WAVE CRASH COMETS IN MILWAUKEE

KANSAS CITY (Feb. 8, 2020) – The Kansas City Comets fell to the Milwaukee Wave 12-5 Saturday at UW-Milwaukee Panthers Arena. The Comets were physical and competitive early, missing some prime scoring opportunities before Milwaukee separated.

The loss drops the sixth-place Comets to 7-7 on the season, having split two games in three days. The win lifts the second-place Wave to 9-3.

The opening 10-and-a-half minutes saw an evenly matched defensive struggle. The Comets and Wave marched in lockstep in both shots and fouls until sustained pressure by Milwaukee produced the first goal. Max Ferdinand rounded John Sosa and found a few inches outside the reach of Kansas City goalkeeper Nicolau Neto in the far corner.

Isaac Pereyra and Ian Bennett doubled up with consecutive goals to extend Milwaukee’s lead. Pereyra netted his just before the end of the first quarter, and Bennett his at the start of the second.

Kiel Williams stopped the bleeding with Kansas City’s first goal of the night two minutes later. His shot was set up by a blast from Leo Gibson that found him off the boards. He spun and shot, the ball careening off the leg of a Milwaukee player and into the back of the net.

Bennett doubled up with his second goal to extend Milwaukee’s lead midway through the second quarter. Kansas City should have cut that deficit in half when Gibson created a few point-blank shots for his teammates, but none could finish. Milwaukee carried a 4-1 lead into halftime.

Two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, Stuart Grable added to Kansas City’s deficit, assisted by Guilherme Veiga. Less than a minute later, Pereyra scored his second of the night. Like they had in the first half, Milwaukee scored three goals in quick succession to create separation – 6-1.

This time it was Sosa stopping the bleeding off the assist from Gibson. The Comets would immediately go cold, though, being frozen out of the net for the remainder of the third quarter.

Milwaukee quelled any thought of a comeback with a Luan Oliveira 16 seconds into the fourth quarter, assisted by Marcio Leite. Williams scored his second of the night, this one from beyond the arc, 30 seconds later. Then Milwaukee’s third three-goal run of the night slammed the door shut.

Leo Gibson and Kevin Ellis were able to score goals with a sixth attacker on the field, Sosa assisting them both. But the Wave kept pouring it on, as well.

All of the Comets who traveled to Milwaukee will receive a much-needed week off before hosting the St. Louis Ambush Sunday at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in yet another playoff decider, while a developmental side is on the road Sunday for an exhibition match with the Wichita Wings.