The Dallas Sidekicks have secured their first place status in the Central Division of the PASL with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Mustangs on January 12. The Sidekicks are now 9-1 this season. Patrick Shamu scored twice and Ricardinho notched three assists in front of 4,015 fans at the Allen Event Center.
Chicago defeated the Sidekicks in their first meeting on January 6. The thriller of a match was the toughest yet for the Sidekicks, but Chicago came away with an 8-7 overtime win. This was the first loss for the Sidekicks this season, and fans were eager to witness the rematch.
The Sidekicks wasted no time getting started in the first quarter, Nick Stavrou extending his scoring streak to four games just 40 seconds in. A pass through the arc from Ricardinho gave Stavrou a clear path through Chicago’s defense to put the Sidekicks up 1-0. Chicago led scoring 8-5 in the first quarter, but the Sidekicks were the only team to capitalize.
The game ramped up in the second quarter, six penalties doled out and two powerplay opportunities for the Sidekicks. Despite the increased pace and competitiveness, neither team managed to score and the Sidekicks held on to their 1-0 lead going into halftime.
Chicago’s Bryan Velazques tied the game at 2:01 in the third quarter, but just 26 seconds later Patrick Shamu gave the Sidekicks a 2-1 lead. His goal derived from a rebound off of Chicago’s goaltender on a shot by RJ Luevano, who was credited with the assist. A few minutes later, the Sidekicks killed off Chicago’s first powerplay of the game. The Sidekicks then extended their lead during a powerplay of their own, Franck Mbemba going 1-2 with RJ Luevano to put the Sidekicks up 3-1 at 8:58. After a few fierce confrontations between the two benches, the Sidekicks found success on another powerplay. At 14:18, Shamu managed to ground a deflection and shoot it right at Chicago goaltender Jesus Flores, who could not get control of the ball. The Sidekicks remained up 4-1 going into the final quarter of the game.
Jamie Lovegrove was the first player to capitalize in the fourth period, scoring at 3:00 during a 5-on-3 powerplay to put the Sidekicks up 5-1. Chicago struck back at 11:59. The rough standard set when the two teams first met on January 6 remained, but the Sidekicks were able to capitalize on three of their six penalties throughout the match. The last goal of the game came from Jose Castro at 14:25 to secure the Sidekicks a 6-2 victory.
The Sidekicks will hit the road for their next match against the Rio Grande Valley Flash Sunday, January 20 at 5:00 p.m. This will be the fourth and final regular season match between the two teams this season. The Sidekicks have defeated the Flash in all of their meetings so far, most recently at home on January 3. Lovegrove has been especially successful against Rio Grande Valley this season, scoring four goals in the three games.
The team’s next home game is Sunday, January 27 versus the San Diego Sockers. The Sockers are currently 9-0 this season and hold a 46-game winning streak, which is an all-time record in professional sports. The Sidekicks will have their chance to topple the league leader at the Allen Event Center at 6:00 p.m.
Individual and season tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. 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.