Sockers Clinch Best Record, Beat Lazers in Overtime

The San Diego Sockers clinched the Major Indoor Soccer League’s best record with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Lazers Saturday night, but don’t think that the league’s best team wasn’t looking over its shoulder after this one.

After all, the Sockers (37-10) had already lost to the Lazers three times this season, and a fourth loss in six games was pending until Zoran Karic scored his 13th goal of the season with seven minutes left to send the game into overtime.

Then, at 9:31 of the extra period, Branko Segota scored his league-high 53rd goal of the season on a pass from Raffele Ruotolo to give the Sockers the win before 10,418 fans at the San Diego Sports Arena.

The Lazers, who fell back to .500 at 24-24 and dropped a half-game behind Kansas City into third place in the Western Division, said afterward that they had let one get away. And the Sockers agreed.

“This was one that should have gone the other way,” Socker Coach Ron Newman said. “They outplayed us and had a lot of chances.”

In order to lose this one, the Lazers had to blow a two-man power-play advantage in the second quarter and a breakaway chance by Jim Gabarra that would have won the game with four minutes left. They also had to have two shots deflect off the goal post in the final moments.

All of this left the game in doubt until Segota fed a pass to Ruotolo at the top of the penalty box, broke right to accept a return pass and slid a shot into the far corner of the goal past Lazer goalie David Brcic.

“Sure, we had a lot of good chances, but it didn’t work out for us,” Lazer Coach Keith Tozer said. “We have to put this game out of our minds and get ready for the next one.”

That will come tonight when the Sockers and Lazers meet at the Forum at 6:05. It will be the final meeting of the year between the teams whose season series stands at 3-3.