Empire Looks to “Get Fans Win They Deserve” Against Tacoma

Ontario, Calif. — With the dust settling on the Empire Strykers’ defeat to Utica City FC in their Major Arena Soccer

League (MASL) home opener, the team’s bafflement over the result slowly gave way to a sense of optimism over what

might be possible this season. As the Strykers look ahead to a midweek clash with the visiting Tacoma Stars, the

Southern Californians are eager to get on track and prove they’ve moved on from the worst campaign in their history.

0-2-0 (wins-losses-shootout/overtime losses) Empire hosts 1-0-1 Tacoma on Thursday, December 19, at 6:35

PM PST. The meeting will stream exclusively in English on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

“Of course, we want to win,” said defender Andy Reyes, whose ties to the organization date back to 2015. “If we

don’t win, I at least want to know we’re playing better. Against Utica, I thought we played really well for almost

seventy-five percent of the game. We have a young team that’s still working to gel together, and there might be a few

details we still need to perfect. In indoor, that can make the difference between winning and losing.”

Although the Strykers front office was busy during the offseason reacquiring Reyes and other veterans who had

been part of the organization in the past, the Empire roster still features a number of players with limited indoor

experience. 32-year-old Reyes signed last month, following two successful seasons with the Texas Outlaws and

having previously appeared 77 times with Empire.

“I’ve played in so many games that I don’t get nervous anymore,” he offered, “but I actually had some pregame

jitters this time because I care about this club so much and because it means a lot being back in my home state with

my family nearby. I really want to do well for the Strykers and help get them where they belong.”

Reyes continued, “This organization has always felt like home, so I followed the team fairly closely last season.

It seems like Friday was a step in the right direction. There was good and bad in the game, but we all thought there

was more good. I know it’s a bit strange to say that after a loss, but we see a lot of potential in our performance

because we had some really good moments.”

Despite putting on a strong display until late in the third period, the Strykers fell 6-9 to Utica, courtesy of a late

collapse that saw the visitors from New York State score five unanswered goals in the final 17 minutes. Kelvin Oliveira

powered the UCFC attack, bagging a hat trick and adding a helper. Empire stars Marco Fabián and Justin Stinson each

had a brace, with Fabián opening the scoring on a restart by Reyes, who picked up his second assist in as many

matches.

The visitors’ furious late-game comeback included goals that left the Strykers players and coaches frustrated

over how they had come about. Having survived a Utica power play, the home side fell victim to a Keaton Woods

netter that came a single second into even strength, preventing Empire’s returning man from ever getting behind the

ball. The hosts subsequently conceded on a questionable Kelvin Oliveira penalty kick before seeing the Brazil native

steal the ball and slot into the open net with goalkeeper Brian Orozco pushed up the field.

“Because of how things went in the final quarter, there were some tensions between our guys,” said Andy Reyes.

“That’s normal and a sign that we hated losing. Afterward, I asked everyone to stick around, and I told them to focus

on the fact we played well for long stretches and that we need to stay together and have each other’s backs no matter

what. It’s the only way we keep the fans behind us. We need them if we’re going to start winning at home.”

The Strykers’ first opportunity to heed Reyes’s advice comes in Thursday’s meeting with a Tacoma side that has

looked like a dark horse for a deep playoff run. After starting their campaign with a bang, downing the San Diego

Sockers 6-5 in overtime, the Washingtonians came close to slaying another visiting giant in Sunday’s shootout loss

following a 3-3 draw with defending champion Chihuahua Savage.

Iconic backstop Chris Toth has been on fire in the Stars’ first two matches. The former Ontario Fury (today’s

Empire Strykers) ace leads the MASL in both saves (46) and save percentage (.868) while sitting tied for third in

goals-against average (.323).

Notably, Toth has been getting crucial help from two nominal forwards in Logan Jones and another ex-Empire

man, Stefan Mijatovic. While Jones ranks tied for fourth league-wide in blocked opposition shots (7), Mijatovic and

teammate Felipe Souza (4 each) are tied for ninth. Long-time Seattle Sounders defender Román Torres has yet to

make an appearance in 2024-25.

Tacoma’s offense is once again spearheaded by indoor legend Nick Perera, who sits tied for sixth in the MASL in

points-per-game average (2.5 in 2 games), tied for seventh in points (5), and tied for eighth in both goals (3) and

assists (2). 38-year-old Perera, who also serves as a coach alongside Adam Becker and former Fury defender Evan

McNeley, has received key attacking support from Mijatovic and Kyle Rivers. The duo sit second on the Stars in points

(2 each), assists (1 each), goals (1 each) and points-per-game average (both 1.0 in 2 games).

In the goals category, Mijatovic and Rivers share the runners-up position with Adrian Correa, Willie Spurr and

Moises Gonzalez, with Correa as one of only two players in the league who have scored during a short-handed spell.

Spurr also sits level with Mijatovic and Rivers in points-per-game average (1.0 in 1 game). After missing his team’s

opener against San Diego, long-time midfield engine Jamael Cox returned to the lineup against Chihuahua.

“Tacoma has kept the core of their group together for a long time and has added some key pieces,” said Empire’s

Reyes. “Perera and Cox make their attack go, so we can’t ever sleep on them. Beyond that, we trust (Head) Coach

(Onua) Obasi blindly. If he tells us to press, we press. If he tells us to sit back, we sit back. I’m sure he will do his

homework and come up with a good game plan. Our job is to follow it and avoid the small mistakes that have cost us.”

Defensively, that responsibility will fall on Reyes as well as the Strykers’ leaders in blocked opposition shots,

Robert Palmer, Emmanuel Aguirre and Quenton Swift (2 each). Meanwhile, the main man on Empire’s attack is

two-time FIFA World Cup veteran Marco Fabián, who leads the team in points (3), goals (3) and points-per-game

average (1.5 in 2 games). The Mexican midfielder, who shared last season’s Golden Boot, has been flanked by an

offensive supporting cast of five.

While defender Reyes has impressed by providing assists on two of Fabián’s tallies, his output in the category has

been matched by indoor rookie Cyro Oliveira, which sees the pair ranking atop the roster. Midfielder Justin Stinson

and forward Abdul Mansaray sit second on Empire in goals (2 each). In points and points-per-game average, Reyes,

Oliveira, Stinson and Mansaray are joined as runners-up by another first-year MASL player in former Morocco youth

international Mounir Alami (1 goal each; all 1.0 in 2 games).

In looking ahead to his 80th appearance in an Ontario/Empire uniform, Southern California native Andy Reyes

drew inspiration from what the Strykers did well in Friday’s defeat to Utica, which drew a boisterous crowd of 3,409.

“I think we can build on our possession,” he said. “We’ve really emphasized keeping the ball and attacking once

the other team starts getting tired. The goal is to do even better with that against Tacoma. The atmosphere was

amazing for our first game. Our fans deserve to see us win. We’ll give it our all to get them what they deserve.”