The Mavericks Finish 2012 With 1-0 Shutout Win Over Tulsa

The Missouri Mavericks (16-11-4) and goaltender Mike Clemente shut out the Tulsa Oilers, 1-0, Monday night in front of a sellout crowd of 5,800 at Independence Events Center. Clemente stopped all 35 shots he faced in the Mavericks first shutout win of the season, and Ryan Jardine provided the only goal.  Missouri has won two straight games to end 2012 and continues their five-game home stand with games on Friday and Saturday at Independence Events Center.

The teams skated to a scoreless first period. Missouri was forced to kill a double-minor penalty to Andrew Courtney and shots were 14-5 in favor of the Oilers.

Missouri broke a season high with 23 shots in the second period and Ryan Jardine unlocked the scoreless tie when the puck ricocheted off his foot and past Oilers’ netminder Shane Madolora. Jardine was assisted by John-Scott Dickson and Podge Turnbull and the goal proved to be the only goal of the evening.

Clemente and the Mavericks withstood the Oilers efforts in the third period and hung on for the 1-0 shutout victory. The Mavericks’ record improved to 10-3-2 for the month of December and the team is alone in fourth place in the CHL as 2013 begins.

The Mavericks continue their five-game homestand with a pair of games this weekend. Missouri will host Wichita on Friday, Jan. 4 and the Denver Cutthroats will make their first trip to Independence Events Center on Saturday, Jan. 5. Tickets on are sale via Ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or by heading to the Silverstein Eye Centers Box Office. For more information on the Missouri Mavericks visit www.MissouriMavericks.com.

Staton's Second Half Surge Not Enough As 'Roos Fall 77-65 At Omaha

A 22-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome on Monday night as the Kansas City men's basketball squad dropped a 77-65 road contest in league play to Omaha. Senior Thomas Staton tallied 21 of his 23 points in the final stanza, but lights-out shooting from the Mavericks kept the game out of reach for the 'Roos.

Kansas City (4-10, 1-2 SL) has now lost six straight overall, and eight consecutive conference road games. The 'Roos came into the contest after their best-ever showing against a ranked team, playing No. 25 Kansas State to only eight points on Saturday.

UNO (4-12, 1-3 SL) earned its first conference win, and snapped a two game skid. It used an early barrage of threes to build its lead, with the duo of C.J. Carter and Justin Simmons leading the way. A Carter layup with 12:23 on the clock made it 22-12 in favor of the Mavs.

With 6:20 to play in the first half, Simmons drilled a three to make it 31-17, starting a 12-0 run that would get the Mavs up by as many as 26 with three minutes to play. UNO went into the break, up 43-21.

Omaha shot 47 percent in the period, while forcing the 'Roos into 10 turnovers and only 33.3 percent shooting. The Mavs also drilled 8-of-14 from three-point land and had four players with at least eight points. Fred Chatmon led Kansas City with seven at the break.

The Kansas City offense came alive in the final stanza, shooting 54.8 percent, including 8-of-10 shooting from Staton. The Mavericks also stayed hot though, and hit 50 percent from the floor, with Carter scoring 16 and Simmons drilling 11 points.

The 'Roos got the score down to 16 in the early going, but Omaha quickly put it back to 22 by the 12:54 mark. UMKC answered with a 10-0 run though, sparked by eight points from Staton to get it to 12.

A Staton three with 4:55 to play cut the score to its closest since early in the first half at 68-58, but that was as narrow as it would get. UNO kept the 'Roos scoreless for the next 3+ minutes to seal the win.

Estan Tyler scored all 12 of his points in the final half as well, while the only other double-figure scorer outside of Staton was Nelson Kirksey with 10. Staton also added seven rebounds to his team season-high 23 points, while Chatmon led the way with eight boards.

Carter finished with 26 points for the Mavs, while Simmons tallied 20. UNO shot 48.3 percent for the game, while hitting 10-of-22 from three. UMKC hit 44.8 percent, but turned it over 18 times. The 'Roos took advantage of the boards with a 35-31 edge.

The 'Roos will head back to Kansas City to face South Dakota State on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium. The game will be televised on KSMO in Kansas City.

Mavericks' Forward Sebastien Thinel Named CHL's Player Of The Week

The Central Hockey League announced Monday that Missouri Mavericks’ forward Sebastien Thinel has been named the Oakley Central Hockey League Player of the Week for the period ending December 30, 2012.   

Thinel helped his team to points in all three of their games last week scoring four goals with five assists to go along with a +2 plus/minus rating.  The St. Jerome, Quebec native’s least productive game of the week came on Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime loss in Quad City where he contributed on assist.  In his other two games, Thinel had two goals and two assists in each contest which included two goals and an assist in the third period of the Mavs come from behind 5-4 overtime loss in Wichita and the game-winning shorthanded goal in the Mavs 5-3 win over Tulsa on Saturday.

Thinel is the first CHL player this season to hit 50 points (15-35=50).  The two-time CHL scoring champion leads the league in scoring and is tied for third with his +16 plus/minus rating.

Oakley CHL Player of the Week

Sebastien Thinel, Missouri Mavericks

Position: F

(Weekly Totals)

Games Played: 3

Goals: 4

Assists: 5

Points: 9

Plus/Minus: +2

'Roos Step Back Into Conference Play, Face UN‐Omaha In New Years Eve Clash

The 'Roos look to snap a five-game skid when they step back into conference play on New Year's Eve against first-year Summit League member University of Nebraska-Omaha at 5:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KCXL 102.9FM and 1140 AM.

