1978 NASL Skelly Indoor Invitational

Indoor soccer tournament August 2023 North American Soccer League -1978 Skelly Invitational- Skelly Indoor Invitational March 4, 1978 –March 5, 1978 4 Tulsa Roughnecks 1 Minnesota Kicks 4 57 3500 YUG 1945 Nino Zec (5 goals)USA Randy GarberYUG 1945 Milan Dovedan YUG 1945 Nino ZecHungary Tibor Molnár 1976 1978 Schlitz The 1978 NASL Skelly Invitational was a four-team indoor soccer tournament held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the Tulsa Assembly Center on the first weekend of March 1978.Lobaugh Tom Roughnecks Ramble Into Tourney Finals March 5, 1978 Tulsa World http://www.tulsaworld.com January 18, 2018 Overview Four teams, all from the North American Soccer League, participated in the two-day event: the Houston Hurricane, the Minnesota Kicks, the Washington Diplomats, and the host Tulsa Roughnecks. Matches were 60 minutes long and divided into three 20-minute periods, with an intermission between each period. Timed overtime periods, featuring a golden goal winner, would be used to decide any matches tied after 60 minutes. Each session consisted of two games (i.e. a doubleheader). The opening round of matches (Saturday evening's Session 1) would be semi-final games, with the Session 2 matches on Sunday afternoon serving as the third place match and Championship Final respectively. The first match of Session 1 was Minnesota's first time playing indoors. Kicks blow 6-0 lead, but tip Diplomats 8-7 March 5, 1978 Minneapolis Star Tribune https://www.newspapers.com/image/186856884/?terms=soccer 10C February 20, 2018 The second match of Session 1, played on Saturday, March 4, 1978, between Tulsa and Houston, marked the first time the expansion Hurricane faced NASL competition, and was only the Roughnecks third-ever game.Tierney Mike Rowdies expected to rough up Roughnecks February 11, 1978 St. Petersburg Times https://www.newspapers.com/image/318977968/?terms=Rowdies 1C January 20, 2018Rowdies trounce Tulsa February 15, 1978 St. Petersburg Times https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19780215&id=SIJIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tlkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2112,5257822&hl=en/ 4C January 31, 2018Marcia Schallert, editor. (1979). Budweiser Indoor Soccer Invitational match program. Tampa, FL. Tampa Bay Rowdies. p 12 Approximately 3,500 people attended the two sessions. Tulsa won both of its matches and was crowned champions of the Skelly Invitational. Roughnecks forward Nino Zec edged out both teammate Milan Dovedan and Washington's Randy Garber by one assist to lead the invitational in scoring with 5 goals and 2 assists. The tournament's co-MVPs were Zec and Tibor Molnár, Hellions Player Profile November 17, 1980 Hartford Courant https://www.newspapers.com/image/242501153/?terms=Tibor%2BMolnar D8 January 28, 2018 also of Tulsa.Lobaugh Tom Tulsa Kicks Up A Victory March 6, 1978 Tulsa World http://www.tulsaworld.com January 18, 2018 The Kicks were runners-up in the invitational, Roughnecks top Kicks 9-4 in tournament March 6, 1978 Minneapolis Star Tribune https://www.newspapers.com/image/186877426/?terms=soccer 3C February 20, 2018 with the Dips defeating the Hurricane for 3rd place in the consolation match. The all-tournament squad included four Roughnecks: Zec, Molnar, Dovedan, and goalkeeper, Gary Allison. Map of clubs left 10px NASL Skelly Indoor Invitational Clubs 1075 500 300 425 380 North America 870 North America 29.69 -95.41 Black pog.svg 80 bottom Hurricane North America 44.85 -93.24 Black pog.svg 80 bottom Kicks North America 36.15 -95.94 Black pog.svg 80 top Roughnecks North America 38.89 -76.97 Black pog.svg 80 right Diplomats Tournament results Bracket Opening round Championship Final 35px Tulsa Roughnecks 12 Houston Hurricane 3 Minnesota Kicks 8(OT) Washington Diplomats 7 Tulsa Roughnecks 9 Minnesota Kicks 5 Washington Diplomats 8 Houston Hurricane 5 Sessions Session 1: Saturday, March 4, 1978 7:00 PM CSTMinnesota Kicks8–7 (OT)Washington Diplomats Attendance: 1,500 (est) 9:00 PM CSTTulsa Roughnecks12–3Houston Hurricane Session 2: Sunday, March 5, 1978 2:30 PM CSTWashington Diplomats8–5Houston Hurricane Attendance: 2,000 (est) 4:30 PM CSTTulsa Roughnecks9–5Minnesota Kicks Match reports Session 1 Game 1 March 4, 1978 7:00 PM CST Minnesota Kicks 8–7(OT) Washington Diplomats Bailey 7:55Romero 12:59 MoranWant 18:44 VillaWilley 23:59 VujkovicTwellman 25:03Coker 26:23 WantMoran 