Thursday, January 31, 2013

Comets Heading Down Home Stretch

Last weekend saw the Comets end a long home winning streak for Baltimore, MD and then 15 hours later, lose a tough game in front of over 10,000 fans in Rochester, NY. This weekend doesn't get any easier for them as they head down the stretch towards the playoffs. Friday night, Missouri faces the Rochester Lancers at home for the third time in four games. Then they turn around and head to Milwaukee for a crucial match against the league leading Wave.
The Comets have played to both extremes against the Rochester Lancers. Leo Gibson set a new MISL record with 16 points as he led the team to a 30-17 victory in Independence on January 19th, but the team fell behind 15-0 in Rochester last Sunday and eventually lost 17-8.
Only 15 hours elapsed between a hard fought victory in Baltimore last Saturday evening and the kickoff 350 miles away on Sunday afternoon in Rochester. With no travel involved and the return of leading scorer, Byron Alvarez, this should be a much different game than what was played last weekend. Leo Gibson, originally just filling in for the injured/suspended Alvarez, has scored 30 points over the last four games and found a permanent position on the Comets front line. Combined with Alvarez's 60 points, Missouri hopes to take full advantage of their offense and overpower the Lancers defense.
The team travels to Wisconsin on Saturday to take on the Milwaukee Wave. Including playoffs, the Comets have faced the Wave more than any other team in the MISL. Although Milwaukee has a better overall record, the teams have been evenly matched recently. They have played each other twice this season with the home team winning each match. The Wave are currently on top of the league table with a 15-2 record, but seven of their games have been decided by two points or less, including two overtime games.
Friday night's game at the Independence Events Center is the return of the World-Famous Mascot Game. Calvin the Comets Canine, KC Wolf, Sluggerrr, and over 35 other mascots will play an exciting and hilarious soccer exhibition at halftime. Kickoff is at 7:35pm.

February 1 Weekend Preview

We kick off a new month this weekend with plenty of things to do. On the movie front we have three movies being released. First off there is the Sylvester Stallone revenge flick Bullet to the Head. Its the story of a New Orleans hitman (Stallone) and a DC cop (Kang) who form an alliance to bring down the killers of their respective partners. Next up is Stand Up Guys starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken & Alan Arkin. In this action comedy the three are retired gangsters who reunite for one epic last night. Lastly there is Warm Bodies. If you liked the Zomromcom Shaun Of The Dead you might like this movie. It is a comedic tale about the power of human connection. When the zombie R saves Julie from a zombie attack she sees that R is different from the other zombies and the two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival.
Also, on friday is the monthly First Friday in the Crossroads District. Enjoy a free evening of art entertainment where people gather to enjoy local and national art, the company of others, and even a free glass of wine.
For plenty of other things to do checkout our friends at Explore Kansas City.
As far as sports go you have a great weekend of family friendly promotions going on at the Independence Events Center. On friday the Comets take on the Rochester Lancers at 7:35pm. It is also the return of the World Famous Mascot Game! See Calvin the Comets Canine, KC Wolf, Sluggerr, Sizzle and all their friends in an epic soccer battle at halftime. You won't want to miss any of it!
On Saturday the Mavericks take on the Quad City Mallards. The first 2,500 fans will get a Mac Build-A-Bear courtesy of Santa Fe Glass.
The Missouri Rhythm will also be in action on Saturday. As of this writing the opponent and venue are to be determined so checkout the website for more information.
UMKC heads to South Dakota State on Saturday to battle the Jackrabbits at 4:00PM. Check your local listings because the game will be on Fox College Sports.
The Topeka RoadRunners host a two game set against the Corpus Christi Ice Rays. 
Enjoy the weekend!

