The Dallas Sidekicks made franchise history the night of December 15, scoring an all-time high 21 goals when they defeated the Texas Strikers 21-1. The undefeated Sidekicks broke a myriad of additional team records, including four separate hat tricks and the team’s fastest powerplay goal, scored just one second in.
Jamie Lovegrove kicked off scoring in the first quarter, putting Renato Pereira’s rebound past Texas goaltender Cory Speed at 2:21. Shaun David struck next at 12:24 assisted by Ricardinho. Robert Luevano put the Sidekicks up 3-0 at the end of the period, taking a shot off of Speed and putting it into an empty net at 13:39.
Scoring was rampant in the second quarter, Luevano scoring his second of the game assisted by Renato at 1:26. Just moments later, Chad Deering used the wall to create his own rebound and put it in at 2:11. A succession of goals scored by David, Cody Ellis and Renato put the Sidekicks up 8-0. Sean Bellomy struck next at 12:31, followed by an unassisted goal from Michael Uremovich at 14:07.
Uremovich was the first to strike in the third quarter at 2:31, assisted by Ricardinho. Shortly after, Franck Mbemba scored his first of the night at 3:09, followed closely by an unassisted goal from Deering at 4:10. Texas’ Jose Olabarrieta denied the Sidekicks a shutout at 14:12, but less than a minute later Ricardinho put the Sidekicks up 14-0, breaking the team record for most goals scored through three quarters.
The Sidekicks scored seven goals during the fourth quarter, tying the franchise record. Mbemba put the team up 15-1 at 1:47. Pereira got his second of the night at 2:30, and soon after Mbemba completed his second hat trick in two games. The next goal came on a powerplay at 5:24, Uremovich also securing a hat trick. Uremovich found himself celebrating once more just a few minutes later, scoring another powerplay goal at 8:30. The third and fourth hat tricks of the night were completed in the last few minutes of the game by David and Luevano, putting the Sidekicks up 21-1 and beating the team’s all-time scoring record by three goals.
During halftime the Sidekicks honored one of their own, retiring the number 11 jersey of former player David Doyle. Doyle is the second leading Sidekicks point scorer (665) behind Head Coach Tatu. A five-time All-Star, Doyle logged 383 goals and scored 35 hat tricks in his 12 seasons with the Sidekicks.
Doyle was born in Dublin, Ireland. The forward began his indoor career with the Kansas City Comets, where he won 1987-88 MISL Rookie of the Year. He came to the Sidekicks in 1991 and went on to be a five-time All-Star. On August 7, 1993 he scored six goals in a match versus Monterrey, a total equaled only by Tatu. He assisted on 282 Sidekicks goals, and also scored 42 game winning goals in his time with the team. His number will hang from the rafters of the Allen Event Center along with other Sidekicks legends Mike Powers, Wes McLeod, Kevin Smith, Doc Lawson and Krys Sobieski.
The Sidekicks will head back to Beaumont to face the Strikers again at Ford Arena on December 29 at 7:05 p.m. The team’s next home game is January 3 at the Allen Event Center, where they will be taking on the Rio Grande Valley Flash.
Individual and season tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster or the team website. For more information, visit www.dallassidekicks.net or call 214-550-6130. Follow the team on Twitter @GoSidekicks or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoSidekicks.