Lazers Meet Tacoma Today in Opener at Forum

The Lazers will open the Major Indoor Soccer League season at 1:30 p.m. today at the Forum against the Tacoma Stars with a new slogan: “Something to Prove.”

That’s appropriate, since the Lazers led the league in losing last season.

Coach Keith Tozer has been busy in the off-season, purging the Lazers of old and bringing in new players in an effort to improve on the 16-36 record.

For example, goalkeeper David Brcic is now the most-experienced player on the squad, having played in 39 games.

With the new acquisitions--including such proven players as Chico Borja, Paul Child and Mark Frederickson--Tozer’s rebuilding process, which began shortly after he took over for Peter Wall midway through last season and ended with Friday’s signing of third-round draft pick Mike Windishman, is complete.

“It’s a total turnaround,” he said.

Whether the team can fulfill his hopes for a good season remains to be seen, but Tozer is cautiously optimistic.

“We’ve made drastic changes,” he said. “I don’t know how good we’ll be, but the attitude here is unbelievable.”

As for the possibility of the team folding, should it stumble, Tozer would only say, “All the indications I’ve got from Jim and Jerry Buss is that the team is here to stay.”

The Stars, 0-1 after losing their opener to the defending champion Dallas Sidekicks, 4-3, Wednesday night, figure to test Brcic and the Lazer defense often, as their lineup includes perhaps the most-balanced offense in the league with Steve Zungul, Preki, Gary Heale and Godfrey Ingram.