The Tacoma Stars traded leads with the El Paso Coyotes but ultimately held on for a one-goal victory 6-5 in a Major Arena Soccer League game Friday night.
With the win, the Kent-based Stars (6-6) even the season series with the Coyotes (3-7) at one win apiece.
The Coyotes went in front of the Stars in the first quarter with two unanswered goals by Hugo Puentes and Jose Moreno for a 2-0 lead with 5:48 on the clock.
Nine seconds after Moreno’s goal, Vince McCluskey took a Mike Palmerin pass and buried it to put the Stars on the board. Tacoma leveled the match at 2-2 when Nick Perera found Mike Ramos for a goal to close out scoring in the first quarter.
The Stars took their first lead of the match on Pablo Da Silva’s first of two goals on the night, this one with an assist by Joey Gjertsen just 21 seconds into the second quarter. Jorge Rios tied the game for El Paso, assisted by Jose Moreno, and the teams went in to the locker rooms tied 3-3.
The third quarter belonged to the Stars. After killing off an El Paso power play, Derek “El Tigre” Johnson knocked home his first goal of the year, assisted by Perera, to put the Stars up 4-3. Philip Lund gave Tacoma a two-goal advantage with 5:10 left in the third, but the Coyotes weren’t done.
With 11:27 left in the fourth, Omar Tapia converted on a Puentes assist to cut Tacoma’s lead to 5-4.
Stars keeper Sanaldo, who picked up his first win in a Tacoma kit, was handed a blue card for holding with 5:52 remaining. That set up a shootout for Rios who scored to tie the game 5-5.
The Stars’ power play was running at 62 percent on the season coming into the match, and the Coyotes gave them an opportunity to improve when Eduardo Cisneros was sent off for two minutes on a dangerous play penalty. Da Silva made them pay with a power play goal with 3:02 remaining. That would prove to be the game-winner for Tacoma in front of 1,263 fans at the El Paso County Coliseum.
The teams wrap up their season series on Friday, March 1 at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent. The Stars will retire kit No. 11 in honor of Stars legend Preki.
The Stars continue their road trip on Friday, Feb. 15 when they visit Pacific Division-leading San Diego Sockers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. (MASL.tv). The Stars’ next home action comes Sunday, Feb. 17 against the Sockers. Kickoff is 5:05 pm.
For tickets, call 844-782-7784 or go to tacomastars.com.
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