The champion San Diego Sockers travel to Kent, Wash. to open their season against the Tacoma Stars at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Sockers beat the Ontario Fury in the Ron Newman Cup Finals in April to win their first Major Arena Soccer League title and 15th in team history. The Sockers last won a championship in the Professional Arena Soccer League.
On the cusp of their opener, the Sockers announced the additions of seven players – including three San Diego County natives and three veterans who return to the team – to their roster.
“We are excited to bring back some familiar faces, and to welcome new competitors to our club,” said director of player personnel Chiky Luna. “We have had these players in our training camp and feel confident all will help contribute to another Ron Newman Cup championship push in 2021-22.”
The players are:
- Jamie Lovegrove, 31, returns to the Sockers after a 2017-18 stint. A veteran who has played mostly in Dallas and Mesquite, he was last in the MASL as a Mesquite Outlaw in 2019-20, leading the team with 17 goals and 26 points.
- Juan Gonzalez, 32, also returns to the Sockers, after acting as primary defender for the club in 2018-19, scoring six goals with six assists. Gonzalez also has played for Las Vegas, Turlock and Ontario. Juan is the identical twin of Sockers midfielder/defender Felipe Gonzalez.
- Juan Manuel Rojo, 27, last played for the Cal Turlock Express where he was traded from the Sockers prior to the 2019-20 campaign. Rojo had a breakout season as a defender. Rojo’s brother, Ismael, plays for SDSockers2, the organization’s developmental team.
- Jose Gonzalez, 29, a long-time reserve for the Ontario Fury, scored one goal with five assists and 20 blocked shots in 41 career regular-season matches from 2016-19. He is the brother of Sockers midfielder Juan Carlos “Charlie” Gonzalez.
- Andy Reyes, 29, a San Diego native also played for the Fury. In 75 career MASL appearances, Reyes has scored (22-12=34) points with 34 blocked shots.
- Xavier Snaer-Williams, 22, is making his professional indoor soccer debut. An Oceanside native and graduate of El Camino High, Snaer-Williams most recently served as reserve keeper for the U.S. Men’s National Beach Soccer Team. He trained with LA Galaxy-SD.
- Sean Callahan, 29, served as a key performer for SDSockers2 during their 2018-19 undefeated run through MASL2, claiming the league championship. The San Diego native, expected to feature as a reserve defender, will log his first call-up to the MASL.
The season opener will air live on MASL TV on YouTube. The Sockers will host a watch party by the pool at The Dana on Mission Bay, 1710 W. Mission Bay Drive.
The team returns home for their home opener on Dec. 19 against Chihuahua Savage, a 5 p.m. kickoff at Pechanga Arena.