Comets Comeback Falls Short in Sudden Death
February 21, 2020 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Kansas City Comets News Release
Kevin Ellis of the Kansas City Comets vs. the Milwaukee Wave
(Kansas City Comets)
KANSAS CITY - The Kansas City Comets rallied heroically but fell in sudden death overtime, 7-6, to the Milwaukee Wave Friday. Kansas City never led, but scored four goals in the fourth quarter to tie the game with three minutes to play to force extra time, where the Wave scored the golden goal. The loss drops the Comets to 8-8. They're back in action Sunday in a must-win game as far as their postseason bid is concerned.
Five minutes into Friday's contest, Nacho Flores picked up a blue card for an aggressive challenge. It took 90 seconds, but Milwaukee took advantage with a power play goal when Max Ferdinand split the legs of Nicolau Neto.
Max Huffman doubled down for the Wave seconds later. He one-timed a left-footed shot near post, putting Milwaukee up 2-0 early. The Comets waited 12 minutes to get on the board, but the goal was worth it. Robert Palmer played a long ball to Leo Gibson, who flicked a one-touch assist straight to Adam James. He tucked it just inside the far post, cutting the deficit in half.
Ian Bennett created offense from defense seconds before the end of the quarter, turning the Comets over in their own end and easily finding the nearly bare net. The second quarter would be scoreless, with neither Kansas City nor Milwaukee adding to their tally, and the Wave carried their 3-1 lead into intermission. Bennett added to his tally to open the second half. It took nearly the rest of the quarter, but Gibson pulled his team back into the game going, cutting the Wave lead to 4-2 going into the final stanza.
Gibson was sent to the penalty box early in the fourth quarter, and Bennett picked up his third score of the game to extend the lead to three. As soon as the coach was back on the field, he was back on the score sheet, sniping a goal from a free kick at the top of the arc to bull Kansas City within two at 5-3.
Milwaukee picked up a blue card midway through the quarter and just as the Wave were killing the penalty, picked up another for taking out Sosa in the box. Gibson missed the ensuing penalty, but the Comets remained up a man.
This time they took advantage. Sosa lofted an alley-oop meant for the head of Leo Gibson, and he knocked it over to Ellis, who reached pay dirt to make it a one-score game with half of the fourth quarter left.
When Vandergriff barely squeezed off a frantic assist to Andre Hayne in the middle of the box, resetting Milwaukee's two-score lead just outside of three minutes, the Comets didn't hear the death knell. Ellis took just seconds to make it a one-score game again.
Not a minute before Lucas Rodriguez subbed on as the sixth attacker, he found Sosa in space, and the captain fired a successful shot from well outside the yellow line to tie the game for the first time since 0-0. The stalemate held through the end of regulation, forcing extra time.
Vandergriffe came up with the game winner in sudden death, freezing Neto to seal the win.
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 Kevin Ellis of the Kansas City Comets vs. the Milwaukee Wave |
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