Comets set for rivalry showdown against Blast

by Nathan Dunn

Kansas City Comets vs Baltimore Blast

MASL Regular Season — Game 22

When: Saturday, March 21 — 6pm CT

Where: Cable Dahmer Arena — Independence, MO

Tickets: Ticketmaster | Tickets For Less

Giveaway: Red Rally Towels - first 2,000 fans

The Kansas City Comets hope to do something they haven’t done in nearly a decade: defeat the Baltimore Blast.

It is something they have not done since taking a 5-1 verdict behind two goals from Stefan Stokic on Dec. 11, 2016. Since then, the Comets have lost all nine meetings with Baltimore, home or away.

Stokic now hopes to provide some inspiration from the bench to help his team finally get over the hump. While Stokic’s role has evolved since then, he has remained involved in the nine defeats since.

The last victory featured Stokic alongside Nacho Flores, Guerrero Pino and Ramone Palmer. They hope the team’s most recent victory, an 8-6 road win against the San Diego Sockers, can reignite their spirits to gain some momentum going into the playoffs.

The win in San Diego last weekend clinched a playoff spot just a night after an emotional comeback effort ended in overtime defeat on home turf. The Comets’ response the following night allowed them to jump into fourth place in the MASL standings with a record of 11-6-4 on 35 points.

Rian Marques led the way with a 5-point performance, scoring a hat trick with a pair of assists. He continues to build a resume unlike any other in the league, leading the MASL with 2.4 points per game and a stunning scoring percentage of 35%.

Marques is supported by another top-five scorer in the league, Zach Reget (23 goals, 14 assists), with Nacho Flores, Dominic Francis and Lesia Thetsane also hitting 20-point seasons.

The Comets will return reigning MASL Defender of the Year Chad Vandegriffe, who missed last weekend’s trip to San Diego while serving a one-game suspension for a red card that was later overturned. Vandegriffe continues to lead the MASL with 55 blocks this season.

The Comets hope to improve their home record, which sits at 5-2-3 entering their final two home dates of the regular season. They have lost two of their last three home games, with both defeats coming in overtime/shootout against San Diego.

In the previous meeting this season, the Blast ran away with an 11-3 victory in Baltimore. A Comets win on Saturday would earn a season series split between the two sides.

The Opponent

The Blast enter Saturday’s contest as the hottest team in the MASL, riding an 8-game winning streak to earn the top spot in the MASL Shield race.

Baltimore’s last defeat came on Feb. 14, when they lost 7-3 at home to the St. Louis Ambush. Since then, they have shown an ability to win close games with a pair of lopsided victories on home turf.

During their recent tear, six of the eight wins have come by a single goal. They have outscored opponents 54-38 throughout the winning streak.

Baltimore goalkeeper Julian Rodriguez leads the league with 235 saves and 12 wins. He has proven to produce on the offensive end as well, leading all MASL netminders with seven assists.

On the offensive end, the duo of Juan Pereira and Jonatas Melo leads the Blast, combining for 65 points (39 goals, 26 assists). Chad Poarch and Oumar Sylla can also supply some support from their defensive positions, combining for 51 points with Poarch among the leading defensive scorers with 15 goals and Sylla among the top assisters league-wide with 19 assists.

After Saturday’s visit to Cable Dahmer Arena, Baltimore will visit Milwaukee for another heavyweight matchup on Sunday afternoon. The Blast wrap up the season on March 28 when they host Tacoma.

The Comets will have another week to recover before concluding the season with another home-and-home series against San Diego. Their home finale is slated for Friday, March 27, before finishing the season in San Diego on March 29.