35:25Bailey 62:46 Villa Bakić 34:47Garber 37:08 WelchGarber 41:51Garber 50:45Mokgojoa 52:14 WelchSteele 56:57 O'HaraGarber 57:43 Tulsa Assembly Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 1,500 (est) Game 2 March 4, 1978 9:00 PM CST Tulsa Roughnecks 12–3 Houston Hurricane Stamenkovic 3:13 GazonasZec 14:41 StamenkovicZec 15:17 O'RiordanDovedon 24:26Zec 28:09Dovedon 36:36 StamenkovicDovedon 40:31Dovedon 42:39 ZecO'Riordan 43:26McKeown 47:43 RedfernDangerfield 49:05Molnár 54:31 Gazonas O'Sullivan 25:00Voccaro 33:32 StremlauMorielli 35:07 Geerling Tulsa Assembly Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 1,500 (est) Session 2 3rd Place March 5, 1978 2:30 PM (CST) Washington Diplomats 8–5 Houston Hurricane Bakić 4:05 SteeleCannell 7:36 AskewBakić 11:28Maseko 27:29 MokgojoaMokgojoa 28:03Garber 31:15Steele 31:35 GarberBakić 51:48 Morielli 3:22 SremlauRussell 6:14Russell 30:53 O'SullivanVoccaro 45:13 GeerlingO'Sullivan 55:43 Morielli Tulsa Assembly Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 2,000 (est) Championship March 5, 1978 4:30 PM (CST) Tulsa Roughnecks 9–5 Minnesota Kicks Stamenkovic 3:51 ZecO'Riordan 4:23Collins 9:01 RedfernDovedon 27:06 MolnárGazonas 33:27 DovedonWaldron 38:33Zec 47:43Stamenkovic 58:08 DangerfieldZec 58:36 Coker 2:14Coker 12:35Moran 29:29Coker 56:52 BaileyWilley 58:22 Tulsa Assembly Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 2,000 (est) Final standings G = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, GD = Goal Differential 1978 Skelly Indoor Invitational TeamGWLGFGAGDPositionTulsa Roughnecks220218+131st place (champions)Minnesota Kicks2111316–32nd place (runners-up)Washington Diplomats2111513+23rd placeHouston Hurricane202820–124th place Statistical leaders Scoring Goals (worth 2 points), Assists (worth 1 point) Leading scorersGoalsAssistsPointsYUG Nino Zec (Tulsa)5212USA Randy Garber (Washington)5111USA Milan Dovedan (Tulsa)5111CAN Mike Bakić (Washington)408USA Ade Coker (Minnesota)408YUG Živorad Stamenković (Tulsa)328USA Mark Moran (Minnesota)215ITA Gerry Morielli (Houston)215IRL Don O'Riordan (Tulsa)215USA Matt O'Sullivan (Houston) 215SCO Jim Steele (Washington)215*Three players tied with 2 goals 0 assists. Goalkeeping GA = Goals Against, GAA = Goals Against Average, SV = Saves, SF = Shots Faced Leading GoalkeepersMinutesGAGAASVSFCAN Darryl Wallace (Tulsa)6033.002530GER Gary Allison (Tulsa)6055.00 unk unkNIR Bill Irwin (Washington)6055.001924USA Kurt Kuykendall (Washington)6387.875 unk unk*Minnesota and Houston used multiple goalkeepers in each match. Tournament awards Most Valuable Players: YUG Nino Zec (Tulsa) and HUN Tibor Molnár (Tulsa) All-tournament Team: YUG Nino Zec (Tulsa), USA Milan Dovedan (Tulsa), USA Randy Garber (Washington), HUN Tibor Molnar (Tulsa), USA Dale Russell (Houston), GER Gary Allison (Tulsa) Non-tournament matches These were not the only indoor matches played that winter. The four Skelly Invitational participants played a combined 12 additional matches. In fact 10 days later, Houston hosted their own indoor tournament, the Schlitz Indoor Touney. Since a full season of indoor soccer was still two years away, Indoor Returning, Officially This Time September 28, 1979 Evening Independent https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C2JQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7VgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6610,3441502&dq=rowdies+san+jose+indoor&hl=en 4-C January 14, 2018 NASL teams were free to do their own scheduling. There were reports of the league awarding an "NASL Cup" for the best team among those that participated in at least 16 indoor games. Soccer Diplomats Go Indoors January 13, 1978 Los Angeles Times https://www.newspapers.com/image/164969111/?terms=NASL%2Bindoor%2Bsoccer III-10 February 7, 2018 Of the 24 teams in the league, 11 had indoor matches planned. The Tampa Bay Rowdies, for example played eight games. By contrast, the Chicago Sting signed on to play only two games at Washington, both of which were ultimately canceled because of scheduling conflicts with a boat show at the D.C. Armory. Dips Cancel Indoor Games February 9, 1978 The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com January 21, 2018 In the end, no team played more than nine games in 1978, and only a handful played more than three. See also North American Soccer League References Category:NASL Indoor seasons Indoor NASL Indoor Season, 1978 Category:Soccer in Oklahoma NASL Skelly