The San Diego Sockers meet the Chihuahua Savage in the MASL Western Conference Finals with Game One set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Corner Sport Arena in Mexico.
Game Two and a possible Knockout Game will be hosted by San Diego at Pechanga Arena at 7:35 p.m. Friday.
Monterrey defeated Chihuahua 10-7 in their Game Two to force a Knockout Game, which was won by the Savage 3-2.
The Sockers, the MASL defending champions for two years straight, amassed a 22-2 record in the regular season, for 62 points, finishing off the campaign with 10 straight wins after moving past a mid-season rough patch. The team earned the MASL Supporters Shield, for the club with the best regular-season record.
Leaders for the Sockers include Kraig Chiles, with 41 points, good for seventh in the league, and 20 assists. Leonardo De Oliveira was second in the MASL with 27 assists, and Tavoy Morgan, ninth, with 24 goals, four of them game winners.
The only team with more than 20 wins in the league, San Diego has earned home-field advantage throughout the Ron Newman Cup playoffs. The Sockers won five more matches than the next-best club, Chihuahua (17-6-1, 49 points).
San Diego easily dispatched the Mesquite Outlaws (12-9-3) in two games to make it to the Western final, while Chihuahua survived the matchup with Monterrey.
Chihuahua scored a league-high 179 goals, and allowed 124. The 55-goal differential was second-best in the league, trailing only the Sockers (+61). Forwards Hugo Puentes and Edgar “Torrez” Gonzalez tied for the team lead with 28 goals, while Puentes paced the club with 43 points.
The MASL playoffs consist of three rounds in two divisions, with each round a best-of-three series. In the East, Utica and Milwaukee meet Sunday for the right to play the Baltimore Blast.
Tickets for the San Diego games are available by calling 866-799-4625 or visiting AXS.com.
The Sockers also will host a Game One watch party at Fairplay Bar, 4026 30th St. in North Park. Doors open at 6 p.m.
