|
No Repeat for Sockers; Flash and Saints Eliminated
3/5/14 - Three of the four Newman Cup Championship Weekend slots were claimed on Saturday as the Professional Arena Soccer League playoffs rolled on.
The San Diego Sockers and Las Vegas Legends met for the second straight year, but this time the Legends were able to hand the Sockers their first PASL playoff loss, ending their four year reign as league champions. Las Vegas broke a 4-4 tie with Luis Piffer's goal with three seconds left in the fourth quarter, which kicked off a 7-1 Legends run and ended with an 11-7 Sockers loss.
Enrique Tovar, Ivan Simental, Ivan Campos, and Alex Caceres each had two goals for Las Vegas. Brian Farber and Evan McNeley had two goals apiece for San Diego, but three-time MVP Kraig Chiles was limited by an Achilles injury and had just an assist.
The Cleveland Freeze beat the Cincinnati Saints 11-6. The Saints, who had the worst record in the 10 team playoff field, put an early scare into the Freeze by opening a 2-0 lead in the game's first 13:26. Cleveland, however, scored twice in 13 seconds to tie the game before the end of the first quarter and built a 5-2 lead by halftime.
Cleveland extended their run to eight unanswered goals, before the Saints staged a mini-rally in the fourth quarter, but could draw no closer than 8-5.
The game of the night took place in Hidalgo, Texas as the Hidalgo La Fiera nipped the Monterrey Flash 9-8. The two teams split a four game regular season series with two of the games needing overtime to decide a winner.
Hidalgo seemed to have the game well in hand with a 5-1 halftime lead, but the Flash scored four straight third quarter goals to tie the game. La Fiera briefly regained a 6-5 edge, but Erick Tovar and Jose Luiz Birche scored fourth quarter goals to give Monterrey their first lead of the night at 7-6.
La Fiera responded with two Chile Farias goals sandwiched around a Robson de Souza strike in a span of 2:04 to take a 9-7 lead.
Tovar completed a hat trick for Monterrey with seven seconds left in regulation, but Hidalgo seemed to have the game won with such little time and possession of the ball. Farias made a crucial mistake on the kick off and kicked the ball out of bounds giving the Flash a free kick at the top of the arc with three seconds left.
After a timeout Bogar Moreno triggered the restart but La Fiera's defense squelched the free kick to hold on for a 9-8 win.
Las Vegas and Hidalgo advanced to the Newman Cup Championship Weekend for the second straight year, where they will be join the host Chicago Mustangs. Cleveland will travel to Detroit on March 8 and the winner of that game will be the final addition to the Chicago quartet.
PASL Announces the Aaron Susi Trophy
The PASL added a new piece of hardware when it announced the league's playoff MVP award would now be known as the Aaron Susi Trophy. Susi, one of the first players ever signed when the PASL launched in 2008, was the only player to have been a member of the first five league championship teams. Susi won the then-North American Championship in 2009 with the Stockton Cougars and the last four North American Championships/Newman Cups with the San Diego Sockers. Susi's road to six straight championships came up short as Saturday's 11-7 loss in Las Vegas brought his 17 year career to a close.
Kick Starters - Conversations you should be having about the PASL
The league announced its All-League First and Second Teams on Wednesday. The league MVP and Coach of the Year will be announced later this month.
2013/14 PASL All-League First Team
| F - Efrain "Wilo" Martinez |
Chicago Mustangs |
| F - Kraig Chiles |
San Diego Sockers |
| M - Enrique Tovar |
Las Vegas Legends |
| D - Alex Caceres |
Las Vegas Legends |
| D - Genoni Martinez |
Monterrey Flash |
| GK - Juan Gamboa |
Hidalgo La Fiera |
2013/14 PASL All-League Second Team
| F - Allen Eller |
Cleveland Freeze |
| M - Miguel Vaca |
Chicago Mustangs |
| M - Jamie Lovegrove |
Dallas Sidekicks |
| D - Josh Grossman |
Cleveland Freeze |
| D - Costea Decu |
Detroit Waza Flo |
| GK - Jesus Flores |
Chicago Mustangs
|
The Week Ahead
All times Eastern
|
