The Tacoma Stars return to the accesso ShoWare Center on Friday to take on the Turlock Express.
Kickoff is 7:35 p.m.
The Stars knocked off the Express, 7-3, behind a Philip Lund hat trick in Turlock last Friday night for their first win of the Major Arena Soccer League season.
The Stars enter Friday’s game at 1-2 this season, coming off a weekend split in California. They started their road trip by scoring six goals in the second quarter to top the Express and then kept things close against the San Diego Sockers through three quarters before falling 8-3 on Sunday afternoon. Alex Megson scored the game-tying goal on a bicycle kick with four seconds left before the Stars fell in overtime to open the season on Oct. 27 at the ShoWare Center.
Tacoma native Joey Gjertsen leads the Stars with five points (three goals, two assists) through the first three games while Philip Lund scored four times on the road trip and leads the team in goals. Gig Harbor’s Danny Waltman continued his streak of starts and now sits at 45 straight games in goal for Tacoma. He is fifth in the league with a 5.13 goals against average and earned an honorable mention for the MASL Team of the Week.
The Turlock Express are 0-3 this season with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Syracuse Silver Knights, a 12-6 loss to the Ontario Fury, and their 7-3 loss to the Stars. Ivan Campos leads the Express with five points (four goals, assist) and Jorge Carmona, Jose Barajas and Manny Villegas each have three points.
Three goalkeepers have taken the field for the Express with veteran Edgar Martinez leading the team with 126 minutes played and 36 saves. Santos Arteaga played the second half against the Stars and did not allow a goal in 27 minutes.
The Stars are 4-1 overall and are 2-0 at home against the Express since the 2015-2016 season.
It’s 2-for-1 Beer Night at the ShoWare Center on Friday night. Tickets are available by calling 1-844-STARS-84 or visiting the Stars online at tacomastars.com.
Fans unable to attend the game can watch a live stream on MASL.tv and follow live stats at maslsoccer.com.
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