The Mavericks come in on a two-game skid, and are still looking for their first Summit League win. It will be the first time UMKC has faced the Mavericks in Omaha, and first as a member of the Summit League. 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 second meeting between the two schools in the Division I ranks.

Prior to Division I, UNO held a 4-2 advantage in the series. Matt Brown is 1-0 vs. UNO’s head coach Derrin Hansen.

Omaha is playing its fourth Summit League game, and comes in at 3-12 overall, 0-3 in conference play, falling to all three Dakota schools thus far. UNO is in its second year as a Division I school after transitioning from D-II.

The Mavericks are led by Justin Simmons with 12.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, while forward John Karhoff has posted 11.7 points per outing. They are led in rebounding by Alex Welhouse at 4.3 per contest.

As a team the Mavs allow 82.7 points per game and .487 shooting percentage. They also have a -9.1 rebound margin and -3.3 turnover margin. Offensively they score 64.9 points a game and shoot 43.3 percent.

While losing to #25 Kansas State, UMKC may have played one of their best games of the season. The eight-point margin vs. No. 25 Kansas State was the closest ever for the 'Roos against a top-25 team. Previously it was 15 vs. No. 24 Kansas in 2008.

Fred Chatmon's 16 rebounds vs. Kansas State are the most for a UMKC player since Spencer Johnson  pulled down 18 against Western Illinois on January 22, 2011. It was also the most against a major conference team since Lonni Alexander grabbed 17 against Texas A&M on December 20, 1996. Thomas Staton was the only player in double-figure scoring at 13.

Kansas City continues conference play with its next two games, playing both South Dakota State and North Dakota State at Municipal Auditorium this Thursday and Saturday. Both games will be televised on KSMO-TV channel 62.

Byron Alvarez Leads Comets to 17-9 Victory

After a month where the Comets found themselves mostly on the road, they were happy to be back in front of over 4,500 screaming fans at the Independence Events Center. On the strength of four goals from Byron Alvarez the Comets got back on the winning track with a 17-9 victory over the Syracuse Silver Knights.

Forward, Mads Falck spent the holidays with family who traveled all the way from their home country of Denmark.  Falck didn’t disappoint, scoring the game’s first two goals. The first from John Sosa and the next from Stefan St. Louis. Byron Alvarez ended the period by popping the ball up high and over the Knights defender and buried a volley past the sprawling Knights goalkeeper, Bryan O’Quinn.

Up 6-0 heading into the second quarter, the Comets fell into a laidback attack, unlike the high pressure offense from earlier. Syracuse’s Andrew Budnyy and Jamar Beasley took advantage. Beasley’s three pointer ended the half and brought the Knights within a point, 6-5.

Coach Kim Roentved reminded his team at halftime what that first period felt like, “We played near perfect soccer in the first quarter, and then came out flat in the second. I challenged them to finish the way they started and they responded, especially in the fourth quarter.”

His message didn’t hit home right away, the Silver Knights’ Neto scored the first goal of the second half. Byron Alvarez, with his second goal of the night, briefly regained the lead for the Comets a few minutes later. Former Comets forward, Jamar Beasley, gave his new team the lead again with his second goal of the night. The Comets were down 9-8 at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Comets. The team wore down the Syracuse Silver Knights and pressured goalkeeper Bryan O’Quinn and the Knights defense with 23 shots in the game. Byron Alvarez completed his hat trick less than two minutes into the quarter. Now leading 10-9, the Comets decided not to take their foot off the pedal and continued their pressure. Even when defender, Cristiano, was forced to sit down for a two minute penalty, the Comets remained on the attack. Ryan Junge scored his fourth goal of the season shorthanded when he and Vahid caught the Knights lazily trying to clear their third of the field. Late in the quarter, the Knights tried to rally a comeback by inserting Kenardo Forbes as a sixth attacker. Sniffing an open net, Cristiano stole the ball from the Syracuse attack and launched a ball from midfield that rolled easily into the empty net. Now leading 15-9 with 2:18 to play the Comets still continued the attack. Byron Alvarez and Lucas Rodriguez outhustled the Knights defense and Alvarez capped off his four goal night.

The Comets 17-9 win breaks their four game losing streak and brings them back within a game of .500.  They return to the Independence Events Center next Sunday, January 6th at 3:10 pm to face the Wichita Wings. The first 3,000 fans will receive Nesting Dolls featuring Brian Harris, Ryan Junge and Boris Pardo, courtesy of Citizens Bank & Trust.

Mavericks Score Two Late Goals In 5-3 Win Over Tulsa

The Missouri Mavericks (15-11-4) scored two shorthanded goals late in regulation to beat the Tulsa Oilers, 5-3, Saturday night at BOK Center. Sebastien Thinel had four points for the second straight game on a pair of goals and a pair of assists to lead the Mavericks. Brandon Smith had two assists and goaltender Mike Clemente made 38 saves for his 12th win of the season. Missouri scored multiple shorthanded goals for the first time this season and finished 1-for-3 on the power play. Missouri will host the Tulsa Oilers on New Year’s Eve at Independence Events Center at 7:05 p.m.

“Big night for the special teams,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman. “Great focus in the third period to win the game late. The defensive core and role players really came up big and Thinel continues to lead us.”

Missouri opened up the back-and-forth battle with the first goal of the game when Thinel buried a backhand at the 8:35 mark of the first period. It was all Tulsa for the remainder of the opening period.  Gary Steffes scored on the power play and Ben Gordon gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead through one period of play.

Missouri tied the game in the second period on Kenton Miller’s 11th goal of the season. It was the only goal of the second period and the teams headed to the third period tied, 2-2.

