Comets set for regular season finale against Sockers

Kansas City Comets vs San Diego Sockers

MASL Regular Season

Saturday, March 23 — 6:05 p.m. CT

Where | Cable Dahmer Arena - Independence, Missouri 

Watch | 38 the Spot (local TV); twitch.tv/masl_soccer

Jersey Auction | event.gives/cometsmilitarygame24

The Kansas City Comets (13-6-4) will celebrate Military Appreciation Night in front of a sellout crowd with an action-packed Saturday to conclude the 2024 regular season schedule against the San Diego Sockers (18-4-0).

The pre-game festivities include the Soccer Moms Tailgate hosted by Mama Reget and Mama Vandegriffe, in partnership with Timeless, as well as Leo Gibson's retirement ceremony before kickoff. Fans can also toss a teddy bear after the Comets' first goal to support the Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City. The festivities conclude with the post-game autograph session and the autographed jersey auction.

The Comets have already secured a playoff spot but could have the opportunity to boost their playoff seeding this weekend. If the Comets win on Saturday, KC will jump into a top-three seed ahead of Milwaukee's final match on Sunday in Monterrey.

Head coach Stefan Stokic is looking to extend the Comets' five-game winning streak and secure the team's 14th win this season, the most regular-season wins since they won 15 games in the 2016-17 season. The Comets are coming from an 11-5 road win over St. Louis last Sunday with Lucas Sousa and Michael Lenis each recording a hat trick.

Zach Reget leads the scoring table with 32 goals and is tied with Monterrey's Genaro Castillo and Texas' Vini Dantas for a league-leading 45 points. Lucas Sousa is second on the team in scoring with 15 goals coming off a hat trick last week.

KC will be without Henry Ramirez (leg) and Leo Gibson (undisclosed). Rookie midfielder Michael Lenis (foot) is listed as probable.

The Comets thumped the Sockers 9-4 on Feb. 25 in San Diego. The Comets also won the Sockers' two previous visits to KC and control the current franchise series 4-2.

The Sockers have already clinched the top seed in the West and await the Texas Outlaws in the Western Conference Semifinals. Head coach Phil Salvagio is looking to orchestrate the Sockers' first win over the Comets in MASL history.

The Sockers have won seven straight, coming from a 3-2 win over Milwaukee on Friday. Tied 1-1 at halftime, the Sockers went ahead 3-1 in the third quarter and managed to hold on for a narrow one-goal victory.

While Reget is the Comets' elite target forward, the Sockers have their own in Tavoy Morgan. The Jamaica native enters this week trailing Reget by one point with 24 goals and 20 assists. Brandon Escoto is another 40-point San Diego star with 26 goals and 15 assists.

Former Comets goalkeeper Boris Pardo entered this week tied alongside Nicolau Neto with 13 wins, behind only Monterrey's Berna Valdovinos. Pardo picked up win No. 14 on Friday with 15 saves.

San Diego's Felipe Gonzalez (leg) is questionable. The list of probable players includes Drew Ruggles (leg), Gabriel Costa (arm), Guerrero Pino (leg), Juan Salazar (leg), Kraig Chiles (leg), and Mitchell Cardenas (leg).

The other former Comet with the Sockers is Guerrero Pino, who is a solid defender leading San Diego with 31 blocks.