UMKC Starts Three-Game Road Swing At North Dakota State

The 'Roos play the first of three consecutive road games on Thursday, starting with second place North Dakota State. The 'Roos have won two of their last three games on the road in conference play, while NDSU comes in after losing their last two games on the road.
It will be the 14th meeting between the 'Roos and Bison, with NDSU holding a 9-4 lead in the series. Bison won 63-44 in Kansas City on Jan. 5. They have split the season series in each of the last three seasons. At Fargo, Kansas City is 1-5 against NDSU, winning only in 2010 by a 58-56 score.
North Dakota State comes in with a 16-5 overall record (ranked No. 17 in the Mid-Major Top 25) and a 7-2 record in conference play. The Bison have lost their last two games against the other two top teams in the league on the road (SDSU, WIU).
They were led by junior guard Taylor Braun, who is fourth in the league in scoring at 15.2 points per game, but he was injured and has not played the last three games. He also pulls down 5.1 rebounds and has 50 assists. Forward Marshall Bjorklund scores 12.3 points on a national-best .710 percent shooting, and a team-best 5.9 boards a game. Lawrence Alexander is averaging 10.3 points and has a team-best 82 assists.
As a team the Bison lead the conference in scoring margin at +12.3 points per game, and hold opponents to a league best 38 percent shooting. The Bison also hold opponents to only 56.8 points a game.
UMKC has won 2-of-3 games on the road in league play. It was the first time the 'Roos have done that since January 27-February 5 of 2011.
Conversely, the 'Roos have lost nine in a row at home, four of which have been league games. In those games, UMKC is allowing opponents to shoot .502 from the field, while hitting .423 on offense. The 'Roos also posted an 87-to-121 assist to turnover ratio, while opponents are at 136-to-105.
The 'Roos have allowed their last five conference opponents to shoot at least 48 percent from the floor. Offensively, UMKC has shot at least 48 percent in three of its last four league games.
A bright spot from Saturday’s loss was Brad Reid. The senior center earned his first career start on Saturday vs. Omaha, and responded with a career night, logging his first ever double-double with 12 points and a career-high 13 boards.
Kansas City will continue to lean on two players for their scoring. In the last five games, Estan Tyler (16.2) and Thomas Staton (13.0) are averaging in double-figure points.
UMKC will next head to South Dakota State Saturday for a 4:05 p.m. contest that will be televised nationally on Fox College Sports.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Boulevard Brewing Signs On With Sporting Kansas City

Major League Soccer (MLS) side Sporting Kansas City has entered into a new sponsorship agreement with Boulevard Brewing Company.
The local brewery becomes the official craft beer sponsor of the team for a five-year period, expanding on a previously informal partnership between the two Kansas City organisations.
As part of its commitment, Boulevard will title sponsor the Boulevard Members' Club at Kansas City’s Sporting Park. No financial terms were released.
"The synergy between our two brands has been incredible, so we're obviously thrilled to continue the partnership in an even bigger way," said Andy Tretiak, the clubs’s chief marketing officer. "We're already working on some cool new programmes for the upcoming season."
Boulevard's director of marketing Jeremy Ragonese added: "This has been in the works for a long time. Our mutual fans have been outspoken in their support for an alliance between Boulevard and Sporting KC, and their passion for our brands makes this a natural fit."

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Chicago Wolves Recall Miller, Corbeil; Mavs Place Ortmeyer & Testwuide On Suspension

The Missouri Mavericks announced Tuesday that goaltender Mathieu Corbeil and forward Kenton Miller have both been recalled to the Mavericks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Missouri also announced forward Jed Ortmeyer and defenseman J.P. Testwuide have both been place on team suspension.
Corbeil and Miller both returned for one game and played in the Mavericks 5-0 win over the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night. Corbeil stopped all 24 shots he faced and earned his first professional shutout and Miller scored a power play goal.
Ortmeyer and Testwuide were each placed on team suspension as they are both pursuing other options.
The Mavericks head to Tulsa for a game at BOK Center on Friday, February 1. Missouri is back on home ice on Saturday, February 2 against the Quad City Mallards. The first 2,500 fans will received a Mac Build-A-Bear courtesy of Santa Fe Glass.

