Sockers Broadcast Team Named For Home Games

The 14-time champion San Diego Sockers revealed their broadcast team and plans for the 2017-18 Major Arena Soccer League season today, returning to MASL.TV on YouTube for all eleven Sockers home games at the Valley View Casino Center. Craig Elsten (play-by-play) and Nate Abaurrea (analyst) form the Sockers' broadcast team for the upcoming season. Continuing the MASL’s partnership with YouTube, every team’s home and road games will be streamed live and free on the platform, with the home team responsible for production, all the way through the 2018 Ron Newman Cup Playoffs.

Elsten returns after a two-year hiatus for his seventh season as the “Voice of the Sockers”, and will provide play-by-play for ten of the Sockers’ 11 home games. Previously, Elsten was the broadcast voice for all of the Sockers’ games from their restart in 2009 through the 2014-15 season, also serving in that time as the team’s media relations director. He continues in his third season as the “Voice of the Gulls”, calling San Diego Gulls AHL hockey on The Mighty 1090-AM and ESPN Radio 1700-AM.in that time as the team’s media relations director. He continues in his third season as the “Voice of the Gulls”, calling San Diego Gulls AHL hockey on The Mighty 1090-AM and ESPN Radio 1700-AM.in that time as the team’s media relations director. He continues in his third season as the “Voice of the Gulls”, calling San Diego Gulls AHL hockey on The Mighty 1090-AM and ESPN Radio 1700-AM.in that time as the team’s media relations director. He continues in his third season as the “Voice of the Gulls”, calling San Diego Gulls AHL hockey on The Mighty 1090-AM and ESPN Radio 1700-AM.

“I’m very grateful for the schedules to line up so that I could get the opportunity to once again broadcast the home games for the Sockers, a team that is quite close to my heart,” Elsten said, “I’m thankful to Phil Salvagio, Sean Bowers and the entire Sockers family for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward hopefully to bringing the excitement of another championship to San Diego and our fans.”

Abaurrea is returning for his second season as part of the Sockers broadcast team. Since arriving in San Diego in 2016, Abaurrea has called Liga MX matches in English for the Xolos of Club Tijuana, and has been behind the microphone for matches in the USL, PDL, and NPSL here in Southern California.

"I'm blessed to lead a soccer-filled life," Abaurrea said. "And I'm excited to be on board with the Sockers as they fight for a MASL championship." He continued, "I love the Sockers. I'm a bit of a romanticist, and this team combines so much nostalgia and marvelous history with raw, up to the second excitement. It's a wonderful mix." 

The team is also introducing a new 10-minute Facebook Live Pregame Show beginning 35 minutes prior to the kickoff of all home games. The new show will allow fans attending the game or viewing from around the world to get an in-depth preview of the game.