FURY AND COMETS GO TO DOUBLE-OT BEFORE ONTARIO WINS 8-7

by Pete Richmire

INDEPENDENCE, MO. – The Comets (2-1) and the Ontario Fury (3-0) battled into a second overtime before Franck Tayou netted his third goal of the game to send Kansas City down 1-0 in their 2021 Ron Newman Cup Semi-Final series. The teams will meet Saturday night at 7:05 pm CT for Game 2 at Cable Dahmer Arena.

Kansas City got off to a fast start as they tallied the first three goals of the game beginning less than a minute into the contest. From outside the top of the arc, Dom Francis launched a 35-foot shot that beat Ontario keeper Claysson De Lima to give the Comets a quick 1-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game.

Lucas Sousa doubled that margin picking up a loose ball and sent it to the back of the net from the left side and Kansas City was up 2-0 with 10:47 left in the 1^st. The Comets third goal was credited to Rian Marques, though it went in off a Fury defender after a scramble near the goal.

Maicon De Abreu snapped the string of Kansas City goals with the first of his two goals in the game and the first quarter ended by the 3-1 score. The Comets went back up by three with 12:24 to go in the half when James Togbah launched a shot that went just wide right. Mike DaSilva was in perfect position to put back the rebound to make it a 4-1 game.

It was the Tayou Brothers who closed out scoring in the opening half. First was Franck Tayou’s first of the game, followed by Uzi Tayou, and they brought the Fury within one at 4-3 as the teams headed to the locker room for half time.

Almost as fast as the Comets scored in the first half, they opened the second with another quick strike. Ramone Palmer sent a hard shot to the right off the board and DaSilva, for the second time in the game, was in the right spot for a rebound goal. The Comets were up 5-3 with 13:59 remaining in the 3^rd.

The teams traded goals in the quarter following DaSilva’s second of the game. De Abreu notched his second for Ontario, as did Kansas City’s Francis and finally Franck Tayou for the Fury to send the game to the 4^th frame with the Comets still up by one at 6-5.

Ontario took their first lead of the game in the 4^th quarter after Charlie Gonzalez and Robert Palmer scored just over two minutes apart to make it a 6-5 Fury advantage with 8:23 left in regulation.

The Comets brought on their sixth attacker just ahead of a re-start at the top of the arc and they converted quickly. Three seconds later, Leo Gibson connected with Sousa to level the game 7-7 and that was how regulation ended.

Neither team could score through the first 10-minute overtime and they set up for another golden-goal extra period. This time, Gonzalez got the ball to Franck Tayou, who completed his hat-trick for the game-winner with 7:22 left in the second overtime.

With the win, the Fury take a 1-0 series lead over the Comets with the next game taking place Saturday night, April 3 at Cable Dahmer Arena. The Comets need to win that game to force a 15-minute mini-game which would take place approximately 30 minutes after Game 2 concludes if they hope to advance to the Ron Newman Cup Finals. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster or by calling (888) 9-COMETS.

SCORING SUMMARY

1^st – KC Francis (Sosa) 0:42; KC Sousa (James) 4:13; KC Marques 7:27; ONT De Abreu (Gonzalez) 10:29. Penalties – None

2^nd– KC DaSilva (Togbah) 2:36; ONT F. Tayou (Gonzalez) 10:55; ONT U. Tayou (Stinson) 13:48. Penalties – None.

3^rd – KC DaSilva (Palmer) 1:01; ONT – De Abreu (Goncalves) 6:48; KC Francis 14:09; ONT F. Tayou (Sesay) 14:48. Penalties – KC Francis yellow card (dissent) 1:18; KC Togbah blue card (two-footed tackle) 3:52.

4^th – ONT Gonzalez 4:33; ONT Palmer (Goncalves) 6:37; KC Sousa (Gibson) 12:28. Penalties – ONT U. Tayou blue card (reckless tackle) 2:21; KC Neto blue card (tripping) 4:32; ONT Gonzalez yellow card (dissent); KC Sosa blue card (two-footed tackle) 14:52.

OT - None. Penalties – None.

2OT – ONT F. Tayou (Gonzalez) 2:41. Penalties – None.

Shots – Kansas City 5-3-7-11-2 (28); Ontario 11-15-11-9-6 (52)

The Comets and Fury take their Semi-Final series to Game 2 on Saturday April 3 at Cable Dahmer Arena. Get your tickets as early as you can by calling (888) 9-COMETS, or through Ticketmaster.