COMETS COMEBACK ATTEMPT FALLS SHORT IN 8-6 LOSS

by Pete Richmire

MILWAUKEE, WI. – The Comets (13-7-1) celebrated last night’s win at Cable Dahmer Arena with an eight-hour commute to Milwaukee to face the Wave (9-12-1) who are battling with St. Louis for the final Ron Newman Cup Playoff Wild Card Spot. The Wave got a hat-trick on the way to an 8-6 win over the Comets at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. With many of the Comets’ regular starters resting, the Comets made a late surge but came up short in this one.

Three goals were scored in the first half of Sunday’s game, and all three were knocked in by the Wave, two by MASL leading-scorer Ian Bennett. The opening score of the game came off the foot of James Weber early in the first quarter. The Comets were only able to get off nine shots on goal, while the Wave posted 12.

The Wave extended their lead to 5-0 with the first two goals of the third quarter, first from Gordy Gurson and then Weber’s second of the game with 6:42 to go in the quarter.

Kansas City notched their first goal of the game, and it was a special one for one of the new Comets. Felipe Abreu slid a low pass through the box to the far post where Vucic was standing alone for the tap-in to pick up his first MASL point and goal at the same time. His goal made it a 5-1 Wave lead which is how the third quarter ended.

Bennett secured his hat-trick for the Wave to push the score to 6-1 in favor of the home team with 10:49 to play in the game. Bennett wasn’t done yet as he assisted on the next goal, scored by Javier Steinwascher to make it a 7-1 tally. Bennett still wasn’t done as he scored the next goal for the Wave to make it 8-1 with 5:23 to play. The Comets’ comeback attempt began at that point.

Five-consecutive goals by Kansas City beginning with Lalo Alejo made it an interesting finish. Following Vucic’s second of the game and a goal by Ali Sodal, Leo Gibson scored two straight goals to make it an 8-6 score with 1:07 left on the clock. The Comets did not get another good look at the goal and Milwaukee held the ball for much of the final minute to secure their win.

The Comets will conclude their regular season with a home-and-home series that begins in St. Louis on Saturday, April 2 and finishes the next day at Cable Dahmer Arena with a 4 pm kickoff.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st – MKE Weber (Grable) 10:48; MKE Bennett (Leite) 11:33. Penalties – KC Makaonyane (bc- tripping) 3:20.

2nd – MKE Bennett (Leite) 12:33 pp. Penalties – MKE Leite (bc- holding) 6:21; KC Neto (bc- tripping) 12:31.

3rd – MKE Gurson (Bradley) 3:40; MKE Weber (Grable) 8:18; KC Vucic (Abreu) 8:56. Penalties – KC McDonald (yc- dissent) 8:18.

4th – MKE Bennett (Leite) 4:11; MKE Steinwascher (Bennett) 8:17; MKE Bennett (Steinwascher) 9:37; KC Alejo (Schmermund) 9:53; KC Vucic (Schmermund) 10:53 pp; KC Sodal (Sandovari) 11:25; KC Gibson (Hamersky) 12:07; KC Gibson (Lee) 13:53. Penalties – MKE bench (bc- too many men) 10:18.

Power Play – Comets 1/2, Milwaukee 1/2

Shots – Comets 25, Milwaukee 27

Attendance – 3,162