Toth Leads Sockers to 5-4 Win

For Socker goalkeeper Zoltan Toth, playing this season has been a real pain in the foot.

Toth sat in the Sockers’ locker room with an ice pack wrapped around his right foot after a 5-4 victory over Wichita in front of 11,788 in the Sports Arena Friday night.

He injured the foot earlier this week in practice running on the hard floor of the Sports Arena. Friday night, the pain became so great that Toth had to leave the game at halftime.

Toth made 12 saves will he was in, keeping the Sockers even although they were outplayed and outshot (20-6) by the Wings.

“The pain was so great that I couldn’t run anymore or jump anymore,” Toth said. “I’ve had nothing but problems with my feet this year.”

Toth’s foot problems began early this season when he banged his foot into the boards and injured his right toe. Because of various other foot injuries, Toth has had trouble finding comfortable shoes to wear.

“It was a good thing our defense was limiting their scoring chances,” Toth said.

While Wichita was busy controlling the ball, the Sockers had a team record-low 12 shots on goal.

“I don’t know exactly what it was, but we just couldn’t get it going,” Sockers’ defender Kevin Crow said. “We were fortunate to be even after the first half.”

After a scoreless third period, the Sockers (18-13) came alive on offense just long enough. Jean Willrich scored on a pass from Branko Segota 56 seconds into the fourth quarter to give the Sockers a 4-3 lead and less than three minutes later, Juli Veee scored on a pass from Crow to make it 5-3.

The Sockers remained 2 1/2 games behind Tacoma in the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Western Division. Wichita is 15-16.

While Toth was on his game in the first half, he alone could not stop Chico Borja, the Wings’ top scorer, who had three first-half assists.

Borja’s first assist of the night, a quick centering pass to Barry Wallace, gave Wichita a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the game.

Later in the first quarter, Wichita showed its wide-open style of play, which gives up goals as quickly as it gets them.

First, the Wings fell asleep on defense, allowing the Sockers two quick goals in a span of 1:22.

Segota scored his 27th goal of the season on a pass from Willrich to tie the score, 1-1. Hugo Perez put the Sockers ahead, 2-1, after receiving a header from Segota.

Ten seconds later, however, it was the Sockers who were caught flat-footed. After Perez scored, Borja took possession moments after the Wichita kickoff and passed to an unguarded Dave Hoggan in front. Hoggan’s goal, coming just 10 seconds after Perez had scored, tied the score, 2-2.

With one minute remaining in the first quarter, Borja drew a penalty and the Sockers went on the power play. San Diego’s man adavantage continued to start the second period and Veee scored to give the Sockers a 3-2 lead.

Again, the lead didn’t last for long as Borja passed off the boards to Terry Rowe for a tying goal five minutes into the second quarter.