Sockers Sweep Up the Blast

The Baltimore Arena always has been something of a house of reciprocity for the Sockers. Although the Sockers never have been able to win there during the regular season, they have earned postseason victories in the place that have led to four championships.

But after edging the Blast, 9-8, Saturday afternoon in front of 7,878 at the Arena, the Sockers now must hope no reciprocal forces will be at work in the playoffs.

That’s because, with the victory, the Sockers (29-16) finished a season sweep of their four games in Baltimore.

“They’re going crazy here,” said Ron Newman, Socker coach. “They can’t understand it. They’ve always taken us apart in the regular season.”

The difference this season, Newman said, is that, like the playoffs, whenever the Sockers have showed up in Baltimore, there has been a sense of urgency.

“We always seem to have a reason to win here,” the coach said.

Saturday’s reason appeared 16 hours before kickoff. That’s when the final buzzer ended Friday’s game in Cleveland with the Crunch waving an 11-4 victory in the Sockers’ faces.

With Cleveland’s Friday victory and the Blast’s Saturday loss, Baltimore now trails the East-leading Crunch by five games.

“Coops (Kenny Cooper, Blast coach) is my friend,” Newman said. “And we certainly didn’t do him any favors with Cleveland the night before. Then we come out smoking in the first half (on Saturday).”

All of which means the Sockers might not have to think about the Blast in the playoffs, at least not if their slump continues. The Blast now have lost 10 of 12 and are in danger of losing the final playoff spot in the East to Wichita.

“Wichita certainly has a chance now,” Newman said, “because Baltimore’s confidence level is at an all-time low.”

Even before the Sockers rolled into town, the Blast’s confidence took a direct hit when last-place Wichita scored a 10-2 victory Friday.

Then Saturday, the Blast found themselves down, 4-1, 11 minutes into the game after goals from four different Sockers: Branko Segota, Kevin Crow, Paul Wright and Paul Dougherty. Brian Quinn assisted on two of the goals.

When all was said and done, Segota and Quinn were the two biggest contributors.

Segota finished with two goals and two assists. He now has at least a point in 16 of 17 games, in which time he has a mere 14 goals and 17 assists.

Quinn, who says he relies on hard work from his teammates to rack up points of his own, finished with four assists. It was the third time this year he tallied four assists and his 12th multi-assist game of the year.

“I thought Quinny had one of his best games in a month or so,” Newman said. “Just the way he organized the game, dictated the flow and always moved the ball around.”

What turned out to be the game-winning assist, however, went to Segota, who slipped a pass toward Michael Collins eight minutes into the fourth quarter and about 10 seconds after Collins stepped onto the field for the first time in the game.

Collins, who took Segota’s pass at the near post, shook off the rust by tapping the ball by goalie Hank Henry.

Over on the other end, Sockers goalie Victor Nogueira was having a tough go of it for the second day in a row, but picked his 27th victory of the season nonetheless.

Nogueira now moves past Mike Dowler to No. 2 on the all-time list for victories in a season. In 1987-88, Dowler recorded 26 for Tacoma.

With seven games remaining, Nogueira is aiming for the record, set by Alan Mayer who rolled up 30 victories with the Sockers in 1982-83.

Nogueira surpassed a second milestone as well. By stopping 11 shots, he brought his save total to 509, a career high. In 1984-85 while with the Chicago Sting, Nogueira established his previous high, 501.

Socker Notes

The Sockers are now 22-0 when leading after three periods. At that point Saturday, they led the Blast, 6-4. . . . They are 6-1 overall against the Blast this season and, counting last year’s playoffs, have won six consecutively at the Civic Center. . . . The Sockers improved their league-best road record to 12-11.