Comets win final game of I-70 Cup Series

by Bill Althaus

Explosive first and fourth quarters gave a hometown crowd of 4,358 fans plenty to cheer about as the Kansas City Comets defeated visiting St. Louis 8-5 in the final game of their I-70 Cup Series Sunday afternoon at Cable Dahmer Arena.
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The Comets scored three goals in the first quarter, only to see the Ambush score four consecutive goals to take a 4-3 lead going into the first minute of the fourth quarter.

Kansas City then scored five goals in the final 14 minutes of play to set the stage for a joyous celebration as they were presented the I-70 Cup Series trophy. Kansas City won four of the five games against the Ambus this season. The Comets actually secured the series with a 5-4 win New Year's Eve in St. Louis.

"We clinched the cup in St. Louis but wanted the trophy presentation to be here at home," coach Stefan Stokic said. "When you play against a team five times, it becomes repetition. It becomes tough to play against the same guys. I think our quality was not good enough in the offensive third; our execution was not good enough.

"But we came back strong and got a big win at home."

With retired players from both sides of the I-70 Series on hand for Retro Night, including a quartet of iconic former stars Enzo DiPede, Gino Schiraldi, Alan Mayer and Kim Roentved, the Comets offense exploded minutes the game.

Henry Ramirez started the scoring by striking the ball into the top corner after Zach Reget sent a perfect pass off the boards.

"That's a tribute to (all-time Comets leading scorer) Leo Gibson," said Reget, who also scored a goal in the game. "Henry finished it off. That was a great way to start the game."

It was Ramirez's third goal of the season.

"What an assist from Zach," said Ramirez, who was carried around the field by Reget after scoring the goal. "It was a great start. We had the big first quarter, then had to regroup to win the game in the fourth quarter."

The Comets quickly added another pair of goals when Christian Anderaos and Rian Marques scored to put the Comets ahead 3-0.

Then, the Comets offense disappeared. With four straight goals in the second, third and fourth quarters, St. Louis led 4-3 a minute into the final 15 minutes of action.

"We had great first and fourth quarters," said Leo Acosta, who gave Kansas City a 5-4 lead at 9:20 of the fourth quarter. "We knew we had to win this game for our fans and we found a way to do it. It was an exciting end of the game."

Shortly after Duduca Carvalho's strike early in the fourth quarter put the Ambush ahead 4-3, the Comets found their footing once again.

Marques passed the ball to Reget who scored to tie game 4-4.

Acosta then scored the Comets' go-ahead goal on a swift counterattack. Nacho Flores made it a 6-4 game at 13:31. But this contest was far from over.

The Ambush brought in a sixth attacker and got back in the game when Dylan Hundelt's goal at 1:24 made it a 6-5 game.

But the Comets offense regained control as Marques and Mikey Lenis scored in the final minute. Marques has 19 goals and a league-best 17 assists.

"It was up and down, up and down," said Marques, who finished with two goals and an assist. "We're up 3-0, then we trail 4-3. It wasn't the prettiest win of the season, but a win is a win. And we did it at home for our fans."

The 10-1-2 Comets have won five in a row and are in third place, behind Chihuahua and San Diego - two teams Kansas City has defeated this season.

Phillip Ejimadu stood tall in the net, and collected his eighth win of the season.

"A big win for many reasons," said Ejimadu, who is tied for first in the MASL with a 4.42 goals against average and is second place with the eight wins. "We got off to that great start, then our offense struggled until the fourth quarter.

"But all that really matters is that we won. And we won playing for the best fans in the league."

Goalkeeper Nicolau Neto played the second half of the MASL All-Star game, with his team capturing a 7-3 victory, Wednesday night in Utica City, New York.

In a new format, players were selected for their respective teams in a drawing. Neto and Acosta played against a team coached by Stokic, that included Marques, Reget, Flores and Vandegriffe.

"I got a goal against Neto," a grinning Marques said, "but his team beat ours. He and Acosta have the bragging rights. But it was fun to play against Neto other than when we practice."

Neto was thrilled to be on the winning team, which did give him bragging rights.

"I play against all those guys in practice," Neto quipped, "I knew what was coming before they shot the ball. Seriously though, it was great to have so many members of the Comets on the two all-star teams. We're doing a lot of great things this season and it's an honor to be recognized for our success."

Stokic, who directed Team Perera, said it was special to participate in the game.

"It was an honor to coach at the all-star game, and it was an honor to have six of our players make the all-star teams. Those guys have worked hard and deserve the recognition."

Kansas City Comets all-star Rian Marques signs autographs and poses for photos after an 8-5 victory over the St. Louis Ambush Sunday afternoon at Cable Dahmer Arena. Marques scored two goals and added an assist. Photo credit: Bill Althaus