Dave Pszenyczny scored on the power play and gave the Mavericks a 3-2 lead early into the final frame, but the Oilers answered with a power play goal of their own. Sean Erickson tied the game for Tulsa at the 8:28 mark, but it would be the last time the Oilers would get a puck past Clemente. Late in the game, the Mavericks were shorthanded after a double minor penalty to Podge Turnbull, but Missouri forced an odd-man rush and buried their chance. Thinel and Smith came into the Oilers’ zone on a two-on-one and Thinel snapped home a shot for the game-winning shorthanded goal. Colt King added an empty net shorthanded goal in the final minute to give the Mavericks a 5-3 win.

The Mavericks will return to Independence Events Center on New Year’s Eve to face off against the Oilers at 7:05 p.m. Tickets on are sale via Ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or by heading to the Silverstein Eye Centers Box Office. For more information on the Missouri Mavericks visit www.MissouriMavericks.com.

Topeka RoadRunners End 2012 With 3-1 Win Over Springfield

Ending the calendar year on a strong note, the RoadRunners secured that elusive 20th win, broke a four-game losing streak, and kept pace with Amarillo and Texas in what has become a tough South Division race.

Michal Pastor broke the ice on Friday night in the first period, whizzing the puck past Ryan Kellenberger at 5:42 to give the RoadRunners a 1-0 lead heading into the second.

Pastor’s cross checking penalty at 12:17 paved the way for Nate Chasteen’s game-tying power play goal at 13:28. Five minutes later, Patrick Pollack picked an excellent time to score his first goal of the season, restoring the RoadRunners advantage 2-1.

Late in the third, Brandon Brossoit tallied his third goal in as many games to give the RoadRunners a 3-1 lead that the Jr. Blues were unable to overcome. On the goal, Kyle Sharkey collected the 100th point of his RoadRunner career.

Spencer Viele ended his personal two-game losing streak with a strong performance in the net, stopping 16 of 17 shots on goal and holding off five of six power plays.

The RoadRunners will travel to Wichita Falls next weekend to take on the Wildcats. Fans in Topeka are invited to watch the games at Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant. The games begin at 7pm but get there early as seats are limited.

UMKC Plays Tough, But No. 25 Wildcats Prevail 52-44

The UMKC men's basketball team played its closest ever game against a top-25 team on Saturday night versus the No. 25 Kansas State Wildcats, but eventually fell 52-44.

The 'Roos (4-9) previous closest game against a top-25 team was 15 points at No. 24 Kansas on November 16, 2008. The contest was also the third against a top-25 program this season, marking the first time in school history the 'Roos have faced that many.

The game looked like it could get out of hand in the early going as Kansas State (10-2) jumped out to a 12-3 lead by the 15:47 mark, but the 'Roos got a three from junior forward Kirk Korver on the next possession to keep it under control.

The Wildcats pushed their lead to as many as 11 with 10:57 on the clock, but Kansas City answered with a 7-1 over the next four minutes to make it a five-point lead. The offense was tough going for both teams over the final six minutes of the half, with each team making only two field goals. UMKC got to within two at 23-21 on a Thomas Staton three with 1:22 left, but K-State's Thomas Gipson put down a dunk with 49 seconds left, taking the Wildcats into the locker room up four.

Kansas City controlled the glass in the opening period (21-16 rebound edge) thanks to 10 boards from Fred Chatmon, but committed 14 turnovers that led to 12 KSU points. Both teams shot poorly, with UMKC hitting 34.8 percent, and K-State shooting only 31 percent. Wildcat senior Rodney McGruder was the game's leading scorer with 10 at the break.

The second stanza was much of the same for offense, but both teams had two players sitting out due to injury. Kansas City was missing both Trinity Hall and Nelson Kirksey, while KSU was missing Angel Rodriguez and Martavious Irving.

The 'Roos stayed within striking distance in the early going of the half, with the score hovering between four and seven points until the midway point of the period. Kansas City held K-State scoreless from the 13 minute mark until 8:51 was on the clock, and it got to within two during the stand. That was as close as the 'Roos would get though.

Kansas State pushed its lead to nine by the 2:19 mark, and Kansas City could only get as close as six the rest of the way.

The difference in the half proved to be in the rebound department, as KSU flipped its performance to take a 24-15 advantage on the glass. UMKC took care of the ball much better though, making only five turnovers in the final half. For the game, Kansas City hit 32 percent, while KSU shot 33.3 percent.

Chatmon finished the night with a monster game on the glass, tallying a career-best 16 rebounds to go with nine points, while Staton was the only player in double-figure scoring at 13. McGruder led K-State with 17 points, while Gipson had 13. Nino Williams had 13 rebounds for the Wildcats.

Kansas City will face Omaha on Monday at 5:00 p.m. on the road, kicking conference play back up for a three-game stretch.

Soul Edge Past Comets

Playing their fifth and final road game in December, the Comets visited the Sears Centre and the Chicago Soul for the first time this season. Although outplaying the home side for much of the game, they were unable to defend multiple goal efforts from Chicago's Carlos Munoz and Bato Radoncic. They end their December road trip with a 13-8 loss.

Halfway through the first quarter the Comets took a rare early lead when Lucas Rodriguez was able to pounce on a missed shot from Vahid Assadpour. Without hesitation, Rodriguez let it fly and found the back of the net. The next two goals would come from Chicago. One from Carlos Munoz and the other from longtime Comets foe, Chile Farias. Although down 4-3 at the first break, the Comets held possession in the late part of the quarter.

