Lazers Complete Another Trade, Play in Chicago

The Lazers, apparently still in the midst of rebuilding, will play the second of three straight road games tonight against the Sting at 5:30 in Chicago.

The remodeling began a few weeks after Keith Tozer replaced Peter Wall as coach of the struggling Major Indoor Soccer League club Jan. 28. The most recent change, announced Thursday, is the trading of forward Paul Kitson and a 1988 second-round draft choice to the Cleveland Force for midfielder Chris Chueden.

Chueden, 26, had 5 goals and 4 assists in 26 games with the Force this season, his second in the MISL.

Kitson, 30, signed with the Lazers as a free agent last summer and in 19 games had seven goals and 10 assists.

The Lazers also signed Hubert Birkenmeyer, former New York Express goalkeeper, to a 10-day contract to fill in while David Brcic recovers from a broken nose suffered Tuesday night.

Since taking over, Tozer has traded Poli Garcia and Jim Kavanaugh to St. Louis for Don Ebert and Steve Pecher, released Dave Madden, traded Darko Birjukov, bought Chris Whyte and Michael Collins from the defunct New York Express and sent Willie Molano to Dallas for Marco Liete.

The Lazers have the league’s worst record at 7-24. The Sting is 16-16.