Comets eliminated in Knockout Game by Ambush

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The No. 5-seeded Kansas City Comets’ season came to a conclusion on Wednesday evening, winning Game 2 before losing the Knockout Game against the No. 4-seeded St. Louis Ambush at Family Arena.

The Comets’ defense came up big on both ends of the floor in Game 2, holding on at the end to seal a 6-5 win. In the Knockout Game, the Ambush struck twice to end their cross-state rivals’ season with a 2-0 knockout punch.

The Comets played from behind for much of the first half, beginning inside the first five minutes when Ryan Khedoo put the Ambush ahead. Lesia Thetsane blasted in the equalizer off a restart early in the second quarter.

The Ambush went ahead once more in the second quarter as Christian Briggs cleaned things up at the back post. Again, the Comets used a restart to answer as Dom Francis scored his third goal of the series to make it 2-2 at halftime.

The Comets caught fire in the third quarter with three goals unanswered. After assisting both first-half scores, Nacho Flores got his first goal of the night in transition to give the Comets their first lead of the series early in the second half.

Defenders continued to impact on the offensive end as Guerrero Pino made it 4-2 for the Comets, finding the far post with a precise right-footed shot. The largest lead of the night came when Flores scored his second, making it 5-2 for the Comets with a laser to the bottom corner.

St. Louis didn’t go quietly in Game 2. Scores from Mario Falsone, Will Eskay and James Togbah knotted the game at 5-5 in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.

MASL scoring champion Rian Marques rose to the occasion to get momentum back for the Comets, scoring off a wallascora to put the visitors in front 6-5. A late penalty for Thetsane presented the Ambush another opportunity to equalize, but the Comets’ defense brilliantly killed the penalty and the ensuing sixth-attacker effort from St. Louis to secure the 6-5 win and force a series-deciding Knockout Game.

After a brief intermission, both teams returned for what ended up a frustrating final 15 minutes of the Comets’ season.

St. Louis struck first once again, this time Colin O’Keefe scoring from a tight angle after the Comets were unable to retain possession near midfield. The Comets’ hopes took a big hit when Marques was sent to the penalty box with less than four minutes remaining, and after allowing most of the penalty to expire, St. Louis cashed in to make it 2-0 via Briggs to seal STL’s first-ever spot in the MASL Semifinals.

The Comets’ season concluded in the quarterfinal round of the Ron Newman Cup Playoffs for a second straight season. The Ambush advance to face the top-seeded San Diego Sockers next, with the series beginning April 17 in St. Louis.

GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY

GAME 2 STATS

KNOCKOUT GAME SCORING SUMMARY

KNOCKOUT GAME STATS

Attendance - 1,997