COMETS SET FOR RIVALRY SHOWDOWN WITH AMBUSH
The Kansas City Comets are eager to return to winning ways when they host the St. Louis Ambush on Thursday evening at Cable Dahmer Arena.
The Comets and Ambush are paired up for a two-game slate to end the calendar year. Following Thursday's matchup, both teams will prepare for the return leg in St. Louis on Sunday.
Both teams come from a week off, but a week off that the Comets were thankful for after picking up numerous injuries in the two-game battle with the Texas Outlaws. After winning 9-7 in Texas, the Comets returned home to suffer their only loss this season 7-6.
The Comets are now in better shape without having to play on back-to-back days. The Comets’ only injury absences for Thursday's matchup will be Berto Palmer (right knee contusion) and Rian Marques (right thigh strain).
Zach Reget is the Eastern Conference's offensive leader with 14 points and 10 goals through five games. The U.S. Futsal Player of the Year finalist is off to a hot start in his first full season as a Comet. Nacho Flores and John Sosa have also accounted for a combined 18 points between the two.
The Comets will hope to improve defensively after giving up 14 goals in their last two games after starting the season conceding just eight times in three games. The return of Vandegriffe from injury will be a major boost on the defensive end.
The Comets sit in third place of the Eastern Conference and are looking for their fifth consecutive home win over the Ambush. STL's last win at Cable Dahmer Arena was in April 2022.
In the latest meeting between these two sides, which came in Week 2 this season, the Comets were cruising to a shutout victory until the Ambush scored twice in the fourth quarter. The Comets settled for a 7-2 win before a sellout crowd that night.
The fifth-place Ambush have since lost two and won once. Their only away match since was a 14-7 loss against the Milwaukee Wave, in which they conceded seven goals in the third quarter.
St. Louis is coming off their first win of the season, beating the Dallas Sidekicks 5-1 on December 17. Robbie Kristo shined with two goals and an assist while Paulo Nascimento got his first win of the season while making 11 saves.
Kristo leads the Ambush with eight points from six goals and two assists. Billy Stimac and Will Eskay follow close behind with seven points each. That trio will be hoping for more support as the Ambush are last in the East with 4.4 goals per game.
The Ambush injury report consists of a trio listed as questionable including former Comet midfielder Ali Sodal (knee), forward/midfielder Jason Payne (knee) and goalkeeper Jose Ogaz (thumb). Thursday's visitors will aim to even the season series before returning home on Sunday.
Tickets for the Comets’ final home game of 2023 are available at kccomets.com/tickets.