Signed in early December, Ramone Palmer has patiently waited for his opportunity to make his mark with the Comets. His chance came today, breaking out by himself he beat Chicago goalkeeper, Jeff Richey for his first #MISL score. Leading 5-4, the Comets controlled play for the rest of the quarter while Chicago sat back in a defensive shell. At half the Comets led 5-4 on the strength of Palmer's goal.

In another night of firsts, Milan Ivanovic recorded his first three point goal midway through the third quarter. Unfortunately it was bookended by two goals from Chicago's Bato Radonic. Both of his goals were inside the arc so the score at the end of the third quarter was tied at 8 points each.

Although recorded with only 18 shots, the Comets peppered Jeff Richey in the fourth quarter as they looked for the go-ahead score. Unfortunately that go-ahead score came from Freddy DeGand of Chicago. With a restart from just inside the arc, he was able to find the goal and the Soul lead. Carlos Munoz increased that lead to 13-8 four minutes later off a restart from near the yellow line. His shot was just inside the defensive wall and Comets goalkeeper was screened as the shot went into the net.

The Comets return home to the Independence Events Center tomorrow night to face the Syracuse Silver Knights at 7:35pm. This marks the third meeting between these two teams since Thanksgiving. It will also be the Comets Media Game. Fans will be treated to a halftime exhibition featuring their favorite media personalities. Scheduled to appear are Kris Ketz (KMBC), Brett Anthony (KSHB), Nick Vasos (Fox 4), Scott Parks (KMBZ Radio) and many more.

Mavericks Earn Point in OT Loss to Wichita, 5-4

The Missouri Mavericks (14-11-4) erased a two-goal deficit in the third period for the second straight game, but lost to the Wichita Thunder, 5-4, in overtime Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena.  Missouri remains winless in five games (0-3-2) this season against the first-place Thunder, and the Mavericks have lost last seven games overall against Wichita.  Forward Sebastien Thinel (two goals, two assists) and defenseman Dave Pszenyczny (one goal, three assists) each had four-point games for the Mavericks.  Gregor Hanson scored 11 seconds into the overtime period to secure the win for the Thunder who won their ninth straight home game extending a CHL-high this season.  Missouri heads to Tulsa to take on the Oilers on Saturday night at BOK Center

“Huge character point on the road in a very tough building to come from behind in,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman.  “It was a real learning experience for our young players.  (Jared) Lavender was a top performer for us on the blue line and Thinel had a huge game.  We must win tomorrow in Tulsa.”

Wichita took a 2-1 lead through the first 20 minutes of play.  Dustin Donaghy buried the first goal of the game at the 9:41 mark of the period.  Wichita took a 2-0 lead when former Maverick Todd Griffith stuffed home a rebound off the back wall at the 13:35 mark.  The Mavericks bounced back and scored their first power play goal in their last six games at the 16:48 mark.  Pszenyczny took a back door feed from Thinel and redirected the puck past Wichita goaltender Kevin Regan.

The Thunder scored the lone goal of the second period on a power play marker by Kevin Young.  He took a pass from Chad Painchaud and blasted a one-timer behind Mavericks’ goaltender Mike Clemente to give the Thunder a 3-1 lead.

The Mavericks began their comeback just 96 seconds into the third period when Thinel scored the first of his two goals.  He was left alone in front of the Wichita goal and beat Regan to make it a 3-2 game.  Just under two minutes later, Thinel tied the game at three when his shot came from a sharp angle and bounced off the goaltender and into the back of the net.

The Mavericks took their first lead of the game at 4-3 on their second power play goal when Thinel fed Kenton Miller who stuffed the puck under the padding of Regan.  The Thunder answered and tied the game with less than two minutes remaining when Ian Lowe tipped a shot from the point past Clemente for a power play goal at the 18:12 mark of the period.  The teams remained tied, 4-4, and headed into the overtime.

Gregor Hanson made quick work in the overtime period as he scored just 11 seconds in.  He was assisted by Kevin Young and RG Flath and the Thunder skated away with the 5-4 overtime victory.

Missouri has one more game left in their four-game road trip in Tulsa on Saturday night.   The Mavericks will return to Independence Events Center on New Year’s Eve to face off against the Oilers at 7:05 p.m.  Tickets on are sale via Ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or by heading to the Silverstein Eye Centers Box Office. For more information on the Missouri Mavericks visit www.MissouriMavericks.com.

Springfield Jr. Blues Top Topeka RoadRunners 2-1

RoadRunner fans must feel like Santa left them all a lump of coal in their stockings this Christmas. The RoadRunners (19-8-5) dropped their fourth straight game Friday night, falling to the Jr. Blues by a score of 2-1.

Despite having only five shots on goal midway through the second period, Springfield’s Mitch Rogge made the sixth one count at 6:45 to give the Jr. Blues a 1-0 lead. The RoadRunners would counter almost eight minutes later with a goal from Brandon Brossoit at 14:35.

The tie would be short lived.

With RoadRunner fans still on their feet celebrating Brossoit’s goal, Ryan Atkinson scored unassisted at 14:58 to give Springfield a 2-1 edge. Topeka was unable to muster a score in the third period and Springfield held on for the win.

With the loss, the RoadRunners fall eight points behind Amarillo in the division and four points behind Texas for second place. They will shrug it off and return to the ice Saturday night for the second and final game of the series against the Jr. Blues. Saturday night is Scout Night at Landon Arena. All Topeka area Boy and Girl Scouts will receive a RoadRunners Hockey badge for attending the game. For more information on tickets, call 785-286-PUCK or visit the Expocentre Box Office.

