Tavoy Morgan set a career-high with five goals and an assist Sunday, while Leonardo de Oliveira added six assists, as the San Diego Sockers defeated the Milwaukee Wave 13-2.
The Sockers (15-0-1, 42 points) won their 12th straight match, rolling off eight straight goals in the second and third quarters at Pechanga Arena. San Diego, with the best record in the league, remains atop the West division of the Major Arena Soccer League.
Morgan set the tone, scoring with both feet and even had a possible sixth goal negated in the second quarter, though replay showed the ball crossed the line. The Jamaican is now second in the league with 26 goals and tied for eighth with 32 points.
“I have great teammates and they always look for me,” Morgan said. “It was a good win against a champion team.”
Milwaukee (6-8-1, 19 points), though, played shorthanded due to a wave of injuries to top players including Marcio Leite, Luan Oliveira, and Alex Bradley.
Wave Ian Bennett netted his league-leading 31st goal and 40th point, but was otherwise silent.
The Sockers, however were not. The show began with Charlie Gonzalez picking up a hat trick in the first 24 minutes, including back-to-back second-quarter goals to erase a 1-1 tie.
Morgan stepped up from there, and de Oliveira – who recorded a career-high in assists –was on the front end of five straight goals. Morgan finished three, while Kraig Chiles scored the other two. Chiles, the Sockers captain, had his sixth straight multi-point game.
Brandon Escoto also picked up two goals in the fourth quarter for a six-goal weekend.
Boris Pardo (12-0-1) allowed one goal in three quarters, his sixth straight match allowing three goals or fewer. Xavier Snaer-Williams finished out the fourth quarter, stopping three of four shots.
The Sockers have no time to celebrate though they are five points ahead of Florida for the league’s best record and 17 points in front of Ontario in the West.
That’s because the second-hottest team in the league is next on the schedule – the Chihuahua Savage (7-5-2), winners of seven in a row after an 0-5-2 start.
“We know we got some new guys, so we just got to stay healthy and prepare for them,” Morgan said.
The key match, at 5:05 p.m. next Sunday, takes place on Alumni Night, as the Sockers honor the 40th anniversary of their first championship team in 1982, welcoming back retired legend Kevin Crow.