sockers regular-season shutout, as Pardo joined Chris Toth (2017) and Riley Swift (2011-PASL) on the list. Pardo added an offensive assist to his overall effort, while the offense was powered by a four-point (three goal, one assist) performance from Charlie Gonzalez, and a hat trick from midfielder Sebastian Mendez.
Saturday’s tilt is already the third of six meetings this season between the Strykers and Sockers. Each club has won on the other’s home floor so far, as the Strykers upset San Diego 5-4 (OT) in the season opener at Frontwave Arena on November 28, and the Sockers returned the favor on December 12, spoiling Empire’s home opener with a 6-3 road victory. San Diego will next head to Ontario on January 22. Counting the regular season and postseason, the Sockers had a 15-match winning streak over the Strykers, which ended on November 28. San Diego’s overall mark against Empire/Ontario stands at 48-10. However, close matches have highlighted the series of late, with all eight contests between 2024-25 and now decided by three goals or fewer.
The Strykers (1-4, 2 points) have struggled since their opening win in San Diego, scoring only ten goals over their past four matches, all losses. The skid has dropped the Strykers into the eighth-and-final spot on the MASL standings table. Second-year forward Mounir Alami leads the Strykers with four goals. Robert Palmer powers the defense with 16 blocked shots and leads the team in scoring with (1-4=5) points. Goalkeeper Brian Orozco has a 3.84 GAA, .746 SV%, and has a goal and two assists on offense. The Strykers regularly play their goalkeeper forward and empty their net.