Comets lose third game in a row

by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News


Kansas City Comets coach Stefan Stokic chose his words wisely while being totally honest and up front about his team following a 7-3 loss Sunday afternoon to the San Diego Sockers at Cable Dahmer Arena.

"Tonight's performance wasn't good enough," Stokic said, after the Comets lost their third consecutive game. "This is probably the first time this year that I feel really disappointed in my guys."

Stokic wasn't questioning his team's effort, but said his team's decline in quality play has been apparent during the recent skid.

"The health of our players is very important," the coach added, "and so is doing all we can to be a No. 1 or 2 seed in the playoffs. Our expectations have not been reached the past three games, and even dates back bore our losing streak. This is something that will be addressed - we will find an answer."

Currently third in the standings behind San Diego, the loss was a devastating blow to the Comets' hopes of being a top seed.

KC is currently six points behind the Sockers and eight points ahead of fourth-place Baltimore.

Stokic refuses to make excuses for the recent losing streak, but there must times he feels he's working in a M*A*S*H unit rather than an MASL practice facility.

The list of injured players is long - Lesia Thetsane is out with an ankle injury while Chase Peterson (lower leg) and Marcel Berry (lower leg) are on the sidelines. Kansas City has six players listed as questionable  — Ramone Palmer (knee), Lucas Sousa (knee), Zach Reget (back), Junior Kazeem (foot), Leo Acosta (ankle) and Rian Marques (thigh) while the defensive duo of Nacho Flores (knee) and Chad Vandegriffe (foot) are both probable.

"We have to get healthy," said Sousa, who scored a goal against the Sockers in a limited playing role Sunday. "Guys show how much our team, our organization and our fans mean to them because they are playing when they are not 100 percent. It's big that we have clinched a playoff spot, now we have to do our best to finish the regular season strong to get a higher seed."

Stokic hopes to have some recovery and quality training sessions in the coming days to prepare for another big matchup on Friday when the Comets host longtime rival Milwaukee.
"We have had a regular practice schedule the past few weeks because of the weather, we have had a difficult travel schedule and we need to get back into a daily routine, and we hope that happens this week," Stokic added.

The 17-3-0 Sockers' first-ever away win against the 13-4-2 Comets came in a commanding 7-3 result on Sunday evening. The Comets have now lost three straight heading into the final five games of the season.

The Sockers opened the scoring with a Kraig Chiles goal at 4:39. San Diego took a 2-0 lead when Tavoy Morgan took a pass in front of the net and slipped it past Phillip Ejimadu.

The Comets got back into the game in the second quarter when Marques converted a shootout for his 21st goal of the year. Just 8 seconds later, San Diego canceled Marques'  goal when Morgan got his second of the game. Marques had another opportunity to cut into San Diego's two-goal lead, but was unable to score his penalty kick and the Comets were unable to convert the ensuing power play.

After a scoreless third period, the Sockers opened the second-half scoring 4:01 into the fourth when Charlie Gonzalez scored off a quick restart.

The Comets responded by inserting Michael Lenis as a sixth attacker, which immediately yielded a goal from Sousa off a Reget assist.

San Diego quickly shut the door when Kristian Quintana and Chiles both added sixth-attacker goals, putting them up 7-2. Reget scored a late goal with just 1:22 left in regulation, but it was too little, too late.

Kansas City Comets forward Rian Marques scored a goal Sunday afternoon in a 7-3 loss to the San Diego Sockers at Cable Dahmer Arena. Photo Credit: David Rainey, Grain Valley News

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