Chiles’ Late Winner Lifts Sockers Past Strykers, 4-3
- Jonathan Turner
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (Jan. 3, 2026) — Kraig Chiles scored the go-ahead goal in the fourth quarter for his first tally of the season as the San Diego Sockers edged the Empire Strykers 4-3 on Saturday night at Frontwave Arena, extending their winning streak to three matches.
San Diego (3-1-1, 10 points) moved into a tie for third place in the MASL standings, while Empire (1-5, 2 points) dropped its fifth straight game in front of an announced crowd of 4,164.
The familiar Southern California rivals played a physical, defense-first match from the opening kick. San Diego built a 2-0 lead in the first quarter before Empire rallied to tie the game 2-2 by halftime.
Marco Fabián gave the Strykers their first lead with his third goal of the season at 4:54 of the third quarter, but the Sockers responded with goals from Tavoy Morgan and Chiles to reclaim control.
Chiles’ winner came seven minutes into the fourth quarter when Nick Perera slipped a short pass through traffic in the crease. Chiles turned and finished under the glove of goalkeeper Brian Orozco to make it 4-3.
“It felt good to get the monkey off my back,” said Chiles, who scored the 506th goal of his MASL career. “At this point, it’s about winning games. We’re only going to get better from here.”
San Diego struck first at 9:05 of the opening quarter when Charlie Gonzalez converted a rebound for his team-leading eighth goal. Luiz Morales added a goal three minutes later to give the Sockers a 2-0 advantage, extending their shutout streak to five consecutive quarters before Empire broke through.
Empire scored twice in the final minutes of the second quarter, first on Anthony Powell’s goal during a 6-on-4 power play, then on an own goal credited to Mounir Alami, sending the teams into halftime tied.
Morgan tied the match 3-3 at 9:16 of the third quarter, redirecting Perera’s cross at the far post for his first goal of the season.
Goalkeeper Boris Pardo earned his 140th career MASL victory, stopping six of nine shots and finishing the night with 1,999 career league saves. He will have a chance to reach 2,000 on Sunday.
Empire pressed late with another 6-on-4 advantage but could not find an equalizer. Cesar Cerda cleared away the final chance in the closing seconds to seal the win.
San Diego travels to Tacoma on Sunday to face the Stars in a 5:05 p.m. ET kickoff on MASL TV, beginning a six-match road trip through January. The Sockers return home Feb. 1 to host Tacoma at Frontwave Arena.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREMIER MEDIA GROUP / NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK /
NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561215500230
— All Rights Reserved, Premier Media Group / National Soccer Network
Comments