Sockers Don’t Have of a Shot Against Wings in Wichita

Sockers midfielder Waad Hirmez said he told Wichita Wings forward Terry Nicholl he should have bought a lottery ticket Saturday night.

“I told him he might win it,” Hirmez said. “I’m glad I didn’t buy it. I would have lost for sure.”

Hirmez and the Sockers shot and hit everything but the goal as they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Wings for their seventh consecutive loss in Kansas Coliseum.

“I just couldn’t buy a goal,” said Hirmez, who hit the left post, shot into the crowd and twice saw Wings goalkeeper Ron Fearon come up with outstanding saves to stop him.

Michael Collins and Ben Collins also missed wide open shots, as did Wes Wade, who created the Sockers’ only score.

“This wasn’t a defensive game,” Sockers Coach Ron Newman said. “It was a case of many, many missed chances. This is no different from a game that I’ve seen 9-8. In this one nobody could put the ball in. They missed open goals and we missed open goals.

“I thought it was all our game the first period. But we didn’t get any goals at the critical time.

“Wes Wade missed a little knock-in, which is unusual for Wes. And then Ben Collins at the end hit one over the top from under the crossbar. Those are the goals we needed to get the momentum back again and start putting on the pressure.”

The Sockers could have been ahead by two or three goals in the first period but for Fearon and the mysterious cover over the net.

Fearon missed three games while recovering from a strained neck suffered in a collision with Socker forward Rod Castro in San Diego Nov. 17.

Socker goalie Victor Nogueira has had no rest at all. He set a club record by starting his 14th consecutive game.