Tavoy Morgan scored his first hat trick in a Sockers uniform and the San Diego Sockers’ defense held the Ontario Fury to two goals in a 7-2 Sockers victory at Ontario’s Toyota Arena.
The Sockers (4-0-1, 1st West) were coming off their first loss to Ontario last week, and had their chance to avenge that loss on the road Sunday. The Sockers scored an average seven goals and allowed five scores per game in the club’s first four matches of the season.
The Fury (3-3, 2nd West) went 2-2 on their month-long road trip and will return home where they won their first game of the season. Ontario averaged six goals for and goals against per game in their first five matches.
San Diego got off to a hot start defensively in the first quarter, and forwards Kraig Chiles and Tavoy Morgan gave the Sockers an early 2-0 lead. Midfielder Brandon Escoto centered the ball for Chiles to open the scoring five minutes into the game.
The Sockers put more distance between them and the Fury in the second quarter, scoring three more goals and taking a 5-0 lead before Ontario got on the board with under two minutes remaining in the half. Christian Gutierrez scored in the fifth minute of the second quarter, and Tavoy Morgan added two more goals, recording the fourth hat trick of his Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) career.
The third quarter was the battle of the defenses. Ontario kept the Sockers scoreless while chipping away at the San Diego lead with a Franck Tayou goal. However, the Sockers did not allow the Fury to creep any closer. Christian Gutierrez added his second goal of the night, and Juan Manuel Rojo put in the final touch late in the fourth quarter.
Goalkeeper Boris Pardo was named the first star of the game. In 60 minutes, he made 14 saves and allowed just two goals in the finale of three consecutive games between San Diego and Ontario. He raises his save percentage to .735 this season, which ranks third in the league and first among West Division goalkeepers.
In addition to Morgan and Gutierrez, forwards Leonardo De Oliveira (two assists) and Kraig Chiles (one goal and one assist) each turned in multi-point efforts. Chiles has seven points in four matches so far this season. Oliveira has nine points while recording a point in each of the club’s first five matches this season.
Brandon Escoto’s first-quarter assist kept him atop the Sockers’ season leaderboards with six assists and 10 points. Morgan and Oliveira each have nine points and midfielder Charlie Gonzalez has eight points (four goals and four assists). Chiles rounds out the top five through five matches.
San Diego becomes the last team in the 2021-22 season to be undefeated in regulation after Kansas City’s loss in the MASL’s Central Division. The Sockers’ only loss this season came in a home match against the Fury on Jan. 9 when the two clubs finished the fourth quarter in a 7-7 tie.
The Sockers continue their four-game road trip on Friday, Jan. 21 when they travel to Corner Sport Arena to play the Chihuahua Savage. The Sockers opened their home schedule with the Savage on Dec. 19 against the Savage, where the two teams competed to a 4-1 Sockers victory. The Savage, the newest expansion club in the MASL, are still looking for the first win in club history. They have dropped each of their first four matches this season.