United Makes Ultimate Save For Comets

Only hours after seeing his club hand the Baltimore Blast their first defeat at the 1st Mariner Arena, Missouri Comets President Brian Budzinski was with his players and coaches on a plane, set to head to Rochester for the second game of their weekend doubleheader in the northeast.
Then, the flight crew asked all aboard to disembark.
“We were sitting on the plane, and they couldn’t get it to reboot, and so they took everybody off the plane, and rescheduled everybody,” Budzinski said by phone.
It wasn’t an ideal situation. Sitting in Baltimore’s airport at just after 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, the Comets needed to be in Rochester, N.Y. for a 1 p.m. kickoff later that day, and Budzinski and the United Airlines staff started working on a plan to get them to the game on time.
“I say to the lady that’s working on it, the agent, ‘I think at this point I’d just feel more comfortable renting vehicles and driving up there. It’s six hours, we can guarantee that we can get there’,” Budzinski said. “We had checked the weather and everything, we knew we weren’t going to have any obstacles, and we had just rented four vehicles, so we were fine. And she said, ‘I guarantee you we can get you on this flight at 8:10, we’ll pay for your transportation down to D.C., I’ll book it myself, and we’ll hold the plane for you’.”
It was Budzinski’s first trip with the team this season. A keen observer of how other MISL teams operate, he was ready to make his first trip to Rochester to see if he could learn anything from the Lancers’ staff, or pass on anything to them to help continue to strengthen the MISL.
Now he and his team were sat in a minivan headed south to Washington’s Dulles airport, expecting to get on a flight. Things were going smoothly; the security gate had been alerted to the team’s situation, and their passage toward the gate was expedited. The Comets players had already pulled their uniforms from the team’s equipment bags and stashed them in their carry-on luggage, and they quickly made their way down the one-mile strip to get to their boarding gate.
They arrived, just in time to find that the plane had left without them.
“Obviously, some choice words started there, and some major concerns, because now it’s 8:25, 8:30, and driving is not an option at this point,” Budzinski said. “In six hours, we won’t get there at game time.”
Budzinski’s nerves were not helped when he began exchanging text messages with Lancers owner Sam Fantauzzo. With Rochester hosting an appreciation day for First Responders, a big crowd was expected at Blue Cross Arena, putting even more pressure on for the Comets to get to the game on time.
“[Sam] tells me ‘Brian, we’re going to have a crowd of 10,000 people today’,” Budzinski said. “And my stomach turns at that point, because this is a really big deal. We have to get there.”
Meanwhile, the players are doing what they can to stay focused. Some are looking to try and help find flights, while United had six employees calling other airlines to see if there were any openings to Rochester. Kim Roentved and his staff and captains were trying to work out who would go on which flight if the team needed to be split up.
And then, something remarkable happened.
“All of a sudden a guy comes around from the back,” Budzinski said. “[He] says, ‘we’ve got a private plane for you guys. It’s going to leave at 10:15, I’m going to personally walk you down to where it’s at, and I’m not going to leave until the door’s shut, and United is going to send you non-stop, just you guys, to Rochester’.”
Soon enough the Comets’ staff and players were on a private jet that had been commandeered by United, and in the air.
“Honestly, spirits were very high with the guys. They were excited, they wanted to play the game and they wanted to play it on time,” Budzinski said. “The spirit in the cabin wasn’t quite jubilation, but there was a lot of positive energy, and guys were really looking forward to getting to Rochester and finally playing the game.”
Less than an hour later, they were in New York State, where two limo-vans were waiting to whisk them to the arena in time for kickoff. With all of the team’s equipment still in Baltimore, waiting for a flight of its own, the Lancers trainers helped the Comets with their pregame routines, taping ankles and giving massages, and after the pregame festivities pushed kickoff back slightly, more than 10,000 fans got to enjoy the game.
Understandably given the circumstances, the Comets were not at their best, and the Lancers took an important victory to keep their playoff hopes firmly alive. But for Budzinski, that the Comets made it, in a large part because of the desire by United to make sure everything was put right, meant a lot.
“For us, with the way the world is now,” Budzinski said, “where people can brush off responsibilities and personal interests and accountability and that kind of stuff can kind of be pushed to the side, United went above and beyond anybody’s expectations and made sure the game was played on time, and quite frankly that a community in Rochester had the ability to go to its game and the events that were associated with it.
“United really went out of their way to take care of us, and the city of Rochester.”

Monday, January 28, 2013

Comets Split Weekend

Only fifteen hours after an impressive victory over the Blast in Baltimore, the Comets were humbled by the Rochester Lancers. Rookies Robert Palmer and Ramone Palmer each had a goal along with veteran defender Ryan Junge and captain Vahid Assadpour, but that's all that Missouri could muster as they fall 17-8 in front of over 10,000 fans in Rochester's Blue Cross Arena.
Last week's matchup between these two teams saw the Comets scoring early and often. In a complete reversal of the script, the Lancers' Alan McGreal scored the first goal a little over two minutes into the game. The sluggish start continued for the Comets as Rochester's Doug Miller knocked in four straight goals. Before the half was over, Missouri was down 15-0.
The team showed a little more life in the second half as they pushed the pressure to try and force some scoring. Ramone Palmer broke the shutout with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter, but forward Mauricio Salles answered right back to keep the Lancers ahead 17-2. Assadpour, Robert Palmer and Ryan Junge each had tallies in the final quarter. Robert Palmer's was his first in the MISL. Ultimately, the Lancers defended well when they needed to and held on for the 17-8 victory.
The Comets return home to the Independence Events Center February 1st at 7:35pm to take on the Rochester Lancers again. Fans can enjoy the World Famous Mascot Game, featuring Calvin the Comets Mascot, KC Wolf, Sluggerr and all their friends, playing soccer at halftime.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Topeka RoadRunners Fall To Amarillo 2-1

Having lost playing a hard fought and disciplined game on Friday, Amarillo reverted to the team we all know and love in their 2-1 win over Topeka.
With five players in the penalty box (three Runners, two Bulls) at 11:53 in the first, Ryan Cole scored on the power play to give Amarillo a 1-0 lead. The first period saw 63 combined penalty minutes. The game amassed a total 93 penalty minutes and one ejection on a phantom Obscene Gesture call.
A scoreless second gave way to a busy third. Clint Carlisle wasted no time in extending the Bulls lead to two with his unassisted goal at :17. Brandon Brossoit gave the Runners a glimmer of hope with his netter at 4:16. Amarillo fought off two RoadRunner power plays before capitalizing on an empty net in the final minutes to seal a 3-1 victory.
The loss ends Topeka’s three game winning streak and drops them to 10 points behind the division leading Texas Tornado. The RoadRunners look to get back on the winning track next weekend against the Corpus Christi Ice Rays.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Mavericks Blank Oilers, 5-0

