Newman Threatens, and Sockers Respond by Beating Comets, 6-5

Give Sockers Coach Ron Newman an early vote for MISL Coach of the Year.

It was a promise and a threat from Newman that spurred the Sockers to an 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Comets on Saturday night at Kemper Arena. The victory broke the Sockers’ three-game losing streak and allowed them to stay above the .500 mark at 6-5.

They had to, or else.

“I told them we would just start the season over again if we didn’t get a better result,” said Newman, whose defending MISL champions had lost, 3-2, at Cleveland on Friday night. “It’s amazing, isn’t it, what they can do when they’re backed up against the wall.”

Not necessarily, considering starting the season over meant going through two-a-day training camp workouts this week. It was enough to light a fire under Steve Zungul, who had two goals and an assist in the victory.

“Coach told us before the game that if we lose, we have two-a-days,” said Zungul, who covered his face with his hands and added “Oh, no!”

Or, as defender Kevin Crow put it: “We’re not the kind of players who like that sort of thing.”

It was second-half goals from Zungul and Crow that put away the game for San Diego after the Sockers had survived a second period that was a double workout in itself.

After San Diego took a 3-1 lead after one quarter on goals by Jean Willrich, Fernando Clavijo and Branko Segota, the Comets lifted goalkeeper Manny Schwartz and put in former Socker Alan Mayer to stop the avalanche. But Mayer didn’t have to do much work as San Diego picked up two-minute penalties from Crow (pushing, 3:51), Zungul (charging, 6:37), illegal substitution at 9:01 and the sixth-foul of the quarter at 10:11 of the second period to give Kansas City four power plays. This, with the score 3-2 after Keith Furphy headed in a goal at 1:34 of the second period.

The Sockers, who had given up a short-handed goal to Comets rookie Dave Boncek with 45 seconds to go in the first quarter, survived the tenuous second period tied, 3-3. The “No-Goal Patrol” allowed one power-play goal by Damir Haramina at 4:33 that tied the score. Still to come were the last two penalties, the last of which came with 50 seconds to go in the illegal substitution penalty.

Given that boost, the Sockers took the lead for good just 1:13 into the third period when Crow scored from Brian Quinn, whose pass from the right corner just avoided the outstretched hands of Mayer and into the waiting feet of Crow, who easily found the open net.

Never mind the two goals against the sixth attacker by Zungul and Jacques Ladouceur in the final three minutes and another by Mayer with four seconds left. The goal that helped the Sockers take control of the game came from Zungul at 5:25 of the fourth period to make it 5-3.

It was the third assist from Quinn, who saw Zungul open in the penalty area and gave him the a low line drive that Zungul dove and headed in about a foot off the ground. The ball caromed high off the ground and into the top of the net.

“It looked like he was looking for a dime down there,” Newman said. “That gave us an opportunity to dictate the game.”