Lazers Lose Another at Home to Sockers
The Lazers probably have circled Jan. 28 on their calendar.
That’s when they begin a four-game trip in Cleveland. Enough of this supposed home-field advantage at the Forum.
The Lazers, who are 7-4 on the road, were dealt their fifth straight defeat at home, losing, 8-4, to the San Diego Sockers Wednesday night before 4,823 fans at the Forum.
The Lazers’ home record is 3-7, worst in the Major Indoor Soccer League.
The Sockers, in first place in the Western Division, are 19-6. They have won 7 in a row, 12 of their last 13, and have the best road record in the league at 10-5.
The Sockers’ lead was 2-1 after one quarter, 4-2 at halftime and 6-2 after three quarters.
Despite six goals, the first half was dull and filled with seven penalties, none of which resulted in power-play goals.
After 18 seconds, former Socker Cha Cha Namdar poked in a right-footer from the right side after receiving a lead pass from Chris Cheuden. Namdar’s goal tied a Lazer team record for the quickest goal scored at the start of a game. The record is also held by former Lazer Gus Mokalis, who scored against Tacoma on May 2, 1987.
San Diego evened the score at 2:54 on a 35-foot blast from the right wing by Waad Hirmez and took the lead on defender Kevin Crow’s left-footer from the crease, off a rebound, at 8:59. That’s two goals this season for Crow, who is known more for blocking shots than putting them in the net.
The Sockers scored twice within 39 seconds early in the second quarter. Defender Brian Schmetzer connected on a rising 30-footer from the left side of the arc, and Hirmez scored on a two-on-one break with Branko Segota. On Hirmez’s goal, Segota had a one-on-one with goalkeeper David Brcic, who committed himself early and left the goal open for the trailing Hirmez, who received a pass from Segota.
The Lazers’ Mark Fredrickson scored at 6:23 to make it 4-2. At 2:39 of the third quarter, Juli Veee’s precise pass off a corner kick resulted in a goal by Mokalis. Zoran Karic scored with four seconds remaining in the third quarter to make it 6-2. The Lazers’ Paul Child made it 6-3 at 2:45 of the final quarter.
Veee scored on a right-footer from the right wing at 3:30, and Paul Dougherty made it 8-3 at 9:01. Lazer defender Adam Topolski scored a power-play goal at 11:18, but the Lazers were well on their way to another loss at the Forum.
Now, if only the Lazers didn’t have to play host to Tacoma Saturday and St. Louis Sunday, it might not be tood bad a week for them.
Lazer Notes
Defender Steve Pecher is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery for torn cartilage on his right knee Friday. Pecher is expected to miss four to six weeks. . . . Chico Borja again sprained his right ankle in the third quarter and missed the remainder of the game.