Sockers Win, 7-0, to Gain MISL Final

Jean Willrich scored two goals and had one assist and goal-keeper Jim Gorsek recorded the first Major Indoor Soccer League playoff shutout in two years Tuesday night as the San Diego Sockers blanked the Minnesota Strikers, 7-0, to win their semifinal playoff series, 3-2.

The triumph lifted the Sockers into the MISL’s championship series where they’ll face the Baltimore Blast, who earned their berth in the finals by beating Cleveland 7-4 earlier Tuesday night to win their semifinal series, 3-2.

The best-of-seven championship series begins with a pair of games in San Diego on Friday and Sunday nights before moving to Baltimore for the third and fourth games next week.

It had appeared that the Sockers had won their semifinal series Sunday night with a 4-3 shootout win over the Strikers at Minnesota.

However, MISL Commissioner Francis Dale upheld a protest by the Strikers on Monday, ruling that the Sockers used a player--Jacques Ladouceur--in the shootout whom they hadn’t declared eligible for the shootout.