Mavericks Sign Defenseman Jared Lavender

The Missouri Mavericks announced Friday the Central Hockey League (CHL) team has signed defenseman Jared Lavender. The fourth-year pro returns to the Mavericks after playing for the club during the team’s first two seasons.

“Jared is a nuts and bolts guy that is willing to do anything to help the team win,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman. “Having just completed one of our busiest months in team history and as we work through the injuries, Jared makes his return and will help us add experience and depth to our blue line.  We know he will come in here with the intention of winning a permanent spot on our roster.”

Lavender, 28 (3/30/84), will help bolster the Mavericks’ defensive unit that has been depleted by injuries and sickness. The Cleveland Heights, Ohio native played his first two pro seasons with the Mavericks. In 94 total games with Missouri, the 5-foot-11, 188-pound defenseman had 17 points (2-15=17), 73 penalty minutes and a +9 rating.

Last season, Lavender played the entire season with the CHL’s Quad City Mallards where he accounted for 19 points (3-16=19) in 60 games played. This season, he has played for Quad City and the ECHL’s Evansville IceMen. In total, Lavender has played in 169 games and has 39 points on five goals and 34 assists.  Prior to playing professionally, he played four seasons at Castleton College.

The 'Roos Hit The Road For Test Against No. 25 Kansas State Saturday

The 'Roos head back out on the road for a two-game swing, starting with a trip to Manhattan, Kansas for a contest with Kansas State. The Wildcats are coming off a 67-61 upset win over No. 8 Florida last Saturday, while the 'Roos look to snap a four-game skid. K-State will be the second Big 12 team and fifth BCS conference school the 'Roos have faced this season (Seton Hall, Ohio State, Louisville, Iowa State).

It will be the 17th meeting between the 'Roos and Wildcats in Division I contests, with  K-State leading the series 15-1.

The last meeting came on December 23, 2010, with the Wildcats taking an 80-64 decision. UMKC's lone win in the series came in the shocking 93-52 contest in Kansas City on December 30, 2003. In Manhattan, the Wildcats are 9-0 vs. Kansas City.

Brown has faced Kansas State only once in his time at UMKC, two years ago, while Weber has never met Kansas City as a head coach.

This will be the third ranked team the 'Roos have played this season, the first time in school history Kansas City has played three in one season. Against ranked opponents, UMKC is 0-16 all-time.

Kansas State comes into the contest with a 9-2 overall record, and a No. 25 national ranking this week.

They are led by Rodney McGruder, who averages 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Angel Rodriguez leads the squad with 47 assists and puts up 10.1 points a contest. The leading rebounder is Thomas Gipson, with 6.9 per contest. Center Jordan Henriquez averages nearly two blocks a game as well.

As a team the Wildcats hold opponents to only 57.7 points per game, and have out-scored the competition by 13.4 per outing. They also out-rebound opponents by 8.8 per contest and have a 1.3 Ast/To ratio.

Bruce Weber is in his first season as the head coach at Kansas State. Overall as a head coach, he is 322-157 in his 15th year. He came to K-State after successful tenures at both Illinois and Southern Illinois, where he led teams to eight NCAA Tournament appearances.

UMKC is coming off a heartbreaking loss to SEMO on Saturday. Kansas City took the lead on a three-pointer from junior forward Kirk Korver with 42 seconds left but the Redhawks got two free throws from Tyler Stone with 28 seconds on the clock to take the lead. The 'Roos were unable to get a decent shot and had to put up a desperation shot as the buzzer sounded.

After K-State, Kansas City will get back into conference play, facing Omaha on the road Monday night. It will be the first time UMKC has faced the Mavericks in Omaha, and first as a member of the Summit League.

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 second meeting between the two schools.

Comets Face Big Weekend

The Missouri Comets are ready to end the month of December on a high note. With two games this weekend, they have the opportunity to once again climb over the .500 mark. Friday night the team makes its first trip to Sears Centre Arena to take on the Chicago Soul. This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams, with the Comets defeating the Soul 14-11 on December 9th in the Independence Events Center. The next day, the Comets are back at home to face the Syracuse Silver Knights.

December has been a rough month for the Comets but coach Kim Roentved thinks they can regain their winning prowess with a good showing this weekend, “It’s tough when you are on the road for several games, then dealing with some injuries…this has been a great week of practice for the boys and we all believe there are many more victories in front of us.”

Friday night the Comets offense will need to be accurate with their shots. Chicago goalkeeper Jeff Richey has been outstanding in the net recently, and was a big part of their recent victory over the Baltimore Blast. In that game he turned away the league’s most potent offense 24 times. In the last matchup with the Comets, they were able to get off 17 shots against Richey on the way to a 14-11 win.

On Saturday, the Comets defense will need to step up to the plate. In the last matchup between these two teams, the Syracuse Silver Knights managed to score 18 points on the Comets. Missouri has been a strong home team this year, and has never lost to the Silver Knights at the Independence Events Center. Current MISL Player of the Week, Bryan Perez, and forward Jamar Beasley have been putting the Knights on the scoreboard recently. Defenders Leo Gibson and Brian Harris are very familiar with both former Comets and look to slow down them both down.

Saturday night kicks off at the Independence Events Center at 7:35 p.m. CT, and marks the return of the popular Media Night Game. Fans can see some of their favorite TV, Radio, Newspaper, and Internet personalities play an exhibition match at halftime. Some of the players scheduled to appear include: Kris Ketz (KMBC), Brett Anthony (KSHB), Nick Vasos (Fox 4), Dana Wright (KMBZ Radio), Steve Serrano (Mix 93.3) and many more.

