COMETS SHINE IN FLORIDA

KANSAS CITY (Dec. 17, 2016) – The Kansas City Comets beat the incoming snow this morning and traveled to Lakeland, Florida for their first ever match against the Florida Tropics. Leo Gibson and Bryan Perez each scored two goals to lead the Comets to the 6-4 victory.

Kansas City came out shooting from the beginning of the game. They registered four shots before Florida had their first. Gibson and Perez opened the scoring, each getting an unassisted goal in the first quarter.

Ramone Palmer added a third goal for the Comets early in the second quarter, but Florida finally got on the board in the final minutes of the half with a score from Ricardo Diegues. Heading into the break, the Comets had controlled much of the game and held a 3-1 lead.

Florida is no stranger to comebacks. They found themselves down on the scoreboard in each of their two victories this season. Victor Rojas got the only score of the third quarter and pulled the Tropics within 3-2 of the Comets.

Leo Gibson opened the final quarter with his second goal of the night and his team-leading eighth of the season. When Florida’s Diegues scored his second of the night moments later, the Tropics decided to go their sixth attacker.

Fresh off his first appearance on the MASL’s Team of the Week, Stefan Stokic broke through the extra pressure to make it 5-3, before Victor Parreiras took advantage of the extra attacker to put the Tropics within one at 5-4.

Controversy erupted late in the game when Florida was able to get that was headed into the net, but Comets goalkeeper Stephen Paterson was able to make the save before the ball completely crossed the goal line.

Perez finished the scoring with 20 seconds left in the game as the Comets found themselves with three attackers and no defenders in front of them.

The win is the Comets first on the road this season and their second against the MASL’s Eastern Division.

They head back to Kansas City tomorrow, but are off until these same Tropics travel to the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena on December 30^th at 7:05 p.m. CT.