March 15, 2023 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – San Diego Sockers News Release
The San Diego Sockers–presented by Kaiser Permanente San Diego–continue the March to the Playoffs with a two-match home weekend, first taking on the Monterrey Flash on St. Patrick’s Day Friday night. The match is scheduled for a 7:35pm kickoff from Pechanga Arena, and will be streamed live on Twitch on channel @masl_soccer, with Spanish Language coverage on Twitch channel @sandiegosockers.
The Sockers (16-2, 46 points) have won four in a row, clinching a playoff berth while moving within striking range of clinching the MASL Supporters Shield, awarded to the club with the best record in the Major Arena Soccer League. San Diego leads Chihuahua in the Western Conference by five points in the standings with two matches in hand. The Sockers have a magic number of seven points to clinch the MASL Supporters Shield, meaning a combination of points won by San Diego or lost by Chihuahua. The Savage host Empire Friday night in Chihuahua, and travel to Monterrey on Sunday. The Sockers host Empire on Sunday evening.
Friday is the second of three meetings between the Sockers and Flash in the 2022-23 regular season, and the only time Monterrey visits San Diego. The Sockers will travel to Arena Monterrey on March 26 to wrap up the season series. San Diego won the clubs’ first meeting by a 6-3 score in Monterrey on February 26. The Sockers have an all-time record of 7-9 against Monterrey, dating back to their original meetings in MISL-II in the early 2000s. In the MASL, the Sockers are 3-1-1 against the Flash in the regular season, and 0-2 in the playoffs.
Last week, the Sockers traveled to Ontario and outlasted the Empire Strykers, prevailing by an 8-7 overtime score. San Diego built a 7-3 lead in the fourth quarter, only to see the Strykers score four straight goals to level the score, including Maicon de Abreu’s equalizer with 1:43 left on the clock. Christian Gutierrez scored the golden goal 23 seconds into overtime to claim the result for the Sockers. Felipe Gonzalez scored a brace for San Diego, with Kraig Chiles and Charlie Gonzalez each adding a goal and assist. Brandon Escoto had two assists for the Sockers. Gabriel Costa led all scorers with three goals and three assists for Empire.
Monterrey (10-6-2, 29 points) is leading Tacoma for the fifth and final playoff spot in the MASL Western Conference by five points with six matches remaining for both clubs. The Flash are 5-4 on…