December 28 Weekend Preview

Well, we are in the home stretch of the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are over and all that is left is New Year’s Eve. There are several events going on in the Kansas City area (too many for me to name here). I suggest you checkout my friends at Explore Kansas City for a complete list of the festivities.
I do want to point out that the legendary Kansas City area band The Rainmakers will be performing at Knuckleheads on Monday. These guys put on a great show and tickets are still available.
As far as movies go there were two movies released on Christmas day. There is the much anticipated “Django Unchained” from Quentin Tarantino. This western revenge flick stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz. There is also "Les Misérables". This motion-picture is an adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe. It stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway.
The Comets are in Chicago on Friday to battle the Soul at the Sears Centre Arena. Chicago is coming off a major victory last Friday. Not only did they snap their four-game losing streak but handed the previously undefeated Baltimore Blast their first loss of the season. This game can be viewed at MISLNaton.
On Saturday the Comets return home to host the Syracuse Silver Knights. It's also Comets Media Night, where some of your favorite members of the Kansas City media will be playing (attempting to play) a mini-soccer match at halftime!
The Mavericks are out of town this weekend with a games at Wichita on Friday and Tulsa on Saturday. They will be back home at the Independence Events Center on New Year’s Eve to take on the Tulsa Oilers. You can purchase the 2013 Mavericks Men Calendar at the IEC Mavs Fan Club Table. So stop by and donate to a good cause. There will also be a postgame Skate With The Team presented by Villa Italian Fresh Kitchen.
The Missouri Rhythm are not in action this weekend but will be back on the court next week for a two game homestand.
The Topeka RoadRunners host a two game set against the Springfield Jr. Blues    this weekend. Friday is Ticket Exchange Night when season ticket holders can exchange unused tickets for tickets to this game. Saturday is Scout Night when the RoadRunners honor the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Topeka.     
Have a Safe and Happy New Year   

Mavericks Fall In Eight-Round Shootout To Quad City, 4-3

The Missouri Mavericks erased a two-goal deficit in the third period, but lost in an eight-round shootout Wednesday night, 4-3, to the Quad City Mallards. Mavericks’ forward Brandon Smith scored at the 19:59 mark of the third period to tie the game, but the Mavericks fell in a sudden-death shootout after eight rounds. Mallards’ goaltender Neil Conway stopped 30 of 33 shots and seven of eight shots in the shootout to beat the Mavericks. Missouri’s netminder Mike Clemente was equally as impressive stopping 34 shots and making six of eight saves in the shootout. Missouri will resume their battle for the Independence Cup presented by Independence Tourism Friday night when they head to Wichita to take on the Thunder at 7:05 p.m.

“The guys showed great character to battle back late in the third period,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman. “That was a huge goal by Brandon Smith to salvage a big point on the road.”

The Mavericks skated to a scoreless first period for just the fourth time this season.

The teams traded goals in the second period. Missouri took a 1-0 lead when John-Scott Dickson scored his 12th goal of the season at the 9:05 mark. Dave Pszenyczny and Ryan Jardine earned the assists on the opening goal, but the Mavericks’ lead lasted less than five minutes. Mike Stinziani scored on a power play at the 14:02 mark to tie the game for Quad City.

The Mallards scored on a pair of odd-man rushes in the third period to take a 3-1 lead. Matt Boyd followed a two-on-one rush and scored on a rebound at the 6:43 mark. Then Mike Hellyer gave the Mallards a 3-1 lead at the 8:11 mark on another two-on-one rush.

The Mavericks battled back and Jardine made it a 3-2 game when he beat Conway at the 13:43 mark.  Late in the third period, the Mavericks pulled Clemente in favor of the extra attacker and it paid off when Brandon Smith scored on a backhand with less than one second remaining in regulation. He was assisted by Sebastien Thinel and Kellan Tochkin and the Mavericks earned a point in the standings just for sending the game to overtime.

After a scoreless overtime period, the goaltenders shined in the shootout. Both teams had only one goal in seven chances, and Bob Preece scored the game winning goal in the eighth round of the shootout.

Missouri finished 0-for-2 on the power play and Quad City was 1-for-4. Quad City outshot the Mavericks 38-33. Missouri fell to 0-2 in shootouts this season.

Missouri has two more games remaining in their current four-game road trip. They head to Wichita on Friday, Dec. 28 and Tulsa on Saturday, Dec. 29. The Mavericks will return to Independence Events Center on New Year’s Eve to face off against the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05 p.m.

Mavericks Fall in Fort Worth, 6-2

The Fort Worth Brahmas used a four-goal first period to defeat the Missouri Mavericks, 6-2, Saturday night at Fort Worth Convention Center. Chad Woollard and Adam Hogg each scored two goals for the Brahmas, and goaltender Brad Fogal stopped 37 of 39 shots to defeat the Mavericks. Podge Turnbull and Kenton Miller scored the goals for Missouri and Miller extended his scoring streak to eight games.  Missouri finished 0-for-6 on the power play and the Brahmas scored two shorthanded goals. The Mavericks have three more games remaining in their current four-game road trip and Missouri will head to Quad City on Dec. 26 to renew their rivalry with the Mallards.

“We were somehow not ready to play tonight,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman.  “Our power play continues to haunt us.”

