Quinn Excels for Sockers During Tough Time

During the past 11 days, soccer has provided a break from reality for Socker midfielder Brian Quinn.

On Tuesday of last week, Quinn’s wife, Sharon, had a miscarriage.

“It was very traumatic,” Quinn said. “It was the worst episode of my young life. It’s something completely outside my control. Something you don’t have any power to control . . .

“When I first heard, I thought they were telling me lies. There was bewilderment. I was perplexed. I have three healthy kids. You can’t understand.”

Soccer has been a welcome distraction and outlet.

“It was something to get you away from the realities,” Quinn said. “When I was on the field, everything was out of my mind. That was my comfort zone.”

On Thursday, the day after Quinn had a career-high five points (three goals, two assists) to lead the Sockers to a 7-2 playoff victory over the Stars at the Tacoma Dome, he discussed the difficult period during a round of golf with teammates.

Although the Sockers’ play on the course was reminiscent of scenes from the movie “Caddyshack,” Quinn’s account was an emotional one.

“My little girl (3-year-old Danielle) was running around saying she was so happy she was no longer going to be the baby,” Quinn said. “She was running around saying, ‘I’m not the baby. I’m the big girl.’

“Imagine how difficult it is when the kids are asking when’s the baby coming.”

During the two-day stretch when Sharon was in the hospital, Quinn’s children stayed at the home of a friend and former Socker, Martin Donnelly.

“It was difficult for them for two days,” Quinn said. “They don’t understand the impact. The emotional impact of what it takes out of you.”

And, Quinn said: “Whatever it was like for me, it was 10 times tougher for my wife.”

The Quinns, both 27, have been married eight years. They have three children: Nicola, 7, Damien, 6, and Danielle.

Family is extremely important to them.

Sharon comes from a family of six children. Brian comes from one with 10 children, five sisters and five brothers. His father, Seamus, died of cancer when Brian was 10. His mother, Kathleen, is 64, and still lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland, along with all his brothers and sisters.

“I don’t know how they (the parents) coped with all those kids,” said Quinn, who also wants a big family, but perhaps not quite as big as 10. “It’s a testimony to their strength.”

Seamus was an administrator for an engineering firm, but Quinn said his true love was sports.

“I was heartbroken when he died,” Quinn said. “My mom says I was my father’s favorite son. He lived for sports.”

By age 10, Quinn was already participating in soccer, hurling and Gaelic football.

“I got to stay up to watch soccer on TV with my dad even though I was the youngest (of the boys),” Quinn said.

When Quinn was 21, a friend in Orange County invited Quinn to play with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the defunct North American Soccer League. Quinn was a reserve for Everton, a First Division club in England.

He didn’t even have a passport, but the Quinns thought that coming to the United States would be a fun adventure.

“We were just married, and there was nothing to hold us back,” Quinn said. “I got a contract with the Aztecs. I’ve never looked back. I never had any regrets or thought I’d want to go back to Ireland or England.”

After playing with the Aztecs, Quinn played in Montreal for two years. In November 1983, he joined the Sockers. He has been a spark plug, a fiery competitor and an instrumental part of their success.

His top personal achievement occurred when he was named most valuable player of the MISL playoffs in 1985-86. The Sockers beat Minnesota in seven games in the championship series, and Quinn had 13 goals and had 10 assists in 15 playoff games.

But Quinn had signed a three-year contract extension the season before, so he wasn’t able to cash in. And off-season endorsements didn’t exactly come the way of MISL most valuable players.

“I wasn’t bitter or resentful that nothing came of it,” Quinn said.

But he was disappointed. And his career has been filled with disappointment the past two seasons.

Last year, Quinn missed the final 22 regular-season games with a sprained right knee, and when he returned in the playoffs, he was not the Quinn of old.

This season, after getting off to a quick start, he missed 18 consecutive games with a right arch strain.

“It was much easier to deal with this season,” Quinn said. “Last year, I got hurt early on, came back, but never really got into the games. This year, I wasn’t going to come back unless I could contribute.”

Quinn was selected to the Western Division All-Star team but missed the game because of his injury. At first, Quinn was told that he would miss two weeks, but it turned out to be six. He finally returned against Minnesota April 2.

“It’s so difficult to get back in the flow and the rhythm,” Quinn said. “And people expect you to come back and make an immediate impact.”

It didn’t work quite that way, but Quinn steadily became fitter.

Then, with four of the Sockers’ six top scorers out with injuries, including leader Branko Segota, Quinn realized that the team needed an offensive spark going into their third playoff game against the Stars Wednesday.

“He knows he’s still not on the top of his game, but he knows the team needs him,” said Kevin Crow, his road roommate.

Quinn, who had two assists in the first two playoff games, responded with the night of his career to help give the Sockers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Western Division semifinal series, which resumes tonight at the Tacoma Dome.

He was called for a charging penalty in the first quarter and an elbowing penalty in the second. He was determined to get the club going, and sometimes that results in overzealousness.

“A leader doesn’t have to be a talker,” Quinn said. “You set by example. As I get older and more mature, I won’t get as many penalties.”

The Sockers were trailing, 2-0, when Quinn scored on a one-touch from inside the penalty area. That got the Sockers started.

His bending right-footer into the far corner at 5:36 of the third quarter gave the Sockers a 3-2 lead and turned out to be the game-winner.

The scoring wasn’t over for the Sockers or Quinn. He added a third goal and two assists in the final seven minutes.

“I never scored five points in a game,” Quinn said. “I scored six once in practice. That’s why I got so much enjoyment out of this game.”

And it came at a time when both he and the team needed it.

Socker Notes

Tonight’s game will be broadcast live on XTRA (AM 690) and shown on a delayed basis on Prime Ticket at 10:30 p.m., immediately after the Laker playoff game.