Comets look to strike back on Star Wars Night

by Nathan Dunn

Kansas City Comets vs. Empire Strykers

MASL Regular Season — Game 15

When: Fri, Jan. 30 – 7pm CT

Where: Cable Dahmer Arena

Tickets: Ticketmaster | Tickets For Less

The Kansas City Comets return home Friday night searching for a response — and hoping the Force is on their side — as they host the Empire Strykers in a rematch on Star Wars Night at Cable Dahmer Arena.

Less than a week removed from a humbling 10-6 loss in Southern California, the Comets get an immediate opportunity to flip the script in front of a home crowd after conceding six second-quarter goals in Sunday’s defeat at Toyota Arena.

The Comets struggled to recover from a disastrous first half, though the Comets showed fight down the stretch behind a second-half hat trick from Lesia Thetsane while outscoring Empire 4-2 in the fourth quarter. They hope that the late surge serves as a launching point as the Comets look to reassert themselves at home.

Despite the setback, the Comets remain atop the MASL standings at 8-4-2 with 24 points. Milwaukee trails by three points with two games in hand, making Friday’s contest critical as the Comets aim to maximize points in their only game this week.

Zach Reget continues to pace the Comets’ attack, scoring twice late Sunday to maintain his league-leading 29 points, also sitting second with 18 goals. The Comets will also be eager for a more settled defensive performance after missing veteran defenders Chad Vandegriffe and Guerrero Pino last week, a pairing that has anchored Kansas City’s back line throughout the season.

Kansas City’s special teams remain among the league’s elite, but Friday’s focus will center on defensive structure and early-game urgency after Empire capitalized repeatedly during Sunday’s decisive second quarter before sealing it in the second half.

On the injury front, the Comets continue to work players back as Vandegriffe, Leo Acosta, Julio Coronado and Phillip Ejimadu are questionable. The other quartet of Rian Marques, Erik Pereira, Lucas Sousa and Ramone Palmer is listed as probable.

Friday marks Empire’s lone visit to Kansas City this season, with the Comets winning Empire’s previous two meetings at Cable Dahmer Arena. Prior to Sunday’s defeat, the Comets had won three straight against the Strykers, including a 7-5 victory at home last season.

With Star Wars Night setting the scene, the Comets will look to feed off a charged home atmosphere as they aim to deliver a response and strengthen their hold on first place.

Empire Strykers

Empire arrives in Kansas City riding a statement victory of their own after dismantling the league leaders last weekend.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Strykers hope to extend the hottest streak in the MASL with a pair of road matchups beginning Friday at Cable Dahmer Arena and ending on Sunday in Baltimore.

The Strykers used a cast of five multi-point scorers to take out the Comets, led by Abdul Mansaray and Steven Chavez, who both scored twice and assisted once.

received goals from throughout the lineup, with Abdul Mansaray, Justin Stinson and Walter Diaz each delivering key strikes. Anthony Powell and Alan Perez also contributed during the decisive second quarter that turned the match firmly in Empire’s favor. Claysson De Lima picked up his first win of the season, making 11 saves.

Mexico World Cup veteran Marco Fabian, who recorded an assist against KC last week, remains a dangerous weapon for Empire’s attack, while Mounir Alami continues to provide the most consistent production with 11 points and 7 goals. Defensively, Empire is captained by former Comet Berto Palmer, who has helped the Strykers maintain the league’s lowest goals against average of 4.45 despite their unique style of play.

Empire sits sixth in the MASL standings at 4-6-0 with 11 points, but another victory Friday would further compress the playoff race and give the Strykers a season sweep over the Comets.

Friday’s rematch also doubles as Star Wars Night at Cable Dahmer Arena, adding another layer of intensity as the Comets look to strike back on home turf. Tickets for Friday’s matchup are available at kccomets.com/tickets.