Saturday, February 11, 2017

Comets Win Ninth Straight

The Kansas City Comets extended their winning streak to nine games and have now won 10 of their last 11 games as they came from behind to defeat the Dallas Sidekicks 7-5 in Independence tonight. The Sidekicks came out and immediately put the Comets on the back foot as they almost took the lead inside the first minute but a cross to the back post was skied over the goal from two yards out to keep the game scoreless. The Sidekicks though didn't let up on the pressure and scored three times in the opening period to take a 3-0 lead through the first period, leaving the Comets to regroup in the second quarter.

The Comets upped the pressure in the second quarter, but weren't able to make a dent in the Sidekicks 3-0 lead until late in the quarter. With just under six minute left in the period, Vahid Assadpour raced from the midfield line towards the corner playing a cross into the middle towards Ramone Palmer, it appeared that Palmer may have gotten the slightest of touches and the ball rolled into the far corner putting the Comets on the board at 3-1. The Comets continued their pressure for the rest of the quarter but were unable to cut any further into the Sidekicks lead heading into the half time break.

The Comets came out and continued their pressure looking to cut into the Sidekicks lead. The pressure though allowed space behind them and after a foul the Sidekicks extended the lead to 4-1 early in the third quarter. The Comets responded shortly after on a restart of their own as John Sosa picked out Bryan Perez who fired a shot in to make it 4-2. Before the end of the third the Comets had cut the lead to just one as Assadpour rolled another shot through the box that Robert Palmer caused Juan Gamboa to hesitate coming for the ball waiting for a deflection and it rolled past him into the net to make it 4-3.

Early in the fourth quarter the Comets leveled the game less than four minutes in as some good passing by the Comets eventually saw Stefan Stokic slide a ball to the top of the penalty arc where Assadpour fired a low shot into the net to tie the game at 4-4. The Comets continued their pressure and took their first lead of the game with just over eight and a half minutes left, as Brian Harris blasted a shot from near the yellow line that went just inside the near post to put the Comets on top 5-4. The lead lasted just over a minute though as the Sidekicks came backed and tied the game at 5-5 off a wall pass. Late in the game, with just over three minutes left the Comets scored on the power play as Harris picked out Ramone Palmer in the middle of the box, the Jamaican held off his defender and was able to shoot a ball into the far corner to make it 6-5. The Sidekicks didn't immediately go to the sixth attacker and the Comets shortly after won it back and killed time off the clock playing keep away from the Sidekicks. Dallas got the sixth attacker on with just over a minute left. The high pressure by KC though caused a turnover shortly after the sixth attacker came on as the Comets forced a turnover and after Lucas Rodriguez found Robert Palmer in the middle he played it to Stokic at the far post and his shot hit off the far post and rolled in to make it 7-5 as the Comets held on to win 7-5. The win moves the Comets to 13-4 on the season, two games ahead of the third place Milwaukee Wave with three games to play. The win was the Comets 100th regular season win since the club's rebirth as they sit at 100-47.

Post Game Stats

The Comets earned their 100th league win since the club's re-birth. They reached that milestone in 147 games. 100-47.

Ramone Palmer made his 100th appearance for the Comets in all competitions.

Palmer's first goal was his 50th in all competitions for the Comets.

Palmer's two goals gave him 49 in league play with the Comets, tying him with Geison for 8th all time on that list.

Palmer's two goals gave him 51 in all competitions for the Comets, moving him past Geison and into a tie with Max Touloute for 8th on that list.

Stefan Stokic's goal was his 19th for the Comets, tying him with Andre Braithwaite for 15th all time on that list.

Stokic's goal was his 20th in all competitions for the Comets, tying him with Jamar Beasley for 14th all time on that list.

Stokic's assist was his 21st in all competitions for the Comets, tying him with Alain Matingou for 11th all time on that list.

Brian Harris' assist was his 43rd for the Comets in league play, tying him with Bryan Perez for 6th all time on that list.

Robert Palmer's assist gave him 25 in all competitions for the Comets, tying him with Geison for 9th all time on that list.


Alain Matingou made his 55th appearance in all competitions for the Comets, tying him with Ryan Junge for 14th all time on that list.

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