STARS BATTLE BUT COME UP SHORT IN 8-6 LOSS TO SOCKERS
SAN DIEGO, CA. – The Stars (5-12-2) had the lead twice at Pechanga Arena San Diego in a back-and-forth contest that ultimately went the way of the Sockers (19-0-1) in front of 1,145 fans Sunday evening.
San Diego opened the scoring on Alan Garcia’s first MASL goal to give the Sockers a 1-0 lead with 7:25 to play in the first quarter. The lead did not last long.
Just under a minute later, Nick Perera floated a cross-field pass to Cory Keitz, who buried the ball in the opposite upper corner past Sockers’ keeper Boris Pardo to tie the game 1-1 with 6:33 to go in the first.
With the game even to start the second quarter, Logan jones fired a shot which Pardo blocked directly to Alessandro Canale, who sent it to the back of the net for a 2-1 lead with 12:22 to go in the half.
After Andy Reyes tied the game 2-2 for the Sockers, Jamael Cox scored back-to-back markers to put the Stars up 4-2 at the half.
The third quarter belonged to the home team as the Sockers scored three unanswered goals, including two from Tavoy Morgan and one from Juan Manuel Rojo to take a 5-4 lead into the fourth quarter.
On a restart from the top of the arc, Perera slid a pass to Jamael Cox who fired a missile past Pardo to tie the game 5-5 with 13:18 left to play in the fourth.
The same two connected again on a restart, this time with Cox feeding Perera for a goal to give the Stars the lead at 6-5 with 10:41 to go.
Back-to-back San Diego goals from Morgan, his third of the game, and Brandon Escoto flipped the score back in favor of the Sockers at 7-6 with 8:26 remaining. The final goal of the game also came from Escoto, this time in front of an empty net with the Stars’ sixth attacker on with just four seconds to play.
The Stars go again tomorrow when they head north to face the Fury in Ontario before returning home next weekend for a pair of games against the Chihuahua Savage.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st – SD Garcia 7:35; TAC Keitz (Perera) 8:27. Penalties – None.
2nd – TAC Canale (Jones) 2:38; SD Reyes (Velez) 5:18; TAC J. Cox (Souza) 8:56; TAC J. Cox (Hollimon) 10:41. Penalties – None.
3rd – SD Rojo 0:31; SD Morgan (Cardenas) 7:59; SD Morgan (De Oliveira) 10:21. Penalties – None.
4th – TAC J. Cox (Perera) 1:42; TAC Perera (J. Cox) 4:19; SD Morgan (Cardenas) 5:10; SD Escoto (Rojo) 6:34; SD Escoto (De Oliveira) 14:56. Penalties – TAC Hanson (BC- tripping) 8:49.
Power Play – Stars 0/0, San Diego 0/1
Shots – Stars 16, San Diego 29
Attendance – 1,145
The Stars will play the Ontario Fury tomorrow night at Toyota Arena before returning to the accesso ShoWare Center for a weekend double-header with the Chihuahua Savage on March 25th and 27th. Join us as we salute our nation’s heroes on the 25th with Military Appreciation Night. Get your tickets to both games at tacomastars.showare.com today.
The regular-season home schedule concludes for the Stars with Faith & Family night on Sunday, March 27. Stick around after the game for autographs on the field with the Stars players. For more information call 1-844-STARS-84 today!
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