COMETS FALL JUST SHORT IN MINI GAME, 2-1 TO FURY TO END SEASON

by Pete Richmire

INDEPENDENCE, MO. – The Comets (3-2) went to overtime to beat the Ontario Fury (4-1) 7-6, forcing a 15-minute mini game but dropped a 2-1 decision to have their 2021 season end. With the win, the Fury head home to host the Ron Newman Cup Finals against the San Diego Sockers next week.

For the second consecutive game, the Comets jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Fury, including two first-quarter goals tonight. The first came on the power play following a shot by Leo Gibson. Claysson De Lima made the initial save, which rebounded off the right-side boards and Dominic Francis was there to one-time the ball to the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Kansas City made it a 2-0 margin after Ray Lee sent the ball to the right post where Nacho Flores spun off an Ontario defender and split the wickets on De Lima from about 15 feet out. The Comets killed a penalty and took their two-goal lead to the second quarter.

Gibson slid a pass to Lucas Sousa inside the box to the right of De Lima to stretch the Comets lead to 3-0 with 11:36 left in the first half. Ontario snapped the Kansas City run on Franc Tayou’s first of three goals in Game 2 and it was 3-1 with 8:52 to go in the half.

Kansas City’s second power play goal came courtesy of Francis on a shoot-out after Ontario’s Thiago Goncalves was whistled for tripping. Francis’ second power play goal of the game sent the teams to the break with the Comets up by three, 4-1.

The second half was the Fury’s opportunity to string together three-straight goals and it began with Franck Tayou’s second of the game less than a minute into the third quarter. Justin Stinson tallied the next Fury marker, this one with the teams playing 4-on-4, and it cut the Comets lead to just one, 4-3.

The equalizer came with 3:43 to play in the third off the foot of Charlie Gonzalez and the score was 4-4 headed to the final 15 minutes of play.

Each team scored twice in the final regulation quarter. Sousa and Ramone Palmer picked up goals less than 30 seconds apart and with 4:31 on the clock, the Comets were up by two at 6-4. Ontario was not done yet.

After a Kansas City blue card for too many men, Franck Tayou netted his third of the game, making it a one-goal game again with just 2:50 left. As the clock wound down inside of one minute to play, Stinson found Maicon De Abreu who slid the ball past Nicolau Neto to tie the game 6-6 and that’s how regulation ended.

In the overtime, it was Kansas City’s Francis who completed his hat-trick blasting the ball past De Lima from outside the yellow line to give the Comets a 7-6 win and force the 15-minute mini-game to decide the series.

That started strong for the Comets as well. De Lima was shown a blue card for tripping and it also set up the Comets’ second shoot-out of the night. Like he did in Game 2, Francis went straight at De Lima and fired the ball low past him into the net, and the Comets led 1-0.

The final two goals of the game would come from the Fury. First, Israel Sesay connected with Jorge Deleon for his second goal of the playoffs and the game-winner came from Tayou. It wasn’t Franck, but Uzi with his third of the post season which proved to be the margin which would end Kansas City’s season and send the Fury to the Finals at Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA. next week.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st – KC Francis (Gibson) PP 5:35; KC Flores (lee) 9:47. Penalties – ONT F. Tayou blue card (contact above the shoulder/elbow) 4:01; ONT Jose Gonzalez blue card (contact above the shoulder/elbow) 6:25; KC Francis blue card (unsportsmanlike conduct) 11:22; KC Togbah yellow card (delay of game) 13:53

2nd – KC Sousa (Gibson) 3:24; ONT F. Tayou (Charlie Gonzalez) 6:08; KC Francis PP 14:48. Penalties – ONT Goncalves blue card (tripping) 14:43.

3rd – ONT F. Tayou (Charlie Gonzalez) 0:58; ONT Stinson (Sesay) 4:01; ONT Charlie Gonzalez (Hernandez) 11:17. Penalties – ONT Topete blue card (dangerous play) 2:53; KC Kelly blue card (kicking) 2:53; KC Kelly yellow card (major penal penalty) 2:53; KC Sosa blue card (boarding) 6:38.

4th – KC Sousa (McDonald) 10:01; KC Palmer 10:29; ONT F. Tayou (Hughes) PP 12:10; ONT De Abreu (Stinson) 14:20. Penalties – KC Bench blue card (too many men); ONT Nordberg yellow card (dissent) 12:10.

OT – KC Francis (Neto) 3:15. Penalties – None.

15-minute Mini-Game

1st – KC Francis PP 5:37; ONT DeLeon (Sesay) 8:36; ONT U. Tayou 9:20. Penalties – ONT De Lima blue card (tripping) 5:34.