Comets Take Big Win Against Wings

The Missouri Comets got 2013 off to a strong start, with nine different players recording points as they took a 24-11 victory against the Wichita Wings on Sunday afternoon at the Independence Events Center. Former MISL Most Valuable Player Byron Alvarez led the Comets with his second consecutive four-goal game, and seventh multi-goal game of the season, while Stefan St. Louis scored his first MISL goal and John Sosa added two goals and an assist.

Missouri's Brian Harris started things off for the night only one minute in when his restart from outside the 3-point arc ricocheted off a couple of Wichita defenders and past goalkeeper Sanaldo. The Comets struggled with penalties for the rest of the quarter, with four players spending time in the penalty box. Wichita's Geison Moura took full advantage, and converted two power play opportunities as the Wings and Tiguinho scored from 3-point range as the Wings took a 7-3 lead into the second quarter.

In the second quarter the Comets turned down the penalties and turned up the scoring.  Sosa started the quarter with a goal only 52 seconds in. Stefan Stokic then brought the Comets even, off Sosa's assist, before Geison completed his hat trick to give the Wings a 9-7 lead 3:20 into the quarter. The Comets soon got back on even terms on Sosa's second goal of the game before Alvarez opened his account for the night with 4:20 to play in the half from 3-point range, making it 12-9. St. Louis added to the Comets' lead less than a minute later, making it 14-9 at the break.

The Comets scored twice in 22 seconds early in the third quarter, Alvarez and Harris each netting their second to make it 18-9, before the intensity of the Comets-Wings rivalry boiled over into several on-field skirmishes. It turned for the worse when Wichita's Geison was ejected in the third minute of the third quarter for striking Sosa. The Wings were not able to recover from the loss of their prolific scorer, with Lucas Rodriguez adding to the Comets' lead midway through the third quarter to make it 20-9.

Alvarez then added a pair of goals in the fourth quarter, giving him a nine-point night and bringing him even with the Rochester Lancers' Doug Miller with 25 goals this season. Wichita's Kevin Ten Eyck pulled a goal back between Alvarez's two strikes, but the Wings remained winless at the Independence Events Center since their return to the MISL.

The victory brings the Comets back to .500 on the season. Missouri has a short week to prepare for the Milwaukee Wave, who come to the Independence Events Center on Thursday night at 7:35 p.m. CT. SportsRadio 810 WHB is sponsoring the game and fans can enjoy tickets for only $8.10 by calling the Comets Ticket Office at 855.KC.ARENA (522.7362).