The mood of the Blast’s players during their impending three-week break will be determined tonight more than 3,000 miles away from home.

That’s when the Blast will try to salvage a short road trip by defeating the California Cougars in Stockton at 10:15 after extending its losing streak to four games with a 16-13 loss in Monterrey Mexico against the La Raza on Thursday.

“It’s not a desperate moment right now,” Baltimore defender P.J. Wakefield said. “But we can’t come home 5-5 with the break coming up.”

Baltimore will break for the holiday season before hosting the expansion New Jersey Ironmen on Jan. 4 at 1st Mariner Arena.

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The Blast allowed 10 points to Monterrey in the first quarter and trailed, 14-6 entering the final quarter. However, the Blast rallied. David Bascome scored twice and Mike Lookingland once to within 16-13 with a minute, 52 seconds remaining, but that’s as close as the Blast got.

“I think we played well at times this year,” Baltimore coach Danny Kelly said. “But I don’t think we’ve put together 60 minutes of good soccer yet.”

The Cougars (4-3), who finished in last place with a record of 7-23 left Baltimore with a 12-10 win on Dec. 1. Led by Chris Handsor, who scored three times, California took an 8-4 lead into halftime and held on for the victory.

Baltimore scored six points in the fourth quarter, pulling to within two goals twice. But Handsor’s third goal clinched the Cougars’ victory.

“We’ve just got to go out there and give it all we have,” Blast forward Giuliano Celenza said.

Handsor, who has nine goals and six assists, is second on the Cougars and sixth in the league with 24 points. The Blast are very familiar with Handsor, who played on the Blast’s 2004 championship team before playing for Chicago last season.

“He’s the guy who’s going to get himself in the box and get those goals off the boards,” Wakefield said. It’s just a matter of getting a guy on him and not letting him get in the box free.”

California forward Enrique Tovar is third in the MISL with 11 goals, but Blast goalie Sagu stopped both of his shots in the teams’ last game.

The Blast dropped to sixth place in the standings — two games behind league-leading Chicago (6-1) and two and a half games ahead of seventh-place Monterrey (5-4).

“It’s a marathon this season,” Kelly said. “It’s not a sprint.”

mpeters@dcexaminer.com