Sockers Put Finishing Touch on Wings, 7-3
If you thought Sunday’s game between the Sockers and Wichita Wings was little more than just the 309th and final game of the Major Indoor Soccer League regular season, consider:
--Socker midfielder Juli Veee and Wing midfielder Dave Hoggan were ejected in the first quarter after a bench-clearing incident in the Sockers’ 7-3 victory in front of a Fan Appreciation night crowd of 9,623 fans at the San Diego Sports Arena.
--Wing forward Erik Rasmussen won the MISL scoring title by one point when he scored with just 50 seconds remaining in the game.
--San Diego goalkeeper Zoltan Toth allowed just three goals to become the first goalkeeper in league history to finish the season with a goals against average of fewer than 3. His 2.94 led the league and easily shattered the previous mark of 3.38, set by Tino Lettieri of Minnesota in 1986-87.
It is the first time a Socker goalkeeper has led the MISL in goals against average and the second time Toth has done it. He had a 4.01 GAA with the New York Arrows in 1982-83.
--Socker midfielder Branko Segota scored once to finish second in the league in scoring for the third time in the last four years.
The Veee incident: It began at the 4:02 mark of the first quarter.
Socker midfielder Hugo Perez was penalized two minutes for tripping Mickey Thomas.
After tripping Thomas, Hoggan said Perez walked past him, bumped him and said, “Come on.” Hoggan head-butted Perez. Both benches cleared, and players ran onto the field.
Veee went after Hoggan.
“Hoggan head-butted Hugo,” Veee said. “That’s why I got upset. The referee should be right on the spot preventing things like that.”
Veee said he “tried to get Hoggan,” but he didn’t know if he hit him. Hoggan said Veee didn’t hit him.
After order was restored, Perez headed to the locker room with a broken tooth.
Veee and Hoggan received red cards for violent misconduct and were ejected from the game. A red card also carries a $500 fine.
“Hugo, you cost me money,” Veee said in the trainer’s room. “I’m not paying this one.”
Hoggan pondered his action in the Wing locker room.
“I never should do anything like that,” Hoggan said, when asked about head-butting Perez. “I’ve been in the league five years, and this never happened before.”
Hoggan said he was “very embarrassed” by his action.
The scoring title:
Rasmussen needed three points Sunday to win the scoring title. He got two assists and a goal to finish with 55 goals and 57 assists for 112 points in 52 games, edging Tacoma’s Preki, who finished with 53 goals and 58 assists for 111 points in 56 games.
Rasmussen assisted on Jean Willrich’s goal at 10:33 of the fourth quarter. Then, he scored from inside the penalty area with 50 seconds left to win his first scoring title.
“I have to admit I was trying for it tonight,” Rasmussen said. “We’re out of the playoff picture. I thought I might as well go for it.”
Second again: Segota finished with a team-leading 56 goals, second in the league to Minnesota forward Hector Marinaro’s 58. Marinaro scored two goals in the Strikers’ 3-2 victory over Baltimore Sunday.
Segota said he knew what he had to do entering Sunday’s game, but he was more concerned about not reinjuring his left thigh than with leading the league in goals.
“What are you after, statistics or to be successful?,” he said. “The point is to play for the team. See how I’ve contributed. I’ve won five championships, finished second in scoring three times. That’s important to me.”
Now, it’s on to the playoffs for Segota and the Sockers.
