SAVAGE COME FROM BEHIND FOR 6-5 OT WIN AGAINST COMETS
INDEPENDENCE, MO. – The Comets (9-1-1) hosted the Chihuahua Savage (3-5-2) for their first visit in MASL history to Cable Dahmer Arena. The Comets took a two-goal lead into the fourth quarter, but three Savage goals forced the game to overtime where Chihuahua picked up their second road win of the season. 2,678 fans were on hand to support the TAKE Foundation during the Comets' annual Pink Game.
Chihuahua has emerged as one of the more aggressive teams in terms of offensive pressure Kansas City did a solid job keeping the visitor’s shot count down but the Savage were able to open scoring with 8:49 left in the first quarter on a goal by Bryan Macias.
The Comets answered with two first-quarter goals of their own beginning with Lesia Thetsane’s unassisted effort to even the game at 1-1 when he stole the ball, moved to his left, and struck it with his left foot from the side of the arc.
Kansas City took the lead when Chihuahua was whistled for a hand ball setting the Comets up with a penalty kick. John Sosa drove the ball just under the cross-bar to make it a 2-1 lead with 1:31 to go in the opening frame.
Chihuahua drew even with 8:23 to go in the first half on a goal by Hugo Puentes, assisted by Eduardo Garay with the benefit of a quick start that caught the Comets off guard.
Just 10 seconds later, Kansas City went back in front on a marker from Adam James. The first goal of the season by James made it a 3-2 Comets lead which stood for just over four minutes.
The final goal of the first half came when Thetsane fired a pass off the boards to the right of the net and Lucas Sousa drove it into the upper corner for a 4-3 lead the Comets took to the break. Before time ran out in the second, the Comets had a goal disallowed due to a blue card to John Sosa for handling, a play which would end up factoring big in the end.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Chihuahua scored two goals less than two minutes apart, first from Carlos Hernandez, and then Jorge Rios, to make it a 4-4 game with 6:22 to go in regulation.
Three minutes later, Kansas City went in front again on Sosa’s second goal of the game and with 3:22 to play, the Comets led by a 5-4 margin.
The Savage, already with a few overtime games under their belt, forced another on Macias’ second goal of the game. In overtime, it was Rios, whose goal tied the game at 4-4, who connected with Brayan Aguilar for the game-winner.
Lou Misner, in goal for the Comets with Nicolau Neto still recovering from an injury, stopped 14 shots in the losing effort, while Berna Valdovinos recorded 18 saves for the Savage.
Up next for the Comets is a home-and-home series with the Milwaukee Wave which begins in Wisconsin next Friday, before moving to Cable Dahmer Arena on Sunday, February 20 with a 4 pm start time.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st – CUU Macias (Cañez) 6:11; KC Thesane 7:47; KC Sosa 13:29 pk. Penalties – CUU Aguilar (blue- handling) 13:30.
2nd – CUU Puentes (Garay) 6:37; KC James (Sousa) 6:47; KC Sousa (Thetsane) 10:57. Penalties – KC Sosa (blue- handling) 12:07.
3rd – None. Penalties – None.
4th – CUU Hernandez 7:27; CUU Rios (Hernandez) 8:38; KC Sosa 11:38; CUU Macias 13:11. Penalties – CUU Miller (blue-kicking) 0:12.
OT – CUU Aguilar (Rios) 1:23. Penalties – None.
Power Play – Comets 1/2, Chihuahua 0/1
Shots – Comets 32, Chihuahua 26
Attendance – 2,678