San Diego SportsSan Diego Sockers Restart Winning Ways
Ten-time champs open preseason in the new Del Mar Arena With 10 indoor championships since 1974, the San Diego Sockers are San Diego’s most successful professional sports franchise. Now, after a five-year hiatus, they are officially back. In a pre-season game on Saturday, the Sockers re-started their winning ways with a 9-5 victory over the Stars of Mexico. With the return, San Diego sports fans and families looking for affordable entertainment now have an exciting professional sports team to root for, at prices comparable to a night out at the movies. The return of the Sockers to San Diego was marked by a proclamation by Mayor Jerry Sanders.
 Sockers player Miguel "Chicky" Luna signs an autograph for a young fan. Copyright©2009 sandiego.com, Inc. The Sockers play their home games at the new Del Mar Arena, an indoor/outdoor stadium created via a $14 million tax-free renovation of an aged horse arena. The new stadium seats approximately 3,500 and offers a very intimate setting for a professional sporting event. The Sockers' new owners Dave Pike and Carl Savoia have worked to create a family environment. “This will be a fun and entertaining experience for fans, with a number of giveaways throughout the games,” says Savoia. Entertainment at Saturday’s game included the Sockers Dance Team, Mariachi Juvenile Mi Mexico, the American Acrobats (a cirque style balancing act) and San Diego’s own Pink Army a three-girl pop and hip-hop group. Interactive events included a Soccer Shot and a Frisbee Toss, each giving fans an opportunity to win cash prizes. Prior to the game, all members of the Junior Sockers program were given player-like introductions as they ran out onto the field to give high fives to the Sockers players. The game itself marked the start of the second season of the financially stable Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro). With teams from Canada and Mexico, PASL-Pro isinternational. Teams are separated into flights, similar to divisions in other sports. The Sockers will be competing in Flight B with the California Cougars, Denver Dynamite and Texas Outlaws. Sockers general manager and head coach Phil Savagio is focused on picking up where the former Sockers team left off. “I am excited to be part of this new Sockers team and carry on the tradition," he says. "I bring with me that winning tradition, as I am a former Sockers player.” Having talented, fast, athletic players is important in indoor soccer because unlike outdoor soccer, the indoor game is fast-paced, full of action and usually high scoring. Leading the Sockers was Miguel “Chiky” Luna who scored the game’s first and last goals. “I am just really excited," says Luna. "We got off to the start we needed and the fans were just great today.”The Sockers never trailed, but the Stars of Mexico did tie the game at 5-5 in the third period. The near-capacity crowd came to its feet when Paul Wright scored with just 0:36 to go in the third, giving the Sockers a 6-5 lead. “When the crowd started cheering we got goose bumps on the bench,” says Savagio. In addition to Luna’s and Wright’s goals Dan Antoniuk, Kraig Chiles, Scott Martin, Anthony Medina, Tim Routy, Aaron Susi each scored for the Sockers. The downside of the evening was that the game concluded with 2:05 seconds left to play in the fourth period when Stars of Mexico defender Guadalupe “El Lupillo” Castaneda fell hard on his head. He was able to move all of his extremities, but was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Later reports indicated a spinal cord contusion, with a good chance of recovery. After the game the Sockers players were each given a Sharpie pen, and they spent several minutes mingling with the crowd and signing autographs. The Sockers next home game will be will be the regular season home opener against the California Cougars (November 20 at 6:15 p.m.). Adult tickets start at $8. Discounts are available for military and families. For more information about the Sockers read the following articles: San Diego Welcomes Back the Sockers The San Diego Sockers are San Diegans
 Dan McLellan About the author: Dan McLellan is a San Diego native and Charger season ticket holder since 1993. He also has a weekly Charger podcast at www.DanMcLellan.com. More by this author Subscribe to Sports:
|
Weather
Share This Page |
