Sockers Edge Strykers 7-6

Costa struck first with a laser shot from the yellow line to give San Diego a 1-0 lead at 3:34. After an Empire turnover in midfield, Costa started the play with a short pass to De Oliveira along the boards, who then gave it back to him for the shot and goal. Costa now has a point in 12 of his last 15 games. The Strykers equalized at 10:52 on a counterattack that took advantage of a slow returning defense with a goal by Justin Stinson from Leonardo Espinoza. Stinson’s blast from the left point hit the roof of the goal. San Diego had three good chances to add scores but was denied once by the post and twice on point-blank saves by Brian Orozco. The period ended 1-1.

San Diego moved ahead 2-1 off a set-piece opportunity at 3:58. Charlie Gonzalez started the action with an overhead cross-field pass to De Oliveira, whose one-touch volley from the left wing found Morgan inside the arc for the tap-in marker. Morgan has a six-match goal streak and points in 15 consecutive games. With two assists, De Oliveira has points in five of his last six contests. Empire responded at 9:22 with a beautiful goal by Espinoza, who headed the Robert Palmer aerial pass from midfield. Drew Ruggles continued his torrid offensive play with an individual effort that sliced through the Empire defense for the score from the top of the arc after receiving the ball from Charlie Gonzalez in midfield with 46 seconds remaining in the half. Ruggles has a point in six of his last nine games.

The Strykers tied the game only 41 seconds into the second half on a Walter Diaz power-play goal. Boris Pardo made the save on the first shot from Palmer, but Diaz knocked the rebound home. The duo of Costa and De Oliveira teamed up again for the go-ahead power-play goal at 4:44. After playing the ball to one another four times, Costa moved inside from the right side to the top of the area and drove a blast past Brian Orozco. For the fourth time in the game, Empire rallied to knot the score again, this time at 4-4 on an Alan Perez tally at 6:22. The Sockers continued the scoring pattern at 8:13. Christian Gutierrez sent a ball high off the glass, which dropped to Morgan for his brace from inside the box. San Diego got its first two-goal lead at 6-4 with 21 seconds left in the third. De Oliveira stole the ball from Stinson just inside the yellow line, then with one move, he placed his shot down the middle into the empty goal. 

The fourth period opened with the Strykers getting a score from Espinoza at 2:46. Pardo saved his first shot, however, he followed up his rebound for the score. Empire went to the sixth attacker, and San Diego made them pay at 7:49 as Cesar Cerda notched his first goal of the season off a walla-scora pass from Sebastian Mendez. Stinson found the back of the net with a power-play tally with under two minutes remaining. Mendez was called for a reckless tackle to set the man-advantage. The final minute was chaotic as the Sockers continued to clear the ball under the relentless Empire attack. Finally, San Diego closed out the match with the ball in the Strykers’ zone for the important 7-6 victory.

Pardo made 12 saves, some at key moments, on the 18 shots he faced for his 11th win of the year. 

Defender Ben Ramin played in his 150th career MASL game, while newly acquired defender Krisitian Quintana made his Frontwave Arena debut.

The Sockers travel to the Midwest for a two-game weekend road trip to face the St. Louis Ambush on Friday, March 7, and the Kansas City Comets on Sunday, March in an important playoff position clash. San Diego returns to Frontwave Arena on Saturday, March 22, 7:05pm against the Empire Strykers. Individual, group, mini-plan, and $75 Family Four-Pack tickets are available at AXS.com, SDSockers.com, or FrontwaveArena.com.