Sockers Open Camp but Nobody’s in Goal : Veteran Goalie Toth Stays Away but Says He Will Arrive Tonight

The Sockers convened Monday for the start of training camp, only to find that all of a sudden they were without an experienced goalkeeper.

Zoltan Toth, expected to carry the load in goal after Jim Gorsek signed to play in Los Angeles, was the only no-show Monday. Toth contacted the team, however, and said he will be in San Diego tonight.

“We’ll wait until he gets here and give him the benefit of the doubt before we throw the book at him,” Coach Ron Newman said. “He said he’d be here (tonight).”

The Sockers don’t have a backup goalkeeper right now, although they were expected to sign Victor Nogueira, former Cleveland goalie. Nogueira’s situation is complicated by a knee injury he suffered in a game against the Sockers last season.

“Our doctors aren’t sure but they haven’t seen him,” Newman said. “It may come to where we have to bring him in for a tryout to see how he looks.”

Without Toth or a backup, the Sockers were left with three youngsters in camp Monday to try out in goal: Frank Lecce and former San Diego State goalkeepers Felipe Hernandez and Gary Willcox.

Socker Notes

Defender Kevin Crow, who played for the U.S. Olympic team in Seoul, was not at the team’s workout Monday and will not join the team until next week. The team has given Crow a week off since he just returned to town. . . . It has not officially been announced that midfielder Chris Chueden, formally of the Los Angeles Lazers, has joined the Sockers, but he was at the team’s workout Monday. . . . Others present were newcomers Poli Garcia, Gary Etherington, Alan Wiley and Ralph Black. Returning players who showed Monday included Brian Quinn, Rafaele Ruotolo, Paul Dougherty, Keder, and Hormoz Tabrizi. . . . Branko Segota has not signed yet, but Socker President Ron Cady said the team and Segota are close to agreeing on a new contract. . . . Defender Chris Keenan is another former San Diego State player trying to catch on with the Sockers this season. Keenan joins ex-Aztec free agents Willcox and Hernandez.