STARS RETURN HOME TO TOP TURLOCK 7-4
Tacoma, WA. – The Tacoma Stars (4-6) returned home to the accesso ShoWare Center following a six-game road stretch and handled the Turlock Cal Express (3-5) with a 7-4 win in front of 2,663 fans on Friday night. The win gives Tacoma a 2-0 lead in the season series with Turlock.
Turlock picked up the lone goal of the first quarter when they converted on a power play opportunity which had just one second remaining on the man advantage. Gerardo Jurado scored his first of two goals in the match to give the Cal Express a 1-0 lead after the first 15 minutes of play.
If the first quarter belonged to Turlock, the second was for the Stars. Three consecutive Tacoma goals had the Stars up 3-1 with 4:54 left in the first half. Raphael Cox, Lamar Neagle, and Alex Caceres found the back of the net for Tacoma in the first half and the Stars led 3-1 at the break.
Mike Ramos gave the Stars a 4-1 lead on a Nick Perera assist with 13:42 on the clock in the third. Less than a minute later Ramos was off to the penalty box setting up Turlock’s second power play goal of the night, this one from Adrian Gutierrez. Luis Brambila followed that with another Cal Express marker and the Stars saw their lead cut to 4-3 with 9:35 remaining in the third frame. With Tacoma on the power play, Careres connected with Raphael Cox for his second goal of the game and put the Stars up 5-3 headed to the final quarter.
Cory Keitz took a Ramos feed and sent it past the Turlock keeper for a 6-3 Stars lead with 12:14 to go in the game. The Stars final goal of the match was another power play marker from Caceres assisted by Perera. The final score of the match was Jurado’s second of the game for Turlock and set the final at 7-4 in favor of Tacoma.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st – TUR Jurado (Manuel Rojo) 11:26 PP. Penalties – TAC Canale blue card (kicking) 9:27.
2nd – TAC R. Cox (Canale) 2:12; Neagle (Peterson) 4:15; Caceres 10:06. Penalties – TUR Arturo Pulido blue card (unsportsmanlike conduct) 11:28.
3rd – TAC Ramos (Perera) 1:20; TUR Gutierrez (Brambila) 2:17 PP; TAC R. Cox (Caceres) 11:04 PP. Penalties – TAC Ramos blue card (two-footed tackle) 1:54; TUR Max blue card (boarding) 10:26.
4th – TAC Keitz (Ramos) 2:46; TAC Caceres (Perera) 5:00 PP; TUR Jurado (Germain) 7:27 SH. Penalties – TUR Valadez blue card (holding) 3:15; TUR Gutierrez blue card (holding) 5:33.
Attendance – 2,663
The Stars continue their homestand on Saturday January 18 when the Ontario Fury come to town. Game time is 7:05 pm and you can get your tickets at tacomastars.showare.com today! Prior to the Stars match you can see the future MASL stars take the field as the Stars Reserves take on Narrows FC in a WISL game.
The Stars kicked off their 2019-2020 season schedule. Guarantee your seat to all of the fast-paced excitement of Tacoma Stars soccer by logging on to tacomastars.showare.com to get your tickets.
2019-20 Stars season tickets are available now! Call 1-844-STARS-84 or email info@tacomastars.com to find your favorite seat and make it yours for exciting Tacoma Stars soccer.
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