Dougherty, Keder Stand Tall for Sockers

Even the little guys had a field day in the Sockers’ big 12-2 win over the Wichita Wings Friday night.

Socker midfielder Paul Dougherty (the shortest player in the Major Indoor Soccer League at 5-feet, 2-inches) and forward Keder (5-7) scored two goals apiece in the first half of the Sockers’ rout in front of 8,408 fans at the San Diego Sports Arena.

The Sockers led, 6-0, at halftime, 7-2 after three quarters and scored in double figures in a regular season game for the first time since they beat the St. Louis Steamers, 11-4, March 29, 1986.

The last time the Sockers scored more than 12 goals in a game and the last time the Sockers won by 10 or more goals was in a 14-2 playoff win over the Baltimore Blast May 25, 1985.

Dougherty and Keder weren’t even in the MISL in 1986. This season, Dougherty has four goals, which doubles his regular season output of two goals in 19 regular season games as a rookie last year. He has four goals in his last three games.

“It’s amazing,” said Dougherty, who was signing an autograph for a youngster who was considerably taller than he was. “One goes in, they all go in.”

Keder has a team-high eight goals, after scoring just two goals in 12 games as a rookie for the New York Express last season. Keder has at least one point in his last five games.

“Those guys scored the hard goals,” said Socker Coach Ron Newman.

The little guys got a lot of help from their teammates. Playing up front for the first time this season, Branko Segota had a hat trick and two assists. Segota scored all three goals in the second half.

“Everybody was moving,” Segota said. “Everybody wanted the ball. You have to make that extra effort to make the runs.”

The Sockers ran and ran and scored and scored. They scored on 12 of 27 shots. They scored four power-play goals, including one on a shoot-out by Segota in the fourth quarter.

Hugo Perez scored two goals and Waad Hirmez, Fernando Clavijo and Raffaele Ruotolo had a goal apiece for the Sockers, who are 3-0 at home and have outscored their opponents 24-5. On the road, San Diego is 1-3, with two of the losses coming against the Wings.

In the second quarter, the Sockers scored five times, including twice on power plays. The team record for goals scored in a quarter is seven, against the Chicago Sting on Dec. 2, 1982. In the second half, the only real suspense was whether goalkeeper Zoltan Toth would get a shutout and whether one of the little guys would get a hat trick.

Wing defender Terry Rowe scored at 11:07 of the third quarter to break up Toth’s shutout. Toth finished with 12 saves on 16 shots.

Wichita goalkeeper Matt Kennedy made 9 saves on 27 shots on what was a most forgettable night.

“When it rains, it pours,” Kennedy said. “Everything went right for them. They played like a championship team.”

Socker Notes

Socker defender Waad Hirmez has asked to be traded. Hirmez had a private talk with Coach Ron Newman after Friday’s game. “I asked them to trade me,” Hirmez said. “I’m not happy. I’d rather go to a team that would have respect for me.” Hirmez, who has two goals and an assist in seven games, would not elaborate. When Newman was asked about Hirmez’s statement, he said,. “I wish he hadn’t told you that.” . . . Former Socker Jean Willrich received a standing ovation and a loud round of applause before Friday’s game. Before taking the field, Willrich said he felt “strange” walking into the visiting locker room at the San Diego Sports Arena for the first time. “What can you say?” Willrich said. Willrich, sold to the Wings just before the season started, plans to move his family to a rented apartment in Wichita Monday. After the season, they will return to San Diego. “Wichita is not California and not 80 degrees,” Willrich said, “but it’s a nice place. People are very friendly. Maybe it will be nice to have Christmas in the snow.”. . .With injuries to Brian Schmetzer (separated shoulder), George Fernandez (sprained knee) and the 32-day suspension to Juli Veee, the Sockers signed defender Manny Neves, a member of the Socker reserve team, to a 10-day contract Friday. Neves was drafted out of Point Loma High in 1978 and was a reserve on the Sockers’ outdoor team after playing for the California Surf from 1979-81.