The Missouri Mavericks shut out the Tulsa Oilers 5-0 Saturday night in front of the eighth consecutive sellout crowd of 5,800 fans at Independence Event Center.  John-Scott Dickson tallied three points on the night with two goals and an assist.  Sebastien Thinel earned two points with a pair of assists.  Mavericks’ goaltender Mathieu Corbeil stopped all 24 shots he faced for the shutout win.  Missouri scored a pair of power play goals in the win and ended a three-game scoreless drought on the man advantage.
The Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in the first period and controlled the play throughout the opening 20 minutes.  Dickson scored the first of his two goals on the power play at the 11:58 mark.  Missouri took a two-goal lead when Trevor Kell beat Oilers’ netminder Shane Madolora with a wrist shot from the right circle.  The Mavericks outshot the Oilers 15-4 in the period.
Missouri extended the lead to 5-0 through two periods.  Kenton Miller, fresh from being reassigned by the Chicago Wolves, scored the Mavericks second power play goal of the game at the 8:52 mark.  Dickson made it 4-0 when he shelved a wrist shot at 14:46 for his 15th goal of the season. The period closed with a goal from Brandon Smith with assists from Dickson and Thinel.
In the final period of the game the Oilers were unable to get any of their shots passed Corbeil, even with two power play opportunities.
The Mavericks outshot the Oilers 46-to-24. The Mavericks converted on two of their three power play opportunities, while the Oilers went 0-for-2
The Mavericks next game has them heading to Tulsa for a rematch on Friday, February 1.  Missouri is back on home ice on Saturday, February 2 against the Quad City Mallards. 

Comets Get Big Win in Baltimore

The Comets made a statement with last week's 30-17 win over Rochester, and hoped to make some more noise against the Baltimore Blast tonight. Playing in 1st Mariner Arena, where the Blast had an 18 game winning streak dating back to last season, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Coady Andrews scored less than two minutes into the game and Leo Gibson turned in another hat trick performance (7 points overall) as the Comets won their second in a row, 14-11.
For the second straight game the Comets were without their leading scorer, Byron Alvarez, forcing Leo Gibson into the forward lines again. An injury to Stefan Stokic in practice this week left them short on the defensive end as well. Captain Vahid Assadpour stepped up to the challenge and along with Cristiano, Brian Harris and Ryan Junge held the Baltimore Blast to under 12 points at home for only the third time this season.
Coady Andrews once again got the Comets off to a great start with a goal less than two minutes into the game. Leo Gibson followed up with another goal of his own exactly five minutes later. Baltimore picked up after that and the action was fast as both teams were going end to end. Ptah Myers and Lucas Roque were able to tie it up for the Blast before the quarter ended.
The action didn't stop in the second quarter, but the defense picked up for both teams. The only goal of the quarter came off Missouri's Milan Ivanovic into his own net after Lucio Gonzaga took a restart outside the arc and tried to cut it across the box. As the teams went into the locker room, the Comets were down 7-4, but fans in the arena knew this was far from over.
Mike Lookingland opened the second half scoring in the sixth minute of the third quarter giving the Blast a 9-4 lead, a lead that Baltimore might have thought was insurmountable based on their previous performance against the Comets, particularly at home. John Sosa hit a rocket from the right side to climb the Comets back into the game. Less than two minutes later the 5'6" Gibson jumped over the 5'11" Vanzela for a header goal. Suddenly only down 8-9 the Comets had new life. Tino Nunez extended the Baltimore lead to 11-8 with a goal late in the quarter, but Gibson answered by closing out his third straight hat trick moments later. After three periods the Comets were hanging in there, down 11-10.
As the third quarter opened, the Comets poured on the pressure. Defender Brian Harris showed off his speed by blazing past the Blast defense on the left side and finding Stefan St. Louis for wide open in the middle for the go-ahead goal. Gibson then chipped in an assist four minutes later feeding Cristiano for the Comets 14-11 lead.
Despite adding the sixth attacker in the final three minutes of the game, the Blast could not crack the suddenly stellar Comets defense. In winning this game 14-11 the Comets scored more points than Baltimore has allowed to any team this season, snapped their own seven game road winning streak, and ended Baltimore's 18 game home winning streak. Current MISL Player of the Week, Leo Gibson, did his best to retain that title scoring three goals and an assist. With his seven points he now has 29 points in the last three games, the highest output of anyone in the league over that time span.
The Comets don't have time to celebrate though as they face the Rochester Lancers tomorrow night in Rochester at 12pm CDT. Fans can join the Comets Nation Watch Party at Coach's or watch on Metro Sports or online at MISLNation.com.

