The San Diego Sockers opened the season with a home game against the Turlock Cal Express, but fell to the 2018-19 last-place team by a score of 6-7.

The Sockers scored first as Brian Farber recorded the first San Diego goal of the new season. Farber averaged 11 goals per season through his first three years in the MASL, all of which have come with the Sockers.

The Cal Express finished the first quarter on top with the tying and go-ahead goals within 17 seconds of the other.

The Sockers tied the game up 32 seconds after the second quarter began when midfielder Hiram Ruiz, who is a Socker for the third consecutive season, scored his 19th goal with San Diego.

Within 16 seconds of falling behind again, Luis “Pee Wee” Ortega, assisted by newly-acquired forward Slavisa Ubiparipovic, gave the Sockers their third goal of the night and put the game in another tied game.

Gerardo Jurado scored Turlock’s fourth goal of the evening in the final five minutes of the first half to put the Cal Express up one at halftime.

San Diego’s Emmanuel Aguirre got the second half rolling when he tied the game back up again. Cesar Cerda recorded his first assist of the season.

In the third and fourth quarters, forward Ivan Campos and defender Juan Manuel Rojo put Turlock up by two. Rojo made his fourth goal of the year and second goal of the night. Campos scored his first goal and point of the season.

Sockers’ midfielder Brandon Escoto shot one up for his 33rd goal in 25 games since the beginning of the 2018-19 season. Another Turlock goal later, the fourth-year Sockers Kraig Chiles brought the game within one once again with his 36th goal in 20 games since last year.

The Sockers will head to Tacoma in search for their first win. They’ll face the Stars next Saturday at 7:05 p.m. from ShoWare Center.