Sockers Find Themselves in Familiar Place

Surprise, surprise. The Sockers are in the MISL championship series.

This makes eight times in the past nine years that they have played for an indoor soccer championship. For the second year in a row, the seven-time champions will play the Baltimore Blast in the title series. The Sockers have defeated them in three previous finals--in 1983, 1985 and 1989.

How do the Sockers stay so consistent?

“What you have to do in the playoffs,” defender Kevin Crow said, “and what the Sockers have always been able to do is raise their game a whole notch. We’ve been saying it pretty consistently all year that we’ve had a quiet confidence. You never saw us panic.”

To get there this time, the Sockers eliminated the St. Louis Storm, 3-1, in the best-of-five Western Division semifinals and the Dallas Sidekicks, 4-2, in the best-of-seven division finals. This after they finished the regular season two games under .500.