Sockers Fold in Fourth, Lose in Overtime, 4-3

Socker Coach Ron Newman said his team’s 4-3 playoff overtime loss to the Tacoma Stars Saturday night was “one of the biggest shocks of my career.”

The Sockers blew a two-goal lead in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter before 8,563 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

San Diego led, 3-2, when forward Ricky Davis scored a short-handed goal with just 21 seconds left in regulation.

The goal was set up when the Stars were awarded a re-start from the top of the arc because Socker defender Kevin Crow was called for intentionally kicking the ball in the crowd.

Crow said he “mis-hit it off my shin. It didn’t hit my foot.”

Davis’ goal turned the momentum of the game. Preki’s goal won it.

At 5:06 of overtime, Preki scored on a rebound of a Peter Ward shot that bounced off Gorsek and right to Preki.

So the Sockers find themselves tied at one game apiece in the best-of-five Western Division semifinal series, which now heads back to the Tacoma Dome for Games 3 & 4 Wednesday and Friday nights.

The home-field advantage that the Sockers worked for all season now belongs to the Stars.

“Now the pressure is on us,” Crow said. “It’s 180 degrees reversed.”

The players were very quiet after the game. But Newman’s post-game tirade was long and loud.

“All we have to do is keep the ball,” Newman said. “We’re on a power play, for God’s sake.

“Kevin Crow miskicks the ball. He’s not even under pressure. Where in the rules does it say that after a miskick, the ball has to be placed there (restart at the top of the arc). He bloody misplayed the ball.

“The rule was for intentionally kicking the ball into the stands. He didn’t intentionally miskick it, I’m sure of that.”

Did Crow--the surest passer on the Sockers--expect the call? “In this league, yeah,” Crow said.

After Crow’s mis-hit, Davis tied the game on a shot inside the far post.

The Stars won it on a shot by their leading scorer this season. Preki finished second in the league in scoring with 53 goals and 58 assists for 111 points, but he was held scoreless by the Sockers this series until the 8:54 mark of the fourth quarter. He scored on a 35-footer to cut the Sockers’ lead to 3-2.

Then came the game-winner.

“I had a couple of unlucky plays, but I kept working and working, and I knew eventually my turn would come,” Preki said. “When it came my time, I was in the right spot.”

With Gorsek down on the field after making a save on Ward’s shot, Preki easily scored.

“I saved the first shot (by Ward), but it went right to Preki,” Gorsek said. “No one was with him. He finished it.”

Said Socker midfielder Juli Veee: “We made a lot of little mistakes. A lot of mistakes.”

It was quite a comeback for the Stars. And quite a final quarter and overtime after a lackluster three quarters.

After three quarters, the game was tied at 1.

Then, within a four-minute stretch, the Sockers scored twice. Crow was credited with the first goal at 57 seconds on a deflection of a shot by Brian Schmetzer. Star goalkeeper Mike Dowler said the ball actually deflected off Star defender Neil Megson.

San Diego make it 3-1 at 4:56 on a chip shot from inside the penalty area by Paul Dougherty. The goal was set up by Brian Quinn.

Going into the final quarter, the teams had managed just two goals.

After a scoreless opening quarter, the Sockers’ “Budapest connection” of Veee and Gus Mokalis made it 1-0 at 2:11 of the second quarter. Veee passed to Mokalis off a corner kick, and Mokalis drilled in a right-footer from the right wing.

The Stars tied the game on Ward’s right-footer from the right of the arc at 11:41. Ward had an open net because Gorsek had committed himself and come out of the goal. Ward’s goal was set up by Preki, who beat two Socker defenders with a lead pass to Davis, who passed to Ward.

That was the start of a spurt by Preki that resulted in a great comeback for Tacoma and a startling loss for the Sockers.

“It was a comedy of errors,” Newman said. “A comedy of errors. We had the game won.”

Socker Notes

The Sockers played without leading scorer Branko Segota (pulled his left quadricep in Thursday’s game) and the Stars played without star forward Steve Zungul (aggravated a pulled calf muscle Thursday). The status of both is uncertain for Game 3 . . . Socker goalkeeper Jim Gorsek made 15 saves on 24 shots and Star goalkeeper Mike Dowler made 13 saves on 28 shots . . . Saturday’s playoff loss at home was only San Diego’s fifth against 31 victories . . . Star forward Peter Ward flew in from England and arrived in San Diego Saturday afternoon. Ward missed the Game 1 while attending his father-in-law’s funeral . . . After a penalty-filled game Thursday, two different referees worked Saturday’s game, and only three penalties were called. All were called against Tacoma . . . Socker defender Kevin Crow was selected as the Sockers’ player of the year in a vote of local media.