Splash Is Left Boiling After a Loss to Knights

The Splash tested the league’s 10-minute cooling-off period after an aggravating loss Saturday night.

After falling to first-place Sacramento, 8-6, in a battle between the Continental Indoor Soccer League’s hottest teams, player/coach Dale Ervine and team captain Doug Neely gave officials an earful.

“I told them it was the worst-officiated game I’ve ever seen and we’re taking [the tape] to the league,” said a composed Ervine, who had a goal and an assist.

“I think we did a tremendous job of overcoming every obstacle the referees tried to throw our way.”

Ervine was as upset by the non-calls--Danny Barber being taken down from behind on a breakaway, another player kicked in the middle of the field--as he was some of the penalties.

Neely was punched and thrown in the penalty box and goalkeeper Ruben Fernandez was whistled for tripping, and that led to Sacramento’s first goal.

The third-place Splash (5-4) committed only three penalties in the previous six games but were called for five against the Knights (9-2), who remained in first place in the Western Division by winning for the ninth time in 10 games.

Sacramento, which had three power-play opportunities, scored on two of them, and converted another goal as Mathew Davis (two goals) was climbing out of the penalty box after the defensive unit killed a penalty.

“It made a difference--they scored on [essentially] every power play opportunity,” said defender John O’Brien, who got turned by Mark Thomas for the second of three goals which tied the score at 6-6 midway through the fourth quarter. “If we have five guys on the field, I don’t think there are many teams that can break us down.”

Bernie Lilavois’ power-play goal in the final second of the third quarter gave the Splash a 5-4 lead, but the defense broke down amid emotions, momentum and one costly penalty on Armando Valdivia that set up Jon Parry’s game-deciding goal at 8 minutes 30 seconds of the fourth quarter.

“No way that was a penalty on Armando,” said Splash goalkeeper Ruben Fernandez, who watched the play unfold before him. Fernandez had 13 saves.

The Splash had allowed only 3.5 goals the last four games, and gave up four in the fourth quarter.