Castro, Splash Rally to Reach Semifinals
They don’t call Rod Castro “The Rocket” for nothing, but a new nickname might be more apropos.
Like Heimlich.
As in Heimlich Maneuver.
Castro’s game-winning goal in overtime prevented the Splash from choking away a three-goal lead and the first round of the Continental Indoor Soccer League series.
The Splash scored a 5-4 victory over Sacramento in front of 5,773 at The Pond after a fourth-quarter meltdown in which it watched a three-goal lead go poof.
The Splash open the CISL semifinals against Las Vegas at 7:35 p.m. Friday at The Pond. Las Vegas beat San Diego, 6-5, also in overtime. It, too, will be a three-game series. Game 2 will be played Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“We had to have someone step up because of the way we were playing--we got stale,” Splash defender Ralph Black said. “It took the individual brilliance of Rod Castro.”
Castro scored on a move that the Knights had taken away from the Splash forwards throughout the series. In fact, Dale Ervine was zero for 30 shooting, and Raffaele Ruotolo was one for 24. They were 1-2 on the team in both goals and assists during the regular season.
But Castro started from the left, escaped the tug on the shirt of Ricky Villa, and managed to turn the corner against Lucas Martin. Called The Rocket because of his powerful shot, it zoomed past goalie Mike Dowler and sent Splash players into hysterics.
For Dowler, who had 39 saves in three games and was brilliant throughout, it was a tough way to end a career.
“I don’t know what (Martin) was thinking,” Castro said, “but he was giving me a little space. I could tell he was respecting me a little bit and I took advantage of that.”
Castro had made the same move on Martin in Game 2 and scored an 8-5 victory. But Castro was the only Splash player to execute the move against the Sacramento defense, which clogged the area in front of the net and challenged the Splash to fire away.
“I think it was a great first-round series,” Splash Coach George Fernandez said. “They made us play under pressure and made us mentally prepared.”
After spotting Sacramento a 1-0 lead 2 minutes 33 seconds into the game, the Splash scored four consecutive goals. Ruotolo, Doug Neely, Shane Hickson and Jaime Francisco scored. Ervine had two assists, while Ruotolo and Hickson had one. Hickson also assisted on the game-winner.
It was Ervine and Ruotolo’s first points of the series.
Splash defender Paul McDonnell had a chance to win it in regulation, but missed a virtually open-net shot.
“You never think you’re going to lose in overtime,” Castro said. “I told myself, ‘I’m going to win the game,’ and I hope everyone on the team was thinking the same thing.”
Notes
Splash defender Paul McDonnell, a former Troy High School and Cal State Fullerton standout, was named to the 1994 CISL all-rookie first team. The defender had 14 goals, 13 assists and blocked 29 shots during the regular season. Joining McDonnell on the all-rookie team are Pittsburgh goalie Doug Petras, San Diego forward John Olo Molomo, Washington forward Dante Washington, Las Vegas midfielder Dan Barber and Monterrey defender Genoni Martinez.