Lazers Lose to Express in Overtime, 6-5

When new Lazer Coach Keith Tozer took over the team last week, he said it needed new direction.

In the early going of Saturday’s game against the New York Express at the Forum, it looked as though Tozer had given them that direction, until they blew a three-goal lead and lost in overtime, 6-5, before an announced crowd of 3,293.

After two goals by Zizinho and one by Stuart Lee early in the first quarter, the Lazers fell back, content to play defense, only to see the Express tie the game and send it into overtime.

One minute into the extra period, Mark Liveric, who scored three goals, took the rebound of a shot by Alex Tarnoczi and kicked the ball past Lazer goalkeeper David Brcic, giving the Express their first road victory of the year and snapping their nine-game losing streak.

The Lazers (6-19) have lost a club-record nine straight.

“When Tarnoczi took the shot and it came off the boards, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Liveric said.

Tozer, a loser in his Major Indoor Soccer League coaching debut, was upset.

“Our guys just don’t understand defense,” he said. “If this happens again, these guys are gonna be gone.”

Leading, 4-2, at the end of the third quarter, the Lazers had only to play careful defense and keep the ball out of their zone as much as possible. They did neither.

Liveric made it 4-3 when he scored an unassisted goal 4:41 into the fourth quarter. Keder tied the score less than 30 seconds later and the Lazers were in danger of falling behind.

They jumped ahead, however, 5:42 into the final quarter on Lee’s third goal, but shortly after that Tarnoczi beat Brcic to send the game into overtime.

Express Coach Mark Steffens was happy to see the Lazers drop back on defense, seemingly content to try to hold onto their 3-0 lead. They were outshot by the Express, 36-24.

“After they took a big lead, they dropped back into a shell, which gave us the opportunities,” Steffens said.

And the Express (3-22) took advantage shortly thereafter. With 10 seconds left in the first quarter, Chris Whyte took a pass from Ricky Davis and scored, cutting the Lazers’ lead to 3-1.

The Express then began to pressure the Lazers, who were no longer able to generate much of an offense.

“We got over-anxious (after the three-goal lead),” Tozer said.

Just 59 seconds into the second quarter, Liveric headed the ball to Michael Collins deep in the Lazer zone. Collins passed the ball back to Liveric, who then scored his first goal of the game and the 200th of his MISL career, making the score 3-2.

The Lazers’ Lee scored 6:01 into the second quarter, increasing the Lazer lead to 4-2. It was the 200th point of Lee’s MISL career. That lead held until the Express comeback in the fourth.

Tozer must now prepare for three games on the road against Cleveland, Baltimore and New York.