UNO Rally In Second Period To Knock Off 'Roos, 67-59

UMKC took an 11-point lead into the half, but Omaha rallied and outscored the 'Roos 37-18 in the final stanza to sweep the season series, 67-59 on Saturday night.
The 'Roos (6-16, 3-6 SL) looked unstoppable in the first half on offense, scoring 41 points and getting 34 of those in the paint. It was the most points in the paint in a half all season, while tallying 14 off eight offensive boards. Omaha (7-16, 4-6 SL) was also forced into 12 turnovers in the period.
Kansas City scored the first six points of the half and never trailed in the opening period. Omaha tied the game at 14 with 12:20 on the clock, but the 'Roos went on a 6-0 run sparked by a layup from senior Brad Reid. UMKC led by six with 5:15 to play in the half, and extended it with an 8-1 run to its biggest advantage of the night at 13 with 3:21 left. The 'Roos went into the half up 41-30.
Reid had a career half, putting up a season-high 10 points and a career-best 10 rebounds. Thomas Staton added eight first period points. Justin Simmons led the Mavs with 11 points. The 'Roos led in nearly every statistical category at the break.
The second half was a different story though. Omaha held UMKC to only 18 points, with only 12 in the paint, and turned 12 turnovers into 15 Maverick points.
UNO started chipping away at the lead with about 16 minutes to play. It used a 10-2 run to cut the lead to only one with 11:58 on the clock. It held Kansas City scoreless for more than seven minutes and took the lead with 10 minutes on the clock. After a couple lead changes around the eight minute mark, Omaha took the advantage for good on a bucket by Simmons with 6:22 to play.
The Mavs got up by six with less than three minutes left, and then sealed it at the free throw line down the stretch after late turnovers from the 'Roos. It was the ninth straight home loss for Kansas City, the longest since 1988.
Reid and Staton each finished the night with 12 points for UMKC, while Reid tallied 13 boards. He became only the second 'Roo to record a double-double this season (Fred Chatmon being the other). Kansas City was held to 29.2 percent shooting the final half while UNO hit 50 percent. Simmons led the Mavs with 21 points, putting his average at 23.5 per game against UMKC this season.
The 'Roos will head to North Dakota State on Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. tip in Fargo.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Comets Add Depth For Playoff Push

The Missouri Comets announced the addition of Jeff Hughes to the active roster today.  Last season was his first in the Major Indoor Soccer League.  Playing on the Syracuse Silver Knights’ defensive line for most of the season, he was still an offensive threat.  His 53 points put him at the top of the leaderboard among defenders and his 21 goals ranked him ninth among all scorers.
Hughes grew up in northern Kentucky and was voted the 2001 Northern Kentucky High School Player of the year.  He played collegiately for Western Michigan University his freshman year, before transferring to the University of Cincinnati the following year.  He left the collegiate ranks to play for German Second Division club, 1860 Munchen.  He returned home to Cincinnati in 2005 to play for the United Soccer League’s Cincinnati Kings.
Hughes recently moved to the Kansas City area after his long-time girlfriend and current fiancée began working for Sporting Kansas City.  The decision to sign him to the active roster was made after defender Stefan Stokic suffered a knee injury earlier this week.
Team President Brian Budzinski likes what he sees in his new midfielder, “(Jeff) Hughes is a dynamic player with great speed.  He’s proven he can do it in the MISL last year playing for Tommy (Tanner) in Syracuse.”
For his part, Hughes feels he can help take the Comets to the next level, “I feel I’m a two-way player that can bring a great intensity to every game and after getting to know these players over the past two seasons I feel I can mix right in.”  He added, “I’m looking forward to joining the team as we push, not just to the playoffs, but to a (MISL) championship.”
Hughes will join the Comets on their road trip to Baltimore and Rochester this weekend.  The Comets return home on February 1st at 7:35pm to once again face Rochester.  Fans will also be able to enjoy the World-Famous Mascot Game, featuring Calvin the Comets Canine and all of his friends, at halftime.

Mavericks Lose Second Straight, 4-1 To Denver

The Missouri Mavericks were defeated by the Denver Cutthroats, 4-1, Friday night at Independence Event Center. Troy Schwab led the Cutthroats to the win with three points on two assists and a goal. Luke Fulghum was also a team leader with a pair of goals. Denver goaltender, Kieran Millan, stopped 36 of 37 shots for the win, while Missouri goaltender Mike Clemente saved 21 of 24 shots. Ryan Jardine tallied his eighth goal of the season for Missouri’s only goal of the night.
Denver claimed an early lead, scoring two power play goals, the first by Ben Wilson and the second by Luke Fulghum, both assisted by Schwab. Denver outshot the Mavericks 15-3 in the first period.
In the second period, Jardine snuck a shot behind Denver’s goaltender Kieran Millan on a nice individual effort, but Schwab quickly countered with his third point, and first goal of the game.  He regained the two-goal lead for the Cutthroats and they never looked back.
In the final period, Missouri out shot Denver 20-4, but was unable to convert on any of the attempts. Fulghum scored Denver’s final goal in an empty net, to finalize the scoring at 4-1.  The win secured fourth place alone in the CHL standings for the Cutthroats.
Missouri outshot Denver in the second and third periods 34-10. Both teams had six power play attempts, Denver finishing the night 2-for-6, while the Mavericks were 0-for- 6.
The Mavericks will host the Tulsa Oilers tomorrow night in the team’s annual Pink in the Rink night. 

