Stars Steal Late Win vs Sockers
(December 18, 2016) The Battle for 1st Place in the Pacific Division lived up to the hype with the Tacoma Stars taking a 8-7 victory in the final minutes of play. Stars forward Alex Megson reacted first off the boards on a power play opportunity to slam home a shot into the top corner with only a 2:10 left in the game.
Like two heavyweight boxers sparring in the ring, the Stars and Sockers traded blows throughout the match. Sockers scored first, only to have the Stars come back to scored three unanswered goals. Then, Sockers Midfielder Brandon Escoto cut the deficit to 3-2 for his second goal just before the end of the 1st Quarter. Sockers’ Matt Clare got in on the action with a second quarter hat trick. Stars duly responded with two of their own goals. Sockers 5 – 5 Stars going in to halftime.
The back and forth action slowed down as the Pacific Division heavy weights settled into their rhythms. With Sockers’ Erick Tovar and Stars’ Derrick Johnson exchanging goals in the 3rd period.
The Sockers main catalyst on the night was Max Touloute. He led the team with 4 first half assists and capped it off with a solo, 1 v 1 goal to take the 7-6 lead minutes into the 4th Quarter. Stars’ Joey Gjertsen equalized with 5 minutes left in the game to make the last few minutes a nail-biter.
With only 3 minutes left to play, the Sockers were left shorthanded for boarding. The Stars subsequently took the opportunity and delivered the knock out blow with only a couple of minutes remaining in the contest. Alex Megson scored to ultimately give the Stars the 8-7 win over the Sockers and a share of the 1st place lead.
Both teams are now tied for 1st in the Pacific Division with 6W-3L records. Interestingly, every team in the Pacific Division remains undefeated at home so far this season.
For only the second time this season Sockers Forward Kraig Chiles was held scoreless. History continues to elude the star forward as he attempts to become the Sockers All-Time Leading Goal Scorer.
Chiles’ next chance to break the scoring record is on the road Dec. 30 vs Ontario Fury. Live stats for the match can be found at www.maslsoccer.com, while a live online stream will be available through MASLtv on Youtube!
Make sure to follow the San Diego Sockers at sdsockers.com or on social media @sandiegosockers for the latest updates and news about the team.