SOCKERS 2 WIN INAUGURAL GAME 9-2 OVER ONTARIO

Sockers 2 Eli Galbraith-Knapp in action against Ontario. He would score a goal in the game.

The San Diego Sockers 2 downed the Ontario Fury II in their inaugural Major Arena Soccer League 2 match at Valley View Casino Center on Sunday afternoon. The rebranded Sockers Reserves team, led by player/coach Jeff Hughes, controlled the game from start to finish for the win.

Forward Andrew Lorei notched a hat trick in his first ever professional arena soccer game. The Sockers signed Lorei, the biggest talent from the 2017 MASL Player Combine, during the offseason. “The key was to get a good result and we did that,” said Lorei. “We got off to a good start and my teammates made it easy to be successful.”

The first-ever Sockers 2 goal was scored by forward Rafa Aguilar at the 7:06 mark. Midfielder Arman Nadjafi added two goals in the second half.

San Diego (1-0) built a 9-0 lead before surrendering two Ontario (0-1) goals in the final minute. For 59 minutes, it looked like goalkeeper Jean Antionne would start his career with a shutout. He made five saves on the seven shots he faced.

Player/Coach Hughes said about the team’s performance, “We have a lot of potential, but we have to clean up our game. There is a lot of things to improve on, but we will take the win and move forward.”

Tallies by Eli Galbraith-Knapp, Sean Callahan, and Renato Sanchez rounded out the scoring for San Diego.

The Sockers 2 play next Saturday night in Ontario for a rematch against the Fury II. The team returns to Valley View Casino Center on Sunday, December 17, 1:05 p.m., for a game against the Arizona Impact,