Stars Edge Sacramento In Final Minutes, 4-3

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Tacoma Stars (4-0) midfielder Jamael Cox scored with just under four minutes left in the match to break a tie and give the Stars a 4-3 victory over the Sacramento Surge (0-5) on Sunday evening at Estadio Azteca.

Striker Derek Johnson got the Stars on the scoreboard with his fifth goal of the weekend 10 minutes into the first quarter with an assist from midfielder Joseph Cairel, giving Tacoma a 1-0 lead.

The only other score of the first half came off the foot of Tacoma midfielder Michael Ramos, just under nine minutes into the second quarter. The goal was Ramos’ first of the season and gave the Stars a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

Stars defender Trevor Jensen extended the Tacoma lead to 3-0 with his first goal of the season just over two minutes into the second half. Sacramento cut into the Stars lead with a pair of goals separated by just 19 seconds near the end of the third quarter, making the score 3-2 heading into the fourth.

Two minutes into the final quarter, Surge midfielder Mike Tobie evened the match at 3-3 with an unassisted goal. The score would remain tied until Cox broke through for his game-winning goal 11 minutes into the final quarter, pushing the Stars to victory.

In addition to his goal in the first quarter, Johnson contributed a pair of assists to the Stars effort. Goalkeeper Danny Waltman worked all 60 minutes in goal for Tacoma, recording two saves on five shots.

Tacoma returns home for a match against Soles De Sonora on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:35 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.tacomastars.com.

Single game tickets, season ticket packages, group outings, and suite offerings for the Tacoma Stars 2015-16 season are available now. To purchase, call 1-844-STARS-TIME or visit the Stars online at www.tacomastars.com. The most up-to-date news and notes about the Stars can be found by following the Stars on Twitter (@TacomaStarsSC) or liking the team on Facebook.