Crunch Win, Send Sockers, MSL a Message

The Cleveland Crunch, whom the Sockers shut out the last time they met, gave the eight-time champions something to think about for the final three weeks of the season: an 11-6 loss in front of 5,360 at the Coliseum.

Perhaps the most vivid image of this game came two minutes into the fourth quarter when the Crunch took a 10-2 lead on a goal from Andy Schmetzer.

“It was a weird game,” said Ron Newman, Socker coach. “We out-shot them, but everything they shot went into the net.”

The Sockers took nearly twice as many shots as Cleveland, 48-26. It was the most they have aimed in one game this season.

Yet, all it got them was their second-worst defeat of the season.

Actually, it equals the second-worst defeat, one also inflicted by Cleveland, 11-6, the day after Christmas.

What’s more, it was the Crunch who delivered the worst blow to San Diego, 10-3, in early December.

The Sockers, however, didn’t have much time to dwell on the loss. They took a 6:30 a.m. (EDT) flight out of Cleveland to Baltimore, where they will try to bounce back against the Blast this morning at 11:30 (PDT, XTRA 690 radio).

“I was really hoping for a good game (Friday) night,” Newman said. “So we could relax (today).”

Instead, Cleveland used the Sockers to send a message: Beware, this team is for real.

The Crunch (24-20) have won 14 of 16 to rise out of the Eastern Division cellar and into first place.

If they stay there and the Sockers (28-16) remain atop the West, the two could meet in the championship series. Though Cleveland lost four of its seven games with San Diego this season, Newman said he has cause for concern should the two meet in the postseason.

“This is the second time they’ve blown us out here,” Newman said. “And this time we knew what to expect, but still we couldn’t stop them.”

The Sockers had a particularly trying night with Zoran Karic, who scored three goals and assisted on four others.

Schmetzer and Hector Marinaro also gave the Sockers fits. Schmetzer scored twice and had two assists. Marinaro scored twice and added an assist.

Four other Crunch players had goals and Newman said that was because the Sockers defense suffered a relapse.

“The defense was shocking tonight,” the coach said. “It was like it was when we first started the season.”