Topeka RoadRunners Outlast Amarillo Bulls 1-0

As they enter the final stretch of the season, every game takes on greater significance. And with the South Division leading Bulls in town, the RoadRunners couldn’t have picked a better time to break out of their midseason lull.
Friday night was less like World War III (see the last series in Amarillo) and more like an actual hockey game. In fact, there was not a single fight in the entire contest and only 11 total penalties. Both defenses played up in the first period resulting in only seven combined shots (five for Amarillo and two for Topeka) and no goals going into the second.
In the second period, while fighting off an Amarillo power play, Sean Gaffney and Brandon Brossoit found a seam down the center of the ice and broke out. Screaming towards the goal, Brossoit fed Gaffney who found room between Paul Berrafato’s glove and the left post to put the RoadRunners ahead 1-0.
That would be the game winner but holding the Bulls off was anything but easy. The final two minutes of the game were a barrage of shots by Amarillo as they relentlessly pressed the puck in the RoadRunners zone.
“That was a real, hard working team effort tonight,” said Head Coach Scott Langer. “Particularly on defense, the way we were able to turn back all those shots at the end to hold down a 1-0 lead. That’s hard to do in this league.”
Spencer Viele had a huge game between the pipes for Topeka, stopping all 22 shots on goal in what was a return to form for the RoadRunners standout goaltender. It was Viele’s second shutout of the season.
The RoadRunners have a chance to maintain their momentum tomorrow during Youth Hockey Night at Landon Arena. While they celebrate the continued growth of youth hockey in Topeka, the RoadRunners will be holding a silent auction for a team-autographed jersey during the game and then auctioning off the players’ Tenth Anniversary game jerseys after the final horn. For more information on the jersey auctions and tickets, call 785-286-PUCK or visit the Expocentre Box Office.

'Roos Host Mavericks In Coaches Vs. Cancer Game Saturday

The 'Roos start the second half of conference play on Saturday as Omaha comes to town for a 5:15 contest. The Mavericks knocked off UMKC last time the two met in late December, but both squads are coming off road wins in league play entering the night.
It will be the second time UMKC has faced the Mavericks in Kansas City, and second as a member of the Summit League. Earlier this season in Omaha, UNO grabbed a 77-65 win.
Last season they met for the first time as Division I schools, with Kansas City taking the game at home by a 77-74 score. This will be only the third meeting between the two schools in the Division I ranks.
Omaha is 6-16 overall and 3-6 in the Summit league after knocking off South Dakota on the road Thursday. UNO is in its second year as a Division I school after transitioning from D-II.
The Mavericks are led by Justin Simmons with 15.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, while forward John Karhoff has posted 12.0 points per outing. They are led in rebounding by Alex Welhouse at 4.8 per contest.
As a team the Mavs allow 83.4 points per game and .491 shooting percentage. They also have a -7.9 rebound margin and -2.5 turnover margin. Offensively they score 70.2 points a game and shoot 46.3 percent.
In Tuesday night’s loss to Houston Baptist, Fred Chatmon pulled in a career-best 17 rebounds and recorded his third double-double of the season. His 17 boards were the most for a 'Roo since Spencer Johnson recorded 18 vs. Western Illinois on January 22, 2011. Chatmon has now recorded double-digit rebounds in his last two games, moving his total to five  this year. The Junior forward is the only player on the team to have one this season, and one of two to have one in his career here (Trinity Hall being the other).
As mentioned in previous articles the 'Roos are lead by the trio of Chatmon, Estan Tyler and Thomas Staton, but have started to receive support from Hall recently as he returns from his injury.
As UMKC’s offense has started to get hot its defense has cooled off. In the last five games the 'Roos have shot .498, but have allowed opponents to shoot .531 percent during that stretch.
Kansas City next heads to North Dakota State on Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. contest with the league-leading Bison.

Kansas City Renegades Holding Dance Team Tryouts This Sunday


The Kansas City Renegades will be holding tryouts for the 2013 Dance Team on Sunday, Jan. 27, at Club 7 Fitness, located at 1241 SW 7 Highway in Blue Springs, MO.
9 a.m.: Registration begins
10:00-11:30am: Candidates learn sideline routines and perform a kick line.  
Noon: Preliminary competition begins
3:30pm: final routines being performed in small groups.
5:30pm: The 2013 dance squad will be selected and announced.
The Kansas City Renegades kick off the indoor football season on Sunday, March 17, at 2:05 in Kemper Arena.

