Stars falls to Fury 6-3 for first loss of season

Perez powers Ontario with four goals

League-leading scorer Adrien Perez picked up four goals, leading the Ontario (Calif.) Fury to a 6-3 Major Arena Soccer League victory over the Tacoma Stars in front of 3,505 fans at the accesso ShoWare Center on Saturday night.

The Stars, playing in coach Darren Sawatzky’s final home game, dropped to 2-1. The Fury are 3-0.

Sawatzky accepted the head coaching job with FC Tucson, a new United Soccer League One (USL1) franchise, the Kent-based club announced Wednesday. The league begins play in the spring.

On the pitch Saturday night, Perez opened the scoring with 7:33 left in the first quarter. Juan Carlos Gonzalez added his first of two goals of the night for the Fury, and Perez knocked in his second of the game to close out scoring in the period.

The Stars responded with three goals of their own – markers by Cory Keitz, Matt Clare and Jamael Cox, who banged his in with just three seconds left in the half.

Perez completed his hat trick with 4:54 remaining in the half.

Scoring slowed dramatically in the second half. Gonzalez scored his second goal of the game in the third quarter, and Perez produced his fourth in the fourth.

The Stars are on the road next week with games in San Diego at 7:05 p.m. Saturday and Ontario at 5:05 p.m. Sunday. The games are streamed live on masl.tv with live stats available at maslsoccer.com.

The Stars’ next home game is Friday, Jan. 11 against the defending MASL Champion Monterrey Flash. Kickoff is 7:35 p.m.

For tickets, call 1-844-782-7784 or go to tacomastars.com.