Stars, Sockers Square Off In Divisional Match

by Brett Gleason

TACOMA, Wash. -- The Tacoma Stars (11-7) welcome the division rival San Diego Sockers (11-6) to the ShoWare Center this Saturday, Feb. 20 as the Major Arena Soccer League playoff race nears its conclusion.

Stars defender Adam West was recently named to the MASL Team of the Week for week 17 after combining for three goals and one assist in Tacoma’s pair of matches against San Diego and Sonora last weekend. West leads Tacoma in scoring with 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists).

San Diego has earned a win in each of the two club’s previous meetings this season, including a 5-4 Sockers victory last Thursday, Feb. 11. Tacoma has been out-scored in those two matches 13-6.

Tacoma goalkeeper Danny Waltman ranks among the top five keepers in the league in minutes (first, 1088:25), saves (fourth, 256), goals against average (fifth, 5.40), and wins (fifth, 11). Forward Dan Antoniuk leads the Stars with 17 goals, and has notched eight points in his last five matches.

The Sockers are led offensively by forward Kraig Chiles, whose 44 points (22 goals, 22 assists) rank first on the club and third in the league. Goalkeeper Chris Toth has logged over 900 minutes in net for San Diego this season, recording 227 saves on 318 shots while allowing an average of 5.77 goals per game.

Tacoma and Sonora profile similarly on both offense and defense. The Stars have scored an average of 5.7 goals per game, while allowing an average of 5.4. San Diego has managed 6.6 goals per game on offense, while their defense has given up 5.8 goals on average.

The Saturday match is scheduled to kick off at 6:05 p.m. PT. Live stats can be found at www.maslsoccer.com, while a live webcast can be found at www.golivesportscast.com.

Single game tickets, 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 2015-16 season can be found by following the Stars on Twitter (@TacomaStarsSC) or liking the team on Facebook.