Comets Makes Northeast Trip

Following a record-setting performance last Saturday night, Leo Gibson and the Missouri Comets set out for a weekend trip to face the Baltimore Blast and the Rochester Lancers. The team has not had much luck lately on the road, but is hitting its stride as the playoff race heats up.
On Saturday evening the Comets return to 1st Mariner Arena for a 6:35pm CT kickoff against the Baltimore Blast. In their last meeting, also in Baltimore, the Blast jumped to a 15-0 lead in the first three quarters before falling into a defensive shell in the final quarter. The Comets were able to get on the score board with four different players scoring goals, but it was not enough and they fell 15-9.
Baltimore is returning home for the first time in four games. They currently have a record of 14-4, with all four losses occurring on the road. The Comets defense will look to clamp down on Baltimore’s Lucio Gonzaga and Machel Millwood, both of whom have had success in recent games against Missouri. If Head Coach Kim Roentved keeps Leo Gibson in a forward position, look for the Comets to feed him and let his creativity take over. Stefan St. Louis will be returning from injury and will be able to compliment Gibson’s finesse, with his strong powerful attack.
On Sunday, the Comets face the Rochester Lancers in an early Midday CT matchup. In their last matchup, a total of 47 points were put on the board, a MISL-record was broken for most points scored in a game by a single player, a new record for most 3-point goals scored at home was established with four by the Comets and the fans saw 21 goals on the way to a 30-17 Comets victory.
Offensively the Comets should be very confident heading into the match against the Lancers. The 30 points scored is the highest offensive output for the Comets since they scored 33 against the Syracuse Silver Knights last season. The fact they did this without leading scorer Byron Alvarez is even more encouraging. Defensively, the Comets found a way to limit the Lancers’ leading scorer, Doug Miller in that game. They need to continue their containment of the 44-year-old while keeping an eye on his teammate Mauricio Salles, who is steadily climbing the league’s scoring table.
The Comets return home on February 1st at 7:35pm to once again face Rochester. Fans will also be able to enjoy the World-Famous Mascot game, featuring Calvin the Comets Canine and all of his friends, at halftime.

Mavericks Add NHL Veteran Jed Ortmeyer And Defenseman J.P. Testwuide

The Missouri Mavericks announced Friday the Central Hockey League (CHL) team has signed forward Jed Ortmeyer and defenseman J.P. Testwuide. Both players are expected to be in the Mavericks lineup tonight when the team hosts the Denver Cutthroats at Independence Events Center.
“The timing of adding these quality, high-level players to our depleted line-up could not be better,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman. “Both Jed and J.P. are professionals that will lead by example and help our younger players understand the mental and physical approach it takes to play at the next level.  Both players will add grit and depth to our line-up.”
Ortmeyer, 34 (9/3/78), is a veteran of 345 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and most recently played in 35 games with the Minnesota Wild last season. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound forward has 53 points (22-31=53) and 161 penalty minutes in stints with four different NHL clubs (New York Rangers, Nashville, San Jose, Minnesota).
The Omaha, Nebraska native has split time between the American Hockey League (AHL) and NHL throughout his 10-year career and he has 154 points (58-96=154) in 576 games played.
Ortmeyer attended the University of Michigan and skated in 145 career games with the Wolverines collecting 117 points (51-66=117) over the course of four seasons (1999-2003).
“Being able to add two players of their caliber mid-season is a huge statement about this organization and our fans,” said Mavericks’ President and General Manager Brent Thiessen. “We have had a recent run of injuries and we couldn’t be happier to welcome them to our line-up. Our fans will see two very talented players at the IEC this weekend.”
Testwuide, 28 (11/5/84), played the previous three seasons in the AHL with four separate teams and he added four games with the Mavericks last season. The fourth-year pro has played in a total of 153 professional games and has 16 points (3-13=16) and 203 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 203-pound defenseman has also played in 21 playoff games in the AHL where he accounted for a goal and an assist and 16 penalty minutes.
A native of Vail, Colorado, Testwuide spent four years at the University of Denver before turning pro. With the Pioneers, he recorded 23 assists, 28 points and 282 penalty minutes in 144 games from 2005 to 2009.
The Mavericks take on the Denver Cutthroats tonight at Independence Events Center. Missouri will host the Tulsa Oilers in the team’s annual Pink in the Rink night on Saturday.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Mavericks Will Add Canada To Travel Schedule Next Season