Woollard single-handedly gave the Brahmas a 2-0 lead early into the first period when he scored his two goals at the 4:16 and 4:50 marks respectively. Fort Worth kept coming and they scored a third goal at the 5:13 mark off the stick of Daniel Spivak. The three goals marked the fastest three goals scored against the Mavericks this season as they came just 57 seconds apart, and Mavericks’ goaltender Austin Lee was pulled in favor of Mike Clemente. The Brahmas added another goal just over 10 minutes later when Hogg scored the first of two shorthanded goals at the 15:24 mark. Fort Worth scored four goals on 13 shots in the opening period while the Mavericks were scoreless on 11 shots.

Missouri battled in the second period and outshot the Brahmas 13-4, but the Mavericks still trailed by four goals by the end of the period.  Forward Podge Turnbull got the Mavericks on the scoreboard at 7:41, but Sy Nutkevitch answered when he scored on a penalty shot at the 9:38 mark.

The teams again traded goals in the third period to finalize the scoring at 6-2.  Kenton Miller extended his scoring streak to eight games when he beat Fogal glove side just 1:29 into the period. The Mavericks pulled their goaltender with over four minutes remaining, but they were unable to get any closer on the scoreboard. Adam Hogg scored his second shorthanded goal of the game with 49 seconds remaining regulation to give the Brahmas a 6-2 victory.

Missouri continues their four-game road trip Wednesday, Dec. 26 in Quad City when they take on the Mallards at 7:05 p.m. The Mavericks will return to Independence Events Center on New Year’s Eve to face off against the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05 p.m. Tickets on are sale via Ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or by heading to the Silverstein Eye Centers Box Office. For more information on the Missouri Mavericks visit www.MissouriMavericks.com.

UMKC Drops Heartbreaker To Redhawks, 66-65

The Kansas City men's basketball team couldn't get a good look in the final 27 seconds against Southeast Missouri State, and saw one shot blocked, followed by a guarded second attempt, and fell in a 66-65 heartbreaker on Saturday afternoon.

The Redhawks (8-6) got two free throws from Tyler Stone with 28 seconds on the clock to take the lead. He grabbed the offensive board off a missed jumper, and was fouled to get to the line. On the previous possession, Kansas City (4-8) took the lead on a three-pointer from junior forward Kirk Korver with 42 seconds left.

SEMO jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the opening four minutes and led the rest of the half, getting a strong inside performance from Stone, who paced the Redhawks with 12 points. The 'Roos cut the score to one on one occasion, and to two several times, but the Redhawks answered each with a bucket.

A Thomas Staton jumper with 3:43 left in the half sliced the margin to 23-21, but SEMO scored the game's next seven points to have its biggest lead of the day with 1:27 left in the period. The Redhawks would take a 32-24 advantage into the break.

The 'Roos shot only 30 percent in the half, while SEMO tallied 48 percent shooting. Nate Rogers paced UMKC with seven points at the half.

The second period started quickly for Southeast Missouri State, pushing the margin to as many as 11 within the first five minutes, but Kansas City fought back, chipping away at the advantage. A 13-4 run that spanned the next three minutes cut the advantage to only two, led by two threes from Staton during the rally.

The Redhawks managed to keep the 'Roos at bay, even getting the lead to six on a Corey Wilford layup with 9:14 on the clock, but UMKC kept battling. A three from Rogers, followed by an old-fashioned three-point play from junior forward Fred Chatmon tied the game at 53 with 8:18 left. After a stop on the other end, Kansas City took its first lead of the game on a Chatmon lay-up with 7:36 on the clock.

The two squads traded the lead five times over the final six minutes, but the final exchange wasn't in favor of the 'Roos on the last possession, extending the losing streak to four and ending the home stand without the taste of victory.

Stone finished with a game-high 28 points for SEMO, while Wilford chipped in with 15. Kansas City got its second double-double from Chatmon, who had 11 points, and matched a career-high with 13 rebounds. Rogers led the team with 14 points, while Staton had 13. Estan Tyler had a career-best nine assists for the 'Roos as well, committing only one turnover.

It was the first time in the last 10 games that the 'Roos posted a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, but it couldn't overcome 34.9 percent shooting in the end, as SEMO hit 46.2 percent.

Kansas City will head back on the road for another match-up with a Big 12 team on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. when it faces the Wildcats of Kansas State in Manhattan.

Mavericks End Two-Game Skid With 3-2 Win

Kenton Miller scored 25 seconds into overtime and the Missouri Mavericks (14-10-2) defeated the Allen Americans, 3-2, Friday night at Independence Events Center. Sebastien Thinel and Kyle Hood each had a goal and an assist for Missouri and goaltender Mike Clemente stopped 33 of 35 shots in the win. Americans' forward Scotty Howes scored both of the visiting team's goals and the Americans' are winless against the Mavericks in two games this season. Missouri will travel to Fort Worth for a game Saturday night against the Brahmas at 7:30 p.m.

Allen got on the board first when Howes scored his 16th goal of the season on a power play. Trevor Ludwig earned the only assist on the play and the 1-0 lead stood until the third period.

The Mavericks finally broke through when the CHL's leading scorer Sebastien Thinel scored his 11th goal of the season on an assist by Andrew Courtney at the 3:53 mark of the final period. Missouri then took the lead when the newest Maverick, Kyle Hood, scored on a blast from the right circle at the 12:26 mark. Ryan Jardine and Dave Pszenyczny assisted on the play, but the Americans would not go quietly. Allen scored with 1:13 remaining in regulation with an extra attacker on Howes' second goal of the game. He came in along the right wing and lifted the puck over the shoulder of Clemente to send the game into overtime.

