Comets shattered in OT thriller

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — The Kansas City Comets used a four-goal flurry in the third quarter to charge a comeback effort before facing a 6-5 overtime defeat on Saturday evening at Cable Dahmer Arena.

While the Comets couldn’t get much to go their way in the first half, the Comets pulled together in the second half to mount a successful comeback effort. After taking a 5-4 lead in the fourth quarter, San Diego equalized before the visitors scored the game-winning goal six minutes into overtime.

San Diego came out as the aggressors, outshooting the Comets 11-5 in the first quarter. Their promising start eventually paid off when Nilton de Andrade and Tavoy Morgan each scored late in the first to put the visitors ahead 2-0.

The Comets thought they found a way back into the game when Nacho Flores scored from distance midway through the second quarter, but Chad Vandegriffe was instead shown the first red card of his career for an offense prior to the goal going in. After a Comets challenge, video review showed Vandegriffe tangled up with de Andrade, and no evidence presented was enough to overturn as the officials upheld the call on the field.

Trailing 2-0 at halftime with the league’s leading shot-blocker ejected from the game, the Sockers delivered another blow when Mitchell Cardenas made it 3-0 early in the third. The Comets’ response from going 3-0 down was one of resilience.

The Comets scored five of the next six goals as Flores did finally get his goal, followed by scores from Dominic Francis and Michael Lenis to tie it at 3-3. San Diego went back in front through a Nick Perera penalty kick midway through the third, but Francis supplied the equalizing goal to make it 4-4.

The Comets grabbed their first lead of the night when Christian Anderaos scored a wallascora, redirecting a ball off the wall from Lucas Sousa to put the hosts ahead 5-4 with 5:12 remaining in the contest. After inserting a sixth attacker, San Diego equalized as de Andrade scored his second of the night.

“My boys fought hard tonight,” Comets head coach Stefan Stokic said. “It came down to little details, and we failed in that aspect, but I think that was probably one of our better performances of this year.”

With the Comets and Sockers going into overtime for the second consecutive time, both teams secured a point. It was San Diego who eventually grabbed the extra point for an overtime win 6:00 into overtime when Jesus Pacheco was left unmarked in the final third, quickly turning and firing in the game-winner.

The Comets dropped to 10-6-4 on the season, but edged one point closer to a playoff berth. The Sockers’ overtime victory dropped them to second place in the MASL Shield standings, returning home with a 13-5-2 record.

Both sides have a quick turnaround as both make the return trip to San Diego for a meeting Sunday evening at 6pm CT. The Comets are back home next Saturday, March 21, to renew a rivalry with the Baltimore Blast on Mascot Night. Tickets for next Saturday’s highly anticipated penultimate home game of the regular season are available at kccomets.com/tickets.

SCORING SUMMARY

GAME STATS

Attendance - 4,284