It was Louisville that was hit by lightning when San Diego Sockers showed its class in the US Open Arena Soccer Championship at Mockingbird Valley on Saturday night.
The Sockers added the knockout cup competition to its Professional Arena Soccer League North American Championship crown by beating the Lightning 11-7 at Mockingbird Valley amid a good atmosphere and plenty of dance music.
San Diego was aided in no small part by a thunderous three goal burst in the first 1:33 of the game, from which Louisville could not recover.
In fact, the Sockers entertained the 800 plus crowd by scoring five goals in the first quarter of play, with each being netted by a different player.
Down 7-2 at the break, Lightning closed the gap to 7-4 in the third quarter with a pair of quick goals, but Sockers used its experience and athleticism to keep them at bay.
“They were a savvy, experienced, veteran squad, and they certainly showed it,” said Lightning coach Scott Budnick, who won the league’s Coach of the Year honors after leading the expansion team to second place in the Eastern Conference of the PASL in its inaugural year, and to an 11-6 record overall.
On its way to the final, the Lightning beat West Virginia Quantum Force, Ohio Vortex, Detroit Waza, and Cincinnati.
The team is made up of mostly local products, with 19 of its 22 players under contract having graduated from Kentucky high schools or colleges.
Indoor games are six versus six, comprising of four 15-minute quarters, and Lightning has had average home attendances of 900 per game.
Leading goal scorer Safet Kovacevic garnered First Team All-PASL league honors, defender John Kincheloe earned Second Team, and goalkeeper Frank Peabody and defender Adam Boyer were named to the Honorable Mention Team.
The expansion is co-owned by Jeffersonville architect Wayne Estopinal (who is also chairman), and Ted Nichols. The nickname of Lightning was selected to acknowledge the city’s original professional franchise, the Louisville Thunder, which played from 1984 to 1987 and won the 1986-87 American Indoor Soccer Association championship.
Above: Louisville Lightning's Nick Judah (12) and John Kincheloe (9) in action at Mockingbird Valley
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