MEGSON EQUALIZES LATE, BUT STARS LOSE HEART BREAKER IN OVERTIME OPENER

KENT, Wash – Alex Megson’s bicycle kick goal with six seconds left in regulation got the Tacoma Stars level and forced overtime, but Max Ferdinand scored the game winner with 1:43 left in overtime to give the Milwaukee Wave a 6-5 win on opening night at the accesso ShoWare Center.

Joseph Cairel scored the first goal of the new season for the Stars near the end of the first quarter with a shot into the lower corner that beat Milwaukee keeper Joshua Lemos. Newcomer Ramone Palmer then put the Stars up 2-0 just fifteen into the second quarter after a perfect pass across the goalmouth from another newcomer, Alain Matingou.

The floodgates then opened up for both clubs to close out the first half. Joey Gjertsen buried a shot off of a soft touch on a restart to give the Stars their largest lead of the evening, 3-0. But Milwaukee answered with a power play goal from Daniel Mattos with 3:58 left in the half.

The Stars answered immediately to retake a three-goal lead, 4-1, when Gjertsen’s shot missed wide, but Derek Johnson pounced on the rebound and smashed it past Lemos. Marco Leite cut the Tacoma lead to 4-2 with 16 seconds left in the half and it was all Milwaukee for the next 29 minutes and 54 seconds.

Ian Bennett opened the second half by scoring his first goal of the season on a beautiful pass on a break away from Max Ferdinand. Robert Renaud then tied the game at the 10:00 mark of the third period before Milwaukee completed their comeback with a goal by Ricardinho Sobreiro just minutes later that gave the Wave a 5-4 lead.

Milwaukee held the ball for much of the fourth quarter, sitting on their one goal lead, until Troy Peterson replaced goalkeeper Danny Waltman as an extra attacker. The Wave played stout defense for the next minute until a blocked pass was popped into the air and found Megson alone in front of the goal. With his back to Lemos and time ticking away, Megson took the audacious bicycle kick and buried it, leveling the score at 5-5 and sending the opener to OT.

But it was Ferdinand who found himself in some space, sidestepped a couple of Stars defenders, and popped a shot past Waltman for the game winner with 1:43 left in extra time. The win moved the Wave to 1-0, while the Stars fell to 0-1 in the first meeting between these two storied clubs.

The Stars take their first road trip of the new season next weekend when they travel to Turlock to take on the Express on Friday, November 10^th and San Diego to face the Sockers on Sunday, November 12^th. First kick on Friday is set for 7:05 PM and Sunday at 5:05 and fans can follow along with live stats at www.maslsoccer.com or watch the games online at MASLtv.