Tacoma Uses Big Fourth Quarter to Hand Lazers 3rd Defeat in Row

Peter Ward scored two goals Friday night to lead the Tacoma Stars to a 5-2 Major Indoor Soccer League victory over the Lazers. It was the Lazers’ third consecutive defeat.

Ward also added an assist for the Stars, who never trailed.

Tacoma took a 1-0 lead on a power play with Ward scoring after 11:20 of the first quarter. The Lazers were a man short after drawing their sixth foul of the first quarter.

The Stars made it 2-0 on Godfrey Ingram’s goal 1:33 into the second quarter. The Lazers finally scored 1:38 before halftime on Michael Collins’ goal.

The Lazers then tied the score, 2-2, on Gary Heale’s goal 1:26 into the fourth quarter.

But the Stars responded with 2 goals in less than 2 minutes. Preki scored off Ward’s assist at 5:35, and Ward scored at 6:28.

The Lazers pulled their goalkeeper with 3:58 left in favor of a sixth attacker. The Stars got one more goal, by Billy Crook, with 56 seconds to play.

Ward had a chance for a hat trick, but he misfired on a penalty kick with 45 seconds left. Mike Dowler, the Tacoma goaltender who missed 7 games because of a broken finger, had 22 saves as the Stars outshot the Lazers, 37-30.