clarinews@clarinet.com (01/18/90)
ST. LOUIS (UPI) -- Fernando Clavijo scored on a rocket from the midfield stripe to snap a tie at 10:12 of the fourth quarter, pacing the St. Louis Storm to a 4-2 victory over San Diego Wednesday night. Clavijo, who won a loose ball to score unassisted, ripped the long shot over the head of San Diego goalkeeper Zoltan Toth, who was caught off guard. Toth was standing at the top of the penalty box and could not recover to stop the hooking and dipping shot from the center of the field. Marcio Leite added an insurance goal at 11:18 of the quarter, giving the Storm a 3-1 lead. The victory gives St. Louis sole possession of second place in the Western Division. St. Louis is 11-11. San Diego is 10-12 and in third place. Wes Wade tucked a rebound under Ilijevski with 1:41 left, cutting the deficit to 3-2. But Claudio De Oliviera scored into the empty net for St. Louis with :59 remaining. Ben Collins gave the Sockers a 1-0 lead with 1:10 remaining in the first half, beating Storm goalkeeper Slobo Ilijevski. Collins, left alone in the crease, tapped in a bee-line pass from the red line by Jacques Ladouceur. Toth set up the goal when his outlet pass to Ladouceur across the center line caught St. Louis in its offensive third. Forward Stan Terlecki answered for the Storm at 9:50 of the third period, snapping a 125:02 scoreless streak for Toth versus St. Louis. Terlecki juked defender George Fernandez one-on-one, then ripped his shot from outside the penalty area beneath the diving Toth. That cost Toth his bid for a second consecutive shutout versus the Storm. Toth, who blanked St. Louis 4-0 Dec. 1, had not allowed a goal to the Storm since Thompson Usiyan scored at 4:48 of the third quarter Nov. 17 in a 7-4 San Diego victory.