Comets Win Central Division Title with Overtime Victory in Baltimore
February 19, 2016 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Kansas City Comets News Release
BALTIMORE - The Missouri Comets (15-3) won the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Central Division title for the second year in a row after defeating the Baltimore Blast (13-3) with a 5-4 overtime victory in front of 8,121 fans at Royal Farms Arena.
After two hours and nine minutes of play, it was Missouri's 22-game regular season winning streak on the road that prevailed as the Baltimore Blast lost their first home game in 818 days.
Team captain Vahid Assadpour was named Borden Man of the Match after scoring the game-winning goal three minutes into overtime. However, midfielder Max Touloute led the team with three points off of two goals and an assist.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski's team will remain on the road as the Comets visit the Syracuse Silver Knights (9-7) on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Both teams came out to the field with a defensive mindset, which reflected on the board after a scoreless first quarter. However, less than two minutes into the second stanza, Onua Obasi assisted by Pat Healey gave the Blast their first and only lead of the game.
Three minutes later Tony Donatelli made it 2-0 before Touloute scored for the visitors at the 11:36 mark. No more goals were scored in the half sending both teams to the locker rooms with a 2-1 score.
Back on the field, Missouri ran the turf throughout the third period. Reigning MASL MVP Leo Gibson equalized just 18 seconds into the second half followed by a shorthanded goal by Robert Palmer and a power play tally by John Sosa to make it 4-2 after three quarters.
When it seemed as if the visiting Comets could get the job done in four quarters, Baltimore's Jinho Kim made it a one-goal game with an unassisted goal before Donatelli scored the tying goal midway through the quarter.
Knotted at four, Baltimore and Missouri headed into overtime, which only lasted three minutes as Assadpour found space on the left side of the field before firing a rocket, which got past league leading goalkeeper William Vanzela to end the match with a final score of 5-4.
Goalkeeper Boris Pardo registered ten saves and remains second only after Vanzela with a .709 save percentage and a 4.63 GAA.
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from February 19, 2016
- Comets Win Central Division Title with Overtime Victory in Baltimore - Kansas City Comets
- Blast Fall in Overtime to Comets 5-4 - Baltimore Blast
- Stars, Sockers Square off in Divisional Match - Tacoma Stars
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