Ruotolo, Splash’s Second All-Time Scorer, Commits to Rejoining Team

ANAHEIM — Midfielder Raffaele Ruotolo, not invited to Splash training camp because first-year player/coach Dale Ervine “wanted to go in another direction,” has rejoined the team--again.

Ruotolo, who sat out one game last year in a dispute over playing time and walked out on the team after a confrontation with then-general manager Don Ebert, competed in the Continental Indoor Soccer League Challenge Cup with the Splash Thursday and Friday in Sacramento.

Sacramento won Friday’s game, 2-0.

Ruotolo, an eight-year indoor veteran and the franchise’s second all-time leading scorer, represented the U.S. national beach soccer team concurrent with the Splash season last year. Ervine said his mind was changed about Ruotolo after he got “a 100% commitment” from the player to the indoor team. That meant no beach soccer.

“That’s the only way it had an opportunity of working,” Ervine said.