COMETS TAKE UNFORGETTABLE OT WIN OVER AMBUSH

by Nathan Dunn

INDEPENDENCE, MO (March 2, 2024) — The Kansas City Comets (11-6-4) took the season series over the St. Louis Ambush (4-10-5) with an exhilarating 8-7 overtime win on Retro Night in front of 5,126 fans.

Zach Reget proved to be the overtime hero after Lucas Sousa completed his hat trick by forcing OT with 3.7 seconds left. The Comets completed a difficult six-day stretch taking eight of nine points available.

It was a nightmare start for the Comets after Will Eskay took credit for a goal 11 seconds into the contest after his pass off the wall was deflected in by Comets midfielder Leo Acosta. Acosta quickly erased his mistake when he equalized the score at 1-1 on the other end of the arena less than two minutes into the game. The Comets added two more tallies from Sousa and Nacho Flores to lead 3-1 after the first quarter.

The Comets added to their lead in the second quarter when Rian Marques scored his eighth of the season and Sousa tallied his second of the night to make it 5-1. The Ambush answered with a goal from Will Eskay inside the final two minutes to make it 5-2 at halftime.

The third quarter was all Ambush. Former Comet Richard Schmermund fired in a restart goal before John Eskay made it 5-4 10:08 into the third period. Will Eskay completed his hat trick late in the third to pull the visitors level at 5-5.

The fourth period became a back-and-forth bout. DeBray Hollimon scored his first Comets goal to put the Comets ahead 6-5 4:36 into the fourth. The Ambush managed to find the equalizer just over a minute later, then the go-ahead goal to take their first lead of the game at 7-6 with 4:07 remaining.

With the Comets’ chances dwindling, they took an even greater hit when captain Nacho Flores was sent to the penalty box for tripping. With the clock ticking under five seconds left, Robert Palmer played a dangerous ball off the boards. Sousa showed his determination to reach around the defender and touch it into the far corner to score a short-handed goal, completing his hat trick with 3.7 seconds left, but more importantly to tie the game at 7-7 and force overtime.

The Comets clinched the overtime victory when Zach Reget stepped forward in overtime. With a restart in the corner, Flores set up Reget, who teed it up and blasted it low to the far corner to score the golden goal as the Comets took the 8-7 overtime win.

The Comets penalty kill team came up big again, killing off all three fourth-quarter penalties. Since losing to St. Louis on February 4, the Comets have killed 10 of 11 penalties across the past six games.

“With how many penalties we had, we should have lost that game,” said Comets head coach Stefan Stokic. “The boys came up and were not going to lose this game.”

“Our penalty kills lately have been unbelievable. We haven’t gotten scored on many power plays. It’s been amazing, kept us in games and won games for us. To be a championship team, you have to have special teams winning you games and we have had that recently.”

The Comets dropped a point in the overtime victory but picked up two valuable points. They now sit fourth in the East with 36 points with three games remaining, 13 points ahead of Baltimore, who has nine games remaining.

The Comets are back with a huge matchup next Sunday, March 10, when they host Utica City FC. Tickets are available at www.kccomets.com/tickets.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st – STL W Eskay 0:11; KC Acosta 1:56; KC Sousa (Anderaos) 2:06; KC Flores (Reget) 11:42. Penalties – None.

2nd – KC Marques (Flores) 6:18; KC Sousa 13:44; STL W Eskay 14:44. Penalties – None.

3rd – STL Schmermund 9:34; STL J Eskay (Funk) 10:08; STL W Eskay (Funk) 13:13. Penalties — STL Eligwe (yc- dissent) 4:31.

4th – KC Hollimon (Marques) 4:36; STL Austin (Eligwe) 5:49; STL Eskay 10:54; KC Sousa (RoPalmer) 14:57. Penalties – KC Lee (bc- boarding) 2:07; KC Lee (yc- dissent) 2:07; KC Garza (bc- holding) 6:42. KC Flores (bc- holding) 13:06.

4th – KC Hollimon (Marques) 4:36; STL Austin (Eligwe) 5:49; STL Eskay 10:54; KC Sousa (RoPalmer) 14:57. Penalties – KC Lee (bc- boarding) 2:07; KC Lee (yc- dissent) 2:07; KC Garza (bc- holding) 6:42. KC Flores (bc- holding) 13:06.

OT – KC Reget (Flores) 0:57. Penalties – None.

Power Play – Comets 0/0, St. Louis 0/3

Penalty Minutes – Comets 11, St. Louis 5

Fouls – Comets 24, St. Louis 12

Shots – Comets 38, St. Louis 37

Attendance – 5,126