SOCKERS WIN 3RD IN A ROW, TOP EMPIRE 4-3
OCEANSIDE, CA (Saturday, December 28, 2024) - Goalkeeper Xavier Snaer-Williams earned a win in his first start of the season and Charlie Gonzalez added a goal and an assist to pace the San Diego Sockers (3-1-0, 8) to a 4-3 victory over the Empire Strykers (2-3-0, 6) before 3,435 at Frontwave Arena. San Diego is now 3-0 in its new home, each determined by a one-goal margin.
Both teams had good scoring chances early in the contest, but it would be Empire who struck first on a goal by Alex Bradley at the 6:49 mark. He took a pass from Justin Stinson and made a turn to finish the shot to the left of Snaer-Williams into the goal. Less than three minutes later, Mounir Alami scored on an assist from Jorge DeLeon to extend the Strykers’ lead to 2-0.
San Diego’s Tavoy Morgan would counter only 47 seconds later to cut Empire’s advantage in half. Morgan, who missed the last game with an injury, capitalized on a Strykers’ mistake and slotted home a shot to the right of Brian Orozco.
The Sockers dominated the second period by scoring three goals. On a set-piece play, Mitchell Cardenas sent a ball over the top finding Kraig Chiles for a header goal to equalize at 2-2 with 8:35 left in the quarter. On another set-piece, Gonzalez’ direct shot past the keeper for the Sockers’ first lead at 7:51.
The final goal was set up after Orozco challenged Taylor Bond for a high ball and was called for a penalty. The ensuing shootout attempt by Gabriel Costa went wide of Clayson De Lima. However, Costa would tally a power-play marker off a set-piece pass from Gonzalez 34 seconds later to give San Diego a 4-2 advantage going into the break.
The third period featured back-and-forth action with the Sockers maintaining their two-goal lead.
Empire began the final stanza by applying high pressure but failed on several good opportunities. Snaer-Williams made the save of the match on a Mansaray breakaway chance. He stood strong at the top of the arc and turned the shot away to preserve the Sockers’ two-goal margin. It was his best of the 11 he made on the 14 shots he faced.
With time running out, the Strykers went to the sixth-attacker Empire hoping to score quickly, but they did not find the back of the net until 18 seconds remained. Marco Fabian brought Empire to within one after he took a Bradley wall pass and slid it past Snaer-Williams. San Diego would run the clock out to secure their third consecutive win at Frontwave.
San Diego closes out the four-game homestand on Sunday, January 5, 5:05pm against the defending back-to-back champion Chihuahua Savage on Alumni NIght. Tickets are available at AXS.com, SDSockers.com, or FrontwaveArena.com.