March 4, 2024 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Empire Strykers News Release
Ontario, Calif. – For the Empire Strykers, this week is all about next year’s Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) championship. With the Western Conference outfit all but eliminated from the playoff hunt this time around, the focus inside camp has fully shifted to molding a roster ripe with potential into one capable of making a renewed push several months from now. Coming off a dramatic offseason overhaul, the Strykers’ young squad has struggled to compete with veteran-heavy adversaries through its first 18 games but has shown significant progress over the course of the past few weeks.
In their extended leadup to 2024-25, Empire hosts defending champion Chihuahua Savage this coming Tuesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. PT, with tickets available here. The meeting will be streamed live in English on Twitch and in Spanish on Canela. Broadcasts may be accessed via the two platforms’ respective apps and websites. A complete channel guide for upcoming MASL games is here.
The Strykers recently suffered back-to-back defeats, having fallen at home to the Kansas City Comets last Wednesday and away to the San Diego Sockers on Friday.
Against visiting Kansas City, the Southern Californians put in their best defensive performance of the campaign so far, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion, 3-4. The game’s final minute and change featured a dramatic equalizer by the Strykers as well as the Comets’ winner moments later. Both Empire ‘keeper Brian Orozco and opposition backstop Nicolau Neto enjoyed standout shifts in the contest.
In their 4-8 defeat at San Diego, Orozco and company struggled to contain the home side’s attacking trio of Felipe Gonzalez, Brandon Escoto, and Tavoy Morgan, with the Sockers pulling away courtesy of a 4-1 run of scoring following intermission. While Strykers defender Momo Gueye earned two assists, Marco Fabián bagged a brace, thereby finding the net in his 15th straight match since arriving in the MASL three months ago.
Empire captain Israel Sesay, “We came out strong in the first half. It was close, and both teams had some chances. Unfortunately, we then went back to our old ways of struggling in the third quarter. That’s where we gave the game away. In the fourth quarter, we fought and didn’t give away any goals, but we were up against a very organized, experienced team and couldn’t create enough offense for a comeback.”
Notably, while the Sockers were only shown one…
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