Sockers Are Back in Finals; Segota Hurt

SAN DIEGO —  The Sockers, who over the years have become what they are by turning aside challenges the way Mike Tyson flicks aside club boxers, ducked the knockout punch one final time Saturday night and, as a result, will have a chance to again reign as champions of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

The Kansas City Comets put up quite a fight in the Western Division final series, but Sockers again were the ones left standing--even if their top scorer and team leader, Branko Segota, wasn’t.

That was just another challenge the Sockers were going to meet. And with Brian Quinn getting a hat trick and the Sockers’ defense stopping four Kansas City power plays when the game was still close, the upstart Comets were finally beaten, 8-5, in Game 7 in front of a sellout crowd of 12,884 in the San Diego Sports Arena.

The victory gave the Sockers a 10-1 record in playoff games when they have faced elimination, and it completed a three-game comeback against the Comets, who at one point were in control of this series, up 3 games to 1.

“The challenge was just that much greater without Branko, but this team pulled together as usual,” Socker defender Kevin Crow said.

Segota was forced to the sideline 19 seconds into the game when he was sent flying by Comet defender Kim Roentved as the two chased a loose ball. He suffered torn ligaments on the top of his left shoulder and did not return.

The Sockers now can set their sights on Eastern Division champion Cleveland, which will be the opposition when the Sockers begin their sixth indoor final series in the past seven years Wednesday night in the Sports Arena.

As usual, though, there is still quite a challenge ahead. That’s because Segota’s injury appears to be serious enough that he may miss the entire series.

Segota said the doctors told him he will be unable to return in time to face Cleveland, but as he sat in owner Ron Fowler’s box with his left shoulder wrapped, Segota said he might be able to play if the series goes five or more games.

“It’s not that uncomfortable right now, but I’ll have to see how it feels in a couple of days,” Segota said.

Segota was running down the left side chasing a ball moments after the opening kickoff when Roentved slid across and sent Segota flying over top. Segota landed on his shoulder.

“It was a fair tackle as far as he was going for the loose ball,” Segota said. “But I still feel he wanted to do me. He could have won the ball easily without running into me.”

Segota entered the game as the Sockers’ all-time leading scorer in the playoffs with 106 points, but Saturday night, Juli Veee (one goal, one assist) moved ahead of him with 107, and several other players moved closer.

Not the least of these was Quinn, whose three goals were scored on an assortment of long-range shots.

With the Sockers leading, 1-0, Paul Dougherty chased a loose ball into the corner and forced Kansas City goalkeeper Ed Gettemeier out of the box to gain control. Gettemeier cleared the ball up the boards, but Quinn intercepted in front of the red line.

He hit the ball at knee level and bounced it into the net before Gettemeier could recover.

The Sockers made it 3-0 early in the second quarter when Raffaele Ruotolo stepped in front of another clearing pass by Gettemeier--he was in the net this time--and banked a pass off the boards to Waad Hirmez, who was alone in front.

“With Branko out, I was still pretty nervous,” Socker Coach Ron Newman said. “We were just hoping to hold it together.”

The Sockers got nervous when Jan Goossens scored goals late in the second quarter and early in the third to bring Kansas City within 3-2, but soon after, the Sockers took control again.

Veee collected a pass in front and back-heeled the ball between Iain Fraser’s legs to Dougherty, who manueuvered around Gettemeier for a 4-2 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Sockers scored twice in an eight-second span to put the game away. Quinn scored the second of the two goals, stepping around Roentved and sending a shot high over the head of Gettemeier into the top corner of the net.

Socker Notes

Defender Gus Mokalis injured his left ankle late in the first quarter. Doctors will look at it Tuesday, Mokalis said . . . The first two games of the MISL championship series between the Sockers and the Cleveland Force will be played in the San Diego Sports Arena Wednesday and Friday nights. Wednesday’s game will begin a half-hour earlier than usual (at 7:05) to accommodate television . . . Tickets will become available for Game 1 and 2 today at 10 a.m. at the Sports Arena box office or by calling Ticketmaster locations at 287-TIXS . . . Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) will be played in Cleveland at the Richfield Coliseum. Games 6 and 7 would be played in San Diego . . . The Sockers beat Cleveland all four times the teams played during the regular season. The Sockers won twice in San Diego (3-2 Dec. 11 and 5-3 March 3), and twice in Cleveland (7-3 Dec. 14 and 6-5 Feb. 21) . . . Cleveland will arrive in San Diego Tuesday and practice in the Sports Arena at 2 p.m . . . National recording artist Hollis Gentry performed the national anthem on his saxophone before Game 7, just as he did before Game 6. No word yet on whether or not the Sockers plan to keep using Gentry in the final series as a good luck charm . . . Socker President Ron Cady’s day didn’t start as well as it ended. Saturday afternoon, he attended the San Diego Section 3-A baseball semifinals to see his son Todd’s Grossmont High team play Santana. Todd, a freshman catcher, went 0 for 3 and Grossmont lost, 13-0.