Empire Aims to “Keep Getting Results” vs. Ambush, Sockers

Stinson, Strykers could increase edge over St. Louis in playoff hunt

Ontario, Calif. — There’s a sense of relief about Empire Strykers camp this week, as the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) side avoided a third straight loss and a possible slide down the standings by way of Monday’s 8-6 home win over the St. Louis Ambush. As part of a demanding stretch of five games in 11 days, the Strykers hope to solidify their current playoff positioning when they hit the road for a weekend rematch with the Ambush, followed by an MLK Day clash with the visiting San Diego Sockers.

After taking on 2-7-0 (wins-losses-shootout/overtime losses) St. Louis on Saturday at 3:05 PM PST, 4-5-0 Empire hosts 5-0-1 San Diego on Monday at 6:35 PM PST. While the away game at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri, will be available in English and Spanish on the MASL’s official YouTube channel (@MASLtv), the home game against the Sockers will stream domestically in English on CBS Sports Golazo Network, with the Spanish broadcast again being available on YouTube. International streaming partners will be finalized in the coming days. Tickets may be purchased here.

In the victory over the Ambush at Ontario’s Toyota Arena, Empire’s Justin Stinson enjoyed a standout attacking display, earning three goals and two assists. Ambush forward James Thomas had an impressive performance of his own at four attacking points, but it was not enough for the away team, which also had a three-point display by Strykers attacker Abdul Mansaray to contend with. The match at Toyota Arena in Ontario saw a stingy first half, followed by a wildly entertaining second thirty minutes that boasted a total of 11 netters.

“Our defending still needs work,” conceded the day’s hero, Justin Stinson, after the final whistle. “If we can fix some of the obvious mistakes, it will help us get results in some close games. I also think that when we have the ball and the other team presses, we need to be patient and keep it a bit longer. That should help us both defensively and offensively. As long as we have possession, the other team can’t score. We need to be smarter about when to make a move. I believe getting that right will cause things to open up and allow us to get more goals.”

A St. Louis native, Stinson, who has been selected to play in this year’s MASL All-Star Game, started his professional indoor career with the Ambush in 2017.

“Being from there and having played for them, I still have a soft spot in my heart for that team,” he said. “So, does it feel different putting up points against them? Yeah — a little bit. But at the end of the day, I’m in my sixth season with the Strykers, and I feel totally at home here. The most important thing is making the playoffs with this club. That’s what I’m focused on.”

Coming off a 6-7 away defeat to the Dallas Sidekicks and its crucial home win against St. Louis, sixth-place Empire looks to make it back-to-back victories over the Ambush. With St. Louis having shown promise in recent matches, the Strykers will be eager to extend their current seven-point edge over Saturday’s opponent, which sits just outside the playoff picture in ninth. Perhaps more importantly, Empire needs to fend off the Harrisburg Heat and the Tacoma Stars, with each trailing the Californians by eight points but holding two games in hand.

Prior to the offseason arrival of new head Coach Onua Obasi, the Englishman’s organization failed to make three consecutive knockout phases.

Empire’s backline is anchored by Robert Palmer, who is tied for second in the league in blocks (17), with Momo Gueye (7) holding runner-up among the pair’s squad. Meanwhile, the attack is spearheaded by Stinson and Mexican star Marco Fabián.

The 27-year-old Stinson not only sits seventh in the league in points (16) and tied for eighth in goals (10) but tied for tenth in assists alongside teammate Mounir Alami. Stinson also boasts first place on the Strykers in points-per-game average (1.8 in 9). Fabián has the second-most points per game (1.7 in 9) among all Empire players, sitting atop the MASL in goals (13) and tied for eighth in points (15). Impressively, defender Andy Reyes is tied for fifth in the league in helpers (7), having averaged a point per each of his eight appearances.

Coming off Saturday’s defeat in Ontario, the St. Louis Ambush is in desperate need of a rebound win against Empire if it is to maintain pressure on Utica and Dallas in the final two playoff spots. The two sides immediately above St. Louis in the standings hold a five-point and a four-point advantage, respectively, with each also having played two fewer games. Prior to its first meeting with Empire, head coach Jeff Locker’s Ambush squad turned heads with a brave battle in its 9-11 away defeat to defending champion Chihuahua Savage. St. Louis has missed two consecutive postseasons.

The Missourians’ most dangerous weapon on offense is indoor legend and former Empire star Franck Tayou, who is tied for second in the MASL in goals (12), for third in points (18), for eighth in points-per-game average (2.0 in 9) and for tenth in assists (6). Forward Tayou receives most of his attacking support from Lucas Almeida and William Eskay.

Midfielder Almeida, who has missed his side‘s two most recent matches, ranks tied for fifth in the league in assists (7) and second on St. Louis in points-per-game average (1.5 in 6). Forward Eskay sits second among his teammates in points (10) while also sharing runners-up in goals with Julio Varela (6 each) and, remarkably, being tied for sixth in the MASL in blocks (14). Dylan Hundelt has the second-most blocks (12) of all Ambush players. When opposition attackers make it past Eskay and Hundelt, they are frequently stifled by veteran goalkeeper Paulo Nascimento, who leads the league in saves (111).

Monday’s encounter between the Strykers and long-time rival San Diego promises to be another fiercely contested matchup. Currently in fifth place with a game in hand on three of the top four and two games in hand on the league-leading Kansas City Comets, the Sockers are taking aim at the league lead, as head coach Phil Salvagio’s men host Kansas City and Texas prior to the clash with Empire. After making the playoffs in each of the ten seasons since the MASL’s inception, the two-time Ron Newman Cup champions look to make it 2-0 against the Strykers in 2024-25, having downed their rivals 4-3 at home in late December.

San Diego’s top trio on offense is made up of Luiz Morales, Tavoy Morgan and Charlie Gonzalez. Sitting eighth in the league in points per game (2.0 in 4), former Texas Outlaws ace Morales leads the Sockers in points (8) and goals (7), with forward Morgan ranking second on his side in goals (6) and points per game (1.4 in 5) as well as tied for second in points with Charlie Gonzalez (7 each).

Ex-Ontario Fury (today’s Empire Strykers) standout Gonzalez is first on San Diego in assists (5), trailed by defender Cesar Cerda (3), who also shares runner-up on San Diego in blocks with fellow veteran Mitchell Cardenas (7 each). Offseason acquisition Ben Ramin has dominated the blocks category for the Sockers (17), as he sits fourth in the MASL despite his side having played fewer games than all but one of its competitors.

In previewing Empire’s upcoming pair of games against the Ambush and San Diego, midfielder Stinson concluded his remarks on a note of caution, as he took a critical look at the Strykers’ recent home win over the Ambush.

“Coach Obasi has a specific game plan for each of our opponents,” he said. “What he wants us to do isn’t easy for the players. If one or two of us aren’t on point, it can cause problems. For example, in the first game against St. Louis, I got us in trouble a couple of times with bad passes. Overall, I thought we did alright in executing the game plan. It wasn’t really a good performance, but we’re still happy we got the three points. Playing on the road will be harder than playing at home. Hopefully, we can do better and keep getting results.”

The Empire Strykers next hit the road for a rematch with the St. Louis Ambush on Saturday, January 18, followed by a clash with visiting rivals San Diego Sockers on Monday, January 20. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available here.