Sockers Cruising No More : Down by 2 Goals, San Diego Rallies for a 3-2 Victory
No more cruisin’ for the Sockers.
“The last four or five games, I feel like we were cruising,” said Socker captain Jean Willrich. “People have to hit. I have to hit people. We are a strong team. We were more intense tonight.”
In a game that resembled championship play more than an early-season match, the Sockers fought back from a two-goal deficit Wednesday night to defeat the Cleveland Force, 3-2, at the San Diego Sports Arena.
Socker defender Waad Hirmez’s right-toe poke off the rebound of a Fernando Clavijo shot proved to be the winning goal at 7:26 of the final quarter.
This was a game in which the Sockers outshot the Force 38-19 and made their breaks.
“What a game!” yelled a jubilant Socker Coach Ron Newman. “We had to play at our championship level. Those guys on Cleveland fought like tigers. If we didn’t stay 100% concentrated out there at all times, they could have scored.”
After the Force scored twice within the opening seven minutes of the game, Socker goalkeeper Zoltan Toth became unbeatable.
“Zoltan Toth’s goalkeeping performance was one of the finest we’ve seen in many a year,” Newman said.
Toth was everywhere--diving, leaping and clenching his fists to make 9 saves on 19 shots.
“They scored two goals on two shots,” Toth said. “I had to do something.”
In the final 1:55, when the Force had a two-man advantage because it was playing with an extra attacker and had a power-play opportunity, Toth knocked away shots by Ali Kazemaini, John Stollmeyer and Kai Haaskivi. On the save on Kazemaini’s shot, Toth was down on the ground when defender Kevin Crow came out of nowhere to head a rebound into the seats.
“Kevin Crow had one of his best games,” Newman said. “He started to muscle people.”
The Sockers (4-3) played very physically and with the offensive flair of San Diego teams of old.
When the Force took an early 2-0 lead on goals by Gino DiFlorio and Carl Valentine, it appeared the game might be a replay of Cleveland’s 7-3 rout of the Sockers Saturday night.
But by the end of the opening quarter, the Sockers had regrouped.
The Sockers outshot the Force 13-4 in the opening quarter, but did not score until Branko Segota knocked in a right-footer from the right side of the penalty box with 35 seconds remaining. It was Segota’s first goal in three games.
San Diego tied the score at 2-2 on Willrich’s 25-foot smash from the right wing on a power play at 4:34 of the third quarter.
Late in the third quarter, Toth made the saves of the night to keep the score tied. Toth dived to deflect a header from point-blank range by Kazemaini and followed with a save of a rebound attempt by DiFlorio.
In the fourth quarter, the Sockers got the goal they needed for a big win.
Socker Notes
What about the trade and sale rumors involving Juli Veee, Ade Coker, George Katakalidis and Jacques Ladouceur? In maintaining a club policy that he instituted and has maintained for years, Socker general managing partner Bob Bell said Wednesday night that “no one moves unless they want to go.” Bell said he has recently received inquiries from the New York Express, Chicago Sting and St. Louis Steamers. “All the teams that aren’t doing well panic and call me up at this time of year,” Bell said. St. Louis is particularly interested in acquiring Veee, according to Bell. “I’m not interested in doing anything,” Bell said. “I tell the teams to call the players’ agents and talk to them.” The Sockers have always had an interesting way of doing business. “If the agent calls me and tells me the guy is interested in leaving,” Bell said, “then we can talk. Unless Juli tells me this (going to St. Louis) is an opportunity he wants to take advantage of, there is no deal.” . . . Bell said an insurance policy between the Sockers and Lloyds of London is the only thing holding up the completion of Branko Segota’s multiyear million-dollar contract. “Hopefully, it will happen this week,” Bell said, “but I’ve said that for two weeks.”
