St. Louis Goaltender Takes Steam Out of Sockers, 3-1

How do you hold the Sockers to a mere four goals in two games? Just ask St. Louis Steamers Coach Pat McBride.

The Steamers defeated the Sockers, 3-1, at The Arena Wednesday night behind the consistent play of goaltender Slobo Ilijevski, who made 22 saves and watched 30 Sockers’ shots come his way.

Ilijevski was in goal for the Steamers’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Sockers last Saturday at San Diego.

“Slobo had a great game tonight,” said McBride, whose team ended a six-game losing streak. “He stopped (Branko) Segota twice on one-on-ones. He was on top of his game.”

Said Juli Veee, who scored the Sockers’ only goal: “Slobo was like an octopus tonight and the other night. He was unbelievable, but the defense in front of him played a hell of a game. You have to give them credit too.”

San Diego Coach Ron Newman said Ilijevski has put his team’s offense in a two-game sleep.

“Slobo was the difference,” Newman said. “We could not get the ball in and we kept plugging along all game. I thought we would get a deflection or two, but it was amazing we could not score.”

Daryl Doran put the Steamers in front when he scored his first of two goals at 6:09 of the second quarter with Carlos Melian off for tripping. Doran picked up a loose ball in the Sockers’ penalty area and hit a shot that sailed past goalie Jim Gorsek.

Minutes later, St. Louis forward Don Ebert saved a goal when he kicked a Veee blast off the goal line with Ilijevski down.

“Don kicking the ball off the line helped me,” said Ilijevski. “We all played well tonight. We all got back and played defense. We never give up, and it showed tonight.”

Veee finally scored at 6:33 of the third quarter when he took a Kevin Crow pass and scored to the lower-right corner past Ilijevski. Crow started the play when he beat Nebo Bandovic to a ball in the corner.

Bandovic redeemed himself when he put the Steamers in front to stay at 7:37 of the fourth quarter with his 25th goal of the season.

Defender Tony Bellinger started the play with a perfect pass to Louis Nanchoff. Nanchoff then hit Bandovic in the penalty area and Bandovic tapped a shot past Gorsek.

The Sockers pulled Gorsek with 2:52 left. But that move backfired. With Fernando Clavijo on as the sixth attacker, Doran scored from midfield into an open net at 12:58.

Segota gave up the ball at midfield and Jacques Ladouceur and Clavijo collided, giving Doran the ball and the open net.

The Sockers put heavy pressure on Ilijevski in the closing moments, but they could not get the ball past him.

“Instead of getting back in the game, we give the ball away and it cost us,” Newman said. “I thought we got frustrated very early on, and we never got out of it. We were not as tenacious or as aggressive as we usually are.”

Said St. Louis defender Steve Pecher: “Slobo played like he always does. He kept us in the game when we needed it.”

Socker Notes Jim Gorsek started his first game since being injured Dec. 12, when he suffered a broken left hand. He wore a special brace on the hand. . . . The crowd of 4,820 was the smallest in the history of the Steamers at The Arena.