March 14, 2024 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Empire Strykers News Release
Ontario, Calif. – As the Empire Strykers’ early preparations for the 2024-25 Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) season roll on during the final stretch of the club’s current campaign, the Southern Californians have been garnering widespread attention for the rise of a teen phenom among their ranks. With 3-16-1 (wins-losses-overtime/shootout losses) Empire eliminated from playoff contention, 16-year-old Kai Garza’s play in his recent professional debut provides added reason for optimism among a fan base whose patience has been tested by the trials and tribulations of a young squad built for long-term success.
Coming off last week’s away defeat at San Diego, Garza and company are set to face the Sockers at home this coming Sunday, March 17, at 4:05 p.m. PT. Tickets to the rivalry clash at Ontario’s Toyota Arena are available at www.tixr.com/groups/theempirestrykers. All the action will stream live and exclusively on CBS Sports Golazo Network, which may be accessed for free on CBSSports.com, Para mount+, or connected TVs and mobile devices via the CBS Sports app or Pluto TV. A complete channel guide for upcoming MASL games is at www.maslsoccer.com/broadcast-channel-guide.
In their March 10 meeting with the Sockers, the Strykers fell 3-10 courtesy of a subpar second quarter as well as standout shifts from opposition players Tavoy Morgan, Charlie Gonzalez, Cesar Cerda, and Boris Pardo. While Morgan and Gonzalez each bagged four points, defender Cerda finished the match with three, and ‘keeper Pardo boasted 16 saves and a .862 save percentage.
Although Strykers star Marco Fabián saw his impressive goalscoring streak snapped at 16 games, the Mexican was among those lucky enough to witness history in person, as a teammate less than half his age bagged a helper in his maiden MASL game. Having been announced as the Strykers’ latest signing shortly before kickoff, forward Garza one-touched the ball into space for Quenton Swift, who blasted it across the goal from the right and into the side netting. Kai Garza is believed to be the youngest player to ever take the field or earn a point since the league’s inception in 2014.
“To me, the scoreline didn’t tell the whole story,” said the attacking prospect. “We had many good moments and a lot of shots on goal. You could tell that we can be better as a team if we work on some things. When I first went in, it was difficult because San Diego is…