Missouri made quick work of the overtime as Kenton Miller moved a rebound to his backhand and beat Americans' goaltender Aaron Dell. The goal came just 25 seconds into the extra frame and Thinel and Hood each earned assists on the winning goal.

Missouri begins a four-game road trip Saturday night in Fort Worth where they will take on the Fort Worth Brahmas at 7:30 p.m. The Mavericks will return to Independence Events Center on New Year's Eve to face off against the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05 p.m. Tickets on are sale via Ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or by heading to the Silverstein Eye Centers Box Office.

Comets Unable to Defeat Wichita

The Missouri Comets are ready for the extended road trips they've seen lately to end. In Wichita tonight they battled their rivals for sixty minutes, but were unable to comeback from an early deficit and lost to the Wichita Wings for the first time this season by the score of 10-4.

The Wings forward Miguel Ferrer was the recipient of an errant Alex Moseley shot. Standing in front of the net, he tucked it in the corner past Comets' goalkeeper Danny Waltman's outstretched arms. Forward Kareem Yearwood scored his first MISL goal two minutes later and the Wings had suddenly jumped out to a 4-0 lead.

The Comets upped their pressure in the second quarter, looking to spark the offense. Wichita took advantage of the pressure, breaking out for several scoring opportunities. Former Comets forward Geison jumped above Waltman's reach to head the ball past for a Wichita 6-0 lead midway through the quarter. Comets leading scorer, Byron Alvarez put the Comets on the board with four minutes remaining in the half. After that, the team abandoned the high pressure defense and was unable to build an attack the rest of the quarter.

Down 6-2 heading into the third quarter, the Comets came out of the locker room determined to play defense and build solid attacks through the middle. Throughout the second half they held the majority of possession and developed several attacks from Danny Waltman up to the forwards. Wichita, looking to preserve their lead, dropped into a defensive shell and relied on goalkeeper Sanaldo to keep them in the game. The Comets had 32 total shots on the night, most in the second half. Cristiano scored Missouri's second goal of the night with eight seconds remaining in the third quarter to cut Wichita's lead to 6-4.

With the game in reach, the Comets continued to pour on the pressure. Goalkeeper Danny Waltman joined the attack several times, even taking a shot at the Wings' yellow line at one point. Sanaldo, who had 15 saves, and his defense, with 17 blocks, stood tall. Frustrated at the lack of goals, defender Cristiano was called for boarding and then misconduct late in the game. Wichita was able to net two goals in the final frame, including a power play goal from Geison. The Comets go home tonight with a 10-4 loss, their first against Wichita this season.

The team will return to the Independence Events Center next Saturday night at 7:35 to face the Syracuse Silver Knights. The game will be the Second Annual Media Game. Fans can see their favorite TV, Radio, Newspaper and Internet personalities battle in an exhibition match at halftime.

UMKC Finishes Home Stand With SEMO On Saturday At Noon

The 'Roos finish their homestand on Saturday, heading back to Swinney Recreation Center for a noon game against Southeast Missouri State. Kansas City looks to snap a three-game skid, while the Redhawks have won four of their last six. During the tenures of UMKC’s Brown and SEMO’s Dickey, UMKC is leading the series 2-0, taking wins in each of the last two seasons. It will be the fifth meeting between the 'Roos and Redhawks, with the series tied 2-2.

In Kansas City, the 'Roos are 1-1 against SEMO, taking a 70-62 win two years ago. The last meeting went in favor of Kansas City as well, winning 74-69 on December 10 of last season in Cape Girardeau.

Southeast Missouri State comes into the contest with a 7-6 overall record, defeating New Orleans last time out. They have also lost to Kansas and Missouri this year, playing both close for a good portion of the game.

The Redhawks have seven players that see significant time on the floor, led by a duo of post players in Tyler Stone (16.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Nino Johnson (12.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg). Guard Corey Wilford puts up 14.5 points a contest as well, including 29-of-61 three-pointers for 47.5 percent.

As a team the Redhawks shoot 46.3 percent while holding opponents to only 37 percent. They out-rebound opponents by 2.4 per contest and have a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Head Coach Dickey Nutt is in his fourth season as the head coach at SEMO, and has a 39-67 record there. Overall, he is in his 17th season as a head coach, boasting a 228-254 mark. He came to SEMO from Arkansas State University, where he coached from 1987-2008. He was the head man there from 1995-2008.

UMKC’s Estan Tyler has scored 15+ points in back-to-back games for the second time this season, and leads the 'Roos with 28.7 minutes played per game, nearly six more than the next closest player. Tyler has scored his four highest career point totals this year, and has been in double figures five times already (he only had four last year). He matched his career-high with 17 vs. Iowa State.

Nelson Kirksey has averaged 11.8 points per game in his last five outings, shooting better than 57 percent in each. He also has a team-best nine steals during the stretch. In the last five games, Kirksey leads the team with 11.8 points per contest, while Thomas Staton is averaging 11.6 points per outing and Estan Tyler is putting up 11.0 points per game. Nate Rogers is scoring 8.4 points during the stretch, and is tied for the lead with 11 threes (tied with Tyler).

Junior center Fred Chatmon tallied a career-best 32 minutes against Iowa State. He is the only player on the team with a double-double this year (vs. North Dakota).

The 'Roos 10 three-pointers made vs. Iowa State were the most since hitting 12 vs. North Dakota State on February 9, 2012.

Junior forward Trinity Hall sat out last game due to injury suffered on December 16.

Kansas City is looking to snap a three-game losing streak overall and salvage a win out of  the current three-game home stand, before hitting the road for the next two.

Kansas City will face Kansas State next Saturday, December 29 for a 6:00 