Matt Sokol (1971-2012) Remembered in Local Paper

Matt Sokol (center)

Teammates mourn popular soccer player and teacher Matt Sokol

Santa Rosa’s tight-knit soccer community was in mourning Sunday over the sudden death of a beloved 41-year-old player who collapsed during a club soccer match and never regained consciousness.

Matt Sokol, a former standout soccer player and coach at Montgomery High School, had just come off the pitch at Northwest Community Park in Santa Rosa about noon Sunday when he appeared to suffer a seizure on the sidelines and blacked out.

His Black Oaks Soccer Club teammates, who include a doctor at Kaiser Hospital, quickly went to his aid. Despite their efforts, Sokol died a short while later at Sutter Medical Center of an apparent heart-related ailment. Continue Reading at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat