Sockers Get Overtime Win Over Stars, 4-3
The script had a different ending Wednesday night.
For the third straight time this season, the Tacoma Stars and Sockers went into overtime. Actually, their second meeting went into double-overtime.
Tacoma defeated the Sockers, 8-7, in overtime Dec. 26 and 6-5 in double-overtime Dec. 27.
But this time a liner here and a loose ball there gave the Sockers the victory, 4-3, on Branko Segota’s 20-foot follow-up shot at 4:03 of overtime.
It was the first loss in 12 one-goal decisions and seven overtime games for the Stars, who have the best record in the Major Indoor Soccer League at 17-5.
San Diego moves to 12-10 and is five games behind the first-place Stars in the Western Division.
The winning goal developed when Juli Veee passed to Waad Hirmez, who was ahead of the field on the left side. Hirmez’s shot was just wide off the right sideboard and was put in by Segota, who was trailing on the right wing.
“I followed it up and had the empty net,” said Segota, who also tied the score at 3-3 with 2:09 remaining in regulation.
With Socker defender Fernando Clavijo inserted as a sixth attacker in place of goalkeeper Jim Gorsek, Segota’s liner from 35 feet slid under Star goalkeeper Peter Mowlik.
“It was a free kick,” Segota said. “There was only one guy in the wall so I took it. The goalie won’t be able to see it because of all the traffic.”
Said Socker Coach Ron Newman: “Branko’s shots are so hard. It’s difficult to hold onto his shots. That ball of his was dipping.”
The Stars had taken a 3-2 lead on defender Gregg Blasingame’s first goal of the season with 4:15 remaining in the game. The crowd of 12,708 anticipated another narrow Star victory.
But Segota, who missed last Saturday’s game with a strained left groin, was just getting started.
“If you keep shooting,” Newman said, “something will happen.”
The Sockers outshot the Stars, 43-18. Gorsek, gaining his first victory since Nov. 18, had 10 saves and Mowlik made 14 saves.
And Segota’s 17th and 18th goals gave the Sockers the victory.
“It was very much like the other two games,” Newman said, “but it slipped in the other direction. It’s a very tight game with each team looking for a lucky break here and there. I thought we were magnificent and played a brilliant game.”
San Diego led, 1-0, on an early goal by Kevin Crow. Star forward Gary Heale scored two power-play goals to give the Stars a 2-1 halftime advantage.
The Sockers were once again hurt by a former San Diego forward who now plays for the Stars.
But it wasn’t Steve Zungul.
Gary Heale, who played outdoors with the Sockers in 1983, scored two goals to give him seven goals in three games against San Diego this season.
He is particularly dangerous when his club has a man-advantage opportunity.
With Tacoma on the power play, Heale scored on a rebound to tie the score at 1-1 late in the first quarter.
His second goal was scored when the Sockers were down two men late in the second quarter. Segota was called for a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and eight seconds later the team was penalized for having six fouls.
With Clavijo, Cha Cha Namdar and Crow on defense, the Stars scored after 41 seconds of the double penalty on a tap-in by Heale. The goal was set up when Zungul threaded a pass from the right wing through the crease.
The Sockers had numerous opportunities to score but did not tie the score at 2-2 until 12:19 remained. With San Diego on the power play because Tacoma had too many men on the field, Hirmez flicked in a rebound from just to the left of the goal. Veee got the assist.
From that point on, it was a typically exciting Tacoma-Socker finish.
“They can go any way,” Segota said. “The other time they were fortunate. This time, maybe we wanted it a bit more.”
Socker Notes Socker midfielder Branko Segota says he plans to test the free-agent market after this season. Segota, in the option year of a three-year contract, has been involved in contract negotiations with the Sockers since the start of the season. He turned down a six-year, $1.25-million contract Dec. 16. “We can’t come to terms,” Segota said Wednesday. “Nothing can really work out because of the salary cap situation ($1.275-million per team). I would rather wait and test the market after the year is over.” . . . Socker Coach Ron Newman, who will coach the Western Division team in the Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star Game, said Alan Hinton of the division-leading Tacoma Stars will be his assistant coach. Newman originally wanted Peter Wall, who was fired Wednesday as Los Angeles Lazer coach.