The Central Hockey League announced today that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with a group that will bring a Central Hockey League expansion franchise to Brampton, Ontario for the 2013-14 season.
The Brampton franchise would mark the 12th team slated to play in the League in the 2013-14 season joining the St. Charles Chill as expansion clubs.
"It is very exciting to make this announcement," said Duane Lewis, Central Hockey League Commissioner. "I grew up in this area and know firsthand what a positive addition this market will be to our current roster of teams. Our hope is to expand further in the future in the Southern Ontario area."
The Brampton Franchise will be in strong hands both from a hockey and business perspective.
The team will be led by Kingston entrepreneur, owner of Kimco Steel, and former owner of the Kingston Voyageurs, Gregg Rosen, who will be Owner of the Team; and Cary Kaplan, president of the sports marketing firm, Cosmos Sports and former president of the Hamilton Bulldogs, who will assume the role of President & Governor of the team.
"I am very excited and honored to be working with the Central Hockey League, to bring professional hockey to the City and the people of Brampton; as the first Canadian team in league history," said Rosen. "We believe that Brampton is a great hockey market. Cary and I are committed to providing great entertainment, winning hockey and community leadership to the City and being a successful and vibrant Central Hockey League franchise for many years."
Both the Central Hockey League and the potential ownership group have been working towards finalizing the agreement and completing all legal documents. The team name, the ownership group and other important team details will be announced in the near future.
"As you can imagine, there is much that has to be completed and finalized to make this historic step to Canada for the Central Hockey League," said Lewis. "We have been working diligently to complete everything and the LOI is the next step to putting the new franchise on the Central Hockey League map."

January 25 Weekend Preview

Well, one month is almost done in the year and I hope it is off to a great start for all of you. This weekend caps off Kansas City Restaurant Week so get out and sample what this city has to offer. You can get some ideas of what you can try by clicking here
This weekend three movies open. There is the movie spoof Movie 43, the action/horror flick Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and the revenge film Parker. Out of these three I think Hansel & Gretel looks the most promising.

For more great activities check out our friends at Explore Kansas City. They do an outstanding job of covering KC’s events and activities.
The Comets are on an east coast road trip this weekend. They will play in Baltimore on Saturday and Rochester on Sunday. You can watch the Saturday game on MISLNation while Sunday’s game will be carried by Metro Sports.
The Mavericks are in town for two games this weekend. On Friday they battle the Denver Cutthroats. It is a 4 For 3 night. That is you can buy 3 tickets and get 1 free! But it is only available through Ticketmaster.com. On Saturday they take on the Tulsa Oilers in the annual “Pink In The Rink” game. The first 1,000 women receive a free pink Mavericks ballcap courtesy of Bolero Salon & Spa and Molly Maid. The team will also be wearing special pink jerseys that you will be able to bid on in a postgame auction benefitting Susan G Komen For The Cure.

The Missouri Rhythm are inactive this week but return to action next weekend with a home game.
The UMKC Kangaroos are also in town and will be taking on the UNO Mavericks at Swinney Recreation Center on Saturday evening (5:15 PM). The game will be televised on KSMO CH 62.
The Topeka RoadRunners host a two game series against the Amarillo Bulls. Saturday’s game is Topeka Youth Hockey Night. The youngsters will sing the National Anthem and represented on the ice during the first intermission. Also, the RoadRunners will unveil their 10th Anniversary Specialty Jersey during this weekend’s series against the Amarillo Bulls. The team will wear the jersey (pictured below) during both games and will auction them off at the end of Saturday night’s contest. Additionally, there will be a separate team autographed jersey that will be up for bid in a silent auction beginning Friday night and closing Saturday. The opening bids for both jersey auctions will be $250. For more information on the jersey auction and tickets for this weekend’s games, call 785-286-PUCK or visit the Expocentre Box Office.
The Clown Princes of Basketball are in the area this weekend. The Harlem Globetrotters will be at the Sprint Center for two games this Saturday (2:00 PM & 7:00 PM). The 2013 “You Write the Rules” World Tour takes kid participation to a whole new level. For the first time ever, fans will decide the rules for the game that could affect the final outcome. Vote for your favorite, craziest rule now at www.harlemglobetrotters.com, then see the winning rules implemented live into Globetrotter basketball. After the game, Globetrotter stars remain on court for autographs and photographs with fans.
Before the game, take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience with your family where you get to actually spend time on the court with the Globetrotters – shooting, trying out ball tricks, autographs and photos! The unique 30-minute pre-show, “Magic Pass,” will create memories of a lifetime. Click here for more information.
The crazy cagers will then make the trek to Topeka to perform Sunday afternoon (2:00 PM) at Landon Arena.
 Before I go I also want to mention that next Thursday Alamo Drafthouse will have a special screening of the Dave Grohl Directed documentary “Sound City”. This film features interviews and performances from the iconic musicians who recorded some of rock's greatest albums at the studio, Sound City doesn't just tell the story of this real-life rock 'n' roll shrine, it celebrates the human element of music as Grohl gathers some of rock's biggest artists to collaborate on a new album.