Sockers Remain on Hold After Loss in Overtime

Erik Rasmussen scored the game-winner 8:04 into overtime Saturday as the Wichita Wings defeated the Sockers, 6-5, in a Major Indoor Soccer League game.

The loss, coupled with the Dallas Sidekicks’ 6-2 victory over the MISL-leading Baltimore Blast, left the Sockers stuck in two ways. It prevented them from clinching second place in the regular-season race and also from making up ground on the Blast.

Baltimore leads the league with a 27-18 record with three games to play. The Sockers, who are assured one of five playoff berths, are 25-20, also with three games remaining, while Dallas is 22-22 with four games left.

The victory kept Wichita in the playoff hunt with a 21-24 record, good for fifth.

The Sockers lost a game of streaks before 9,037. Both teams had runs of three consecutive goals to take short-lived leads.

The Sockers rallied from a 4-2 halftime deficit on second-half goals by Allen Willey, Paul Wright and Waad Hirmez to go in front, 5-4, with 8:30 remaining. But Dale Ervine then scored his second goal of the game for Wichita with 4:18 left to force overtime, and Rasmussen followed with a blast from 30 feet out.

With newly acquired Otto Orf II starting in goal, the Sockers took first-half leads of 1-0 (on a goal by Steve Zungul) and 2-1 (Kevin Crow with 12:33 left in the half). The Wings then rallied for a 4-2 lead on goals by Chico Borja, Ervine and Mike Stankovic, his second of the half.

Orf finished with 14 saves starting in relief of Victor Nogueira. Cris Vacarro had 15 for Wichita.