Striker Goalkeeper Casts Eye on Trophy : ‘We’re Not Going to Leave It Here,’ a Confident Lettieri Says

As far as Minnesota Strikers goalkeeper Tino Lettieri is concerned, the Major Indoor Soccer League championship series is over.

After the Strikers had beaten the Sockers Sunday night, 6-1, Lettieri advised the Sockers to prepare to hand over the championship trophy.

“We’re not going to leave it here, that’s for sure,” Lettieri said. “We’ll definitely win the next two at home. We won’t come back here to give it away (in the fifth game). If we don’t win it here, we’ll take it at home for sure.”

Luckily for Lettieri, he was talking in a corner of the locker room where teammates were not listening. If any of them had heard Lettieri, they probably would have wanted to clip his wings, which he enjoys flapping.

In other corners of the Striker locker room, yellow caution flags were in order. Coach Alan Merrick and other players talked about what a great team the Sockers were and how the series was far from over.

If anything, some Minnesota players seemed to sense that the Sockers have been acting like they have the series all but won.

“I think it all started from Juli Veee playing the ball off the boards the other night for their final goal (into an open net),” forward David Byrne said. “Plus, they were so cocky at the press conference with their One For The Thumb thing. Everything was One For The Thumb, how good it was to have a worthy opponent like us and how it was a pity we would have to lose in the finals. Obviously, they riled us up. We have a point to prove now.”

The Strikers had a point to prove to themselves Sunday night. They wanted to show that Friday night’s 7-2 loss to San Diego was a fluke, not a sign of things to come.

“We’re a team that deserves to be in the type of position we’re in now,” Merrick said. “We hadn’t played them in a long time, but we were 3-0 against them during the season. We’re the only team that has beaten them here twice during a season. That shows we are not a fluke to be here.”

Going into the series, Minnesota knew the Sockers were not a fluke. San Diego had a 26-0 home playoff record before Sunday.

“The first game was the best thing that could have happened for us,” Striker midfielder Ray Hudson said. “We knew we couldn’t play any worse and they couldn’t play any better. We won with authority and class. We gave them a bit of their own medicine. We have the utmost respect for them, but we showed them contempt.”

At times, Minnesota thought the Sockers were trying to play the role of intimidator. San Diego had seven penalties Sunday, the Strikers had none.

“They were trying to do everything to antagonize us,” Lettieri said. “Our boys just kept smiling and said, ‘Let’s get a couple more goals.’ And we did. We said never mind their cockiness and let’s do what they did to us.”

Minnesota is attempting to become the first team to beat the Sockers in an indoor championship series.

“Against anyone else, I’d be comfortable now because we’re very strong at home,” defender Ken Fogarty said. “You can never think the series is over, at least against this team.”

Just don’t tell Lettieri.