The Dallas Sidekicks’ first playoff appearance since 2015 ended Sunday following two narrow defeats to 2nd place Ontario.
In the first leg, held in Ontario last Wednesday, Dallas rallied from a 5-2 halftime deficit with a valiant second half, continuously trading goals with the Fury. Dallas actually outscored Ontario 5-4 in the second half and spent much of the 4th quarter down just a single goal.
Unfortunately, once again, the 6th Attacker doomed Dallas as Ontario scored an empty-net goal with just 35 seconds remaining to seal the win. Oscar Romero starred for the Sidekicks, contributing 3 goals and an assist, while Juan Gamboa was once again let down by porous defending.
The second leg, hosted by the Sidekicks in Allen, saw Dallas concede six unanswered goals from kickoff, digging the team into a hole that they struggled to escape.
Despite the offense sparking to life late in the 2nd quarter, Dallas continued to struggle, entering the final quarter down 4-8. In a rare moment of brilliance, the 6th attacker nearly paid off in the 4th as the Sidekicks scored three times with the man advantage.
Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, and Ontario once again sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the dying moments. Lipe Andrade and Freddy Moojen combined for 5 goals and 4 assists, while Kristian Quintana put in a solid effort on defense to keep things as close as possible.
Elsewhere in the MASL Playoffs, the Kansas City Comets defeated the St. Louis Ambush, and the San Diego Sockers defeated the Tacoma Stars. Ontario, Kansas City, and San Diego now advance with one of the three facing the Florida Tropics. Florida will select their opponent, with the two remaining teams facing each other, with all games set for April 1 and April 3.
