The Tacoma Stars improved to 2-0 on the Major Arena Soccer League season with a 9-6 win over the Dallas Sidekicks on Friday night at the accesso ShoWare Center.
For the second straight game, the Stars were powered by a hat trick, this time off the foot of Philip Lund.
Matt Clare opened scoring for Tacoma after a scoreless first quarter when he found the back of the net with 13:54 left in the first half. Jamael Cox picked up the first of his two goals at the 10:09 mark, and Lund knocked in the next back-to-back goals. The Stars were up 4-0 with 6:24 remaining in the second quarter.
A too many-men-on-the-field penalty on Tacoma put the Sidekicks on the power play, and with just three seconds left on the man advantage, Nestor Hernandez put Dallas on the board. Forty-four seconds later, Joey Gjertsen knocked one home for Tacoma, and the Stars took a 5-1 at the half.
The Sidekicks came out quickly in the third. Cody Ellis was credited with a marker 34 seconds into the second half. VcMor Eligwe notched the first of his three goals of the night, and the Stars’ lead was just 5-3 less than two minutes into the half. Clare’s second goal would snap the Dallas score streak and wrap up the scoring in the third period, with the Stars up 6-3.
Each team would tally three goals in the fourth quarter, beginning with Nick Perera and Lund finding the net 24 seconds apart. With the Sidekicks’ Anthony Powell in the box on a two-minute penalty, Cox got his second goal of the game to give the Stars a 9-3 advantage.
The Sidekicks would make it interesting with three consecutive goals, two by Eligwe and one by Jamie Lovegrove, to reach the 9-6 final.
Dallas will continue its three-game road trip on Sunday against the Fury in Ontario.
For Tacoma, the home stand wraps up next Saturday, Dec. 15 against Ontario.
For tickets, call 1-844-782-7784 or visit tacomastars.com.
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