Toth signs with Tacoma Stars

Chris Toth will be a member of the Tacoma Stars for the 2020-2021 Major Arena Soccer League season.

The Stars’ signing of the 2007 Fallbrook High School graduate was announced July 24. Toth had spent the previous two seasons with the Ontario Fury and began his MASL career with the San Diego Sockers.

“I’m really excited to be with the Stars and for my career to excel with them,” Toth said.

“I’ve been playing against them for a long time, and I’m real familiar with them,” Toth said. “I’m just excited to get to work with them.”

Toth became a free agent after the 2019-2020 season.

“I had a lot of offers,” he said.

The search for Toth’s 2020-2021 team included a conversation with Stars owner Lane Smith.

“The model that they had there seemed just right,” Toth said.

“They want to win, and that's what I want to do,” Toth said. “It just seems like the right fit.”

Winning will determine the role of Toth relative to Stars goalkeeper Danny Waltman, who has been the Stars’ primary netminder for the past five seasons.

“I’m going up there to help Tacoma win and that’s the main thing,” Toth said. “Danny’s definitely going to be involved. I’m going to be involved.”

Toth and Waltman previously split goalkeeping duties with the United States national beach soccer team.

“We’ve worked together in the past,” Toth said. “We get along, so it’s not going to be a problem.”

During Toth’s final three seasons with the Sockers he split time in the nets with Boris Pardo. The November 2018 trade allowed Pardo to be the Sockers’ primary goalkeeper and Toth to become the Fury’s primary goalie.

“The past two seasons I was playing pretty much by myself,” Toth said.

The 2019-2020 season had 24 scheduled regular-season games for each team. The 2020-2021 MASL season is still to be finalized, but it is expected that approximately the same number of games will be played in a shorter period.

“There’s a good idea it will be a much shorter season in total length,” Toth said.

That likelihood would mean more back-to-back games, so having Toth and Waltman alternate would eliminate the need for one to play full games on consecutive days or two games in three days.

Nick Perera is the player-coach for the Stars.

“I haven’t played with Nick since he was with the Sockers,” Toth said.

Toth and Perera were both on the 2010-2011 Sockers, and Perera returned to the Sockers for the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons. Although they have not been teammates in the MASL since 2016, Toth and Perera played together on the beach soccer national team.

“I’ve been around Nick for a long time and I know what he brings on the field and I know what he can do as far as a coach,” Toth said. “I’m just excited to work with him both on the field and with him being the coach.”

The Stars’ players also include 2007 Fallbrook High School graduate Mikel Palmerin.

“He’s a longtime friend of mine,” Toth said. “It’s going to be fun to see him around more often.”

Toth and Palmerin have been friends since they were in second grade at Maie Ellis Elementary School. They were on the Fallbrook High School junior varsity and varsity soccer teams together and played together at Mira Costa College for one year. They also played together with the Fallbrook Fury club program. Villa FC, which was once the Fallbrook Fury, is not affiliated with the Ontario Fury.

Toth signed with the Sockers in 2009. He spent the 2009-2010 season with the Sockers reserve team. Palmerin joined the Sockers in 2010 and was on the reserve team for 2010-2011 while Toth split that season between the developmental team and the primary squad. Toth was with the Sockers for all of 2011-2012 and Palmerin was with both the Sockers and the reserve team that season. Palmerin played on the reserve squad only for 2012-2013 when Toth was with the Sockers.

“I haven’t played with Mike indoor for quite a while,” Toth said.

Toth and Palmerin have been beach soccer teammates since their last Sockers game together. Palmerin signed with the Fury in 2013. Palmerin was with the Fury for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, took three seasons off from playing and joined the Stars in 2018.

The shorter season means that Toth will be able to remain a San Diego County resident.

“Everything’s up in the air, but most likely I’m going to be commuting,” he said.

Toth is currently a coach for the Cardiff Mustangs and for the San Marcos Soccer Club.

“I’m still going to be involved here in the community coaching locally for sure,” he said.

Joe Naiman can be reached be email at [email protected].