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Toth makes 21 saves in return to San Diego

The San Diego Sockers traded goalkeeper Chris Toth to the Ontario Fury in November, but the 2007 Fallbrook High School graduate returned to Pechanga Arena which was once the San Diego Sports Arena for the Fury's Jan. 5 game against the Sockers and made 21 saves against his former team.

"It was a little strange, but it is what it is. It happens in all sports," Toth said of his first game in his former home arena.

Toth also held the Sockers scoreless until the middle of the fourth quarter in the Fury's 3-2 overtime loss in San Diego.

"It was a special game," Toth said.

On Nov. 18, the Sockers traded Toth and forward Andrew Lorei to the Fury for forward Leo De Oliveira and defender Juan Gonzalez.

"They got two players for me. It's just business," Toth said.

Toth was the Major Arena Soccer League's goalkeeper of the year in both 2016-17 and 2017-18; staff from the league office and the MASL teams vote on the all-MASL selections. Toth and Boris Pardo split time in the nets for the Sockers those two seasons as well as in 2015-16.

During the 2017-18 regular season, in which the Sockers posted a 19-3 record, Pardo led the league with 3.70 goals against average in 10 games while Toth was second with a 3.80 goals against average in 12 games. Toth's .753 save percentage ranked second in the league while Pardo's .747 save percentage was third. Pardo was selected to the all-MASL third team.

"We had a really good thing last year, Boris and I," Toth said.

"Both first class goalkeepers," said Sockers general manager Sean Bowers.

"You saw it tonight," Bowers said. "Both goalkeepers keep their teams in the game."

The trade allowed both Toth and Pardo to be first-string goalkeepers rather than share netminder activity. "We worked on our side to give Boris a chance to play every day, and in the trade we also got Leo who I think has helped tremendously," Bowers said.

"We both deserve to play more games," Toth said. "You could see it on his end. You could see it on my end."

The trade was not the result of Toth's July 7 marriage to Kayla Cantarini. The new Mrs. Toth works as a veterinary nurse at a San Diego County animal hospital. Toth is currently the goalkeeper coach for three San Diego County soccer clubs as well as the Fury's goalkeeper. Bowers, Toth, and Fury president Bernie Lilavois worked on a solution to increase playing time for both Pardo and Toth.

"Ontario for me is the closest place and it makes the most sense for me," Toth said. "I talked to Bernie and everything sounded good."

The Sockers opened their 2018-19 season Dec. 16 at home with a 4-3 overtime win against Rio Grande Valley. De Oliveira scored the game-winning goal.

"They've been looking at him for a long time," Toth said.

Pardo made seven saves against the Barracudas to open the Sockers' season.

Ontario's first game of the season was played Nov. 30 and was an 11-2 home victory over Turlock. Toth made 13 saves, and he was named the MASL's goalkeeper of the week for the first week of the season.

The Sockers and Fury faced each other Dec. 20 in Ontario. The Sockers' 4-2 win included 16 saves by Pardo and 14 by Toth.

San Diego's victory Jan. 5 gave the Sockers a 6-1 season record and Ontario a 6-3 mark. The result gave both Pardo and Toth six goalkeeper wins, making them the two league leaders in that statistic. Pardo's goals against average was lowered to a league-leading 3.08 while Toth lowered his goals against average to 3.67, which ranked second in the MASL. Saving 21 of 24 shots gave Toth a season save percentage of .785 to lead the league. Pardo, who made 13 saves Jan. 5, ranked second at .780.

"Chris is doing very well up there, and we're very happy with Boris," Bowers said.

The Fury held a 1-0 lead for most of Toth's first game in San Diego since the trade. Toth made six saves in the first quarter, five in the second period, and three in the third quarter. The Fury scored once in the first period and took a 2-0 lead 1:31 into the fourth quarter.

Toth spent the 2009-10 season on the Sockers' developmental league team and split 2010-11 between the reserves and the Sockers. He was the Sockers' backup goalie behind Riley Swift in 2011-12 and 2012-13 and took over as the Sockers' primary goalie for the 2013-14 season. During his time with the Sockers he faced his teammates in practice. "For sure it helped," Toth said of his Jan. 5 performance.

"Nine years I've practiced against these guys," Toth said. "I've seen them. I'm familiar with them."

With 7:39 remaining in the fourth quarter Pee Wee Ortega scored for the Sockers. The goal was on the team's 18th shot.

Kraig Chiles is the only Sockers' player who has been with the team all 10 seasons since the franchise was reinstated in 2009. With 4:08 remaining in regulation Chiles took a free kick and passed to Brandon Escoto, who scored the tying goal two seconds later.

"We called a timeout. We set the play up. I had two or three options and I thought that Brandon was the best option at the time," Chiles said.

"We bounced back," Pardo said. "We have players like Brandon who came through."

Toth made four more saves in the fourth period, including one from an Escoto shot with three seconds left, for 21 total saves.

"That's a hefty number," Pardo said.

"Chris had a stellar night. He kept his team in it," Pardo said. "He had a good game."

The first shot of overtime was saved by Pardo 1:31 into the golden goal period. Escoto took the Sockers' first overtime shot, which was deflected by a Fury defender and went into the net 1:47 after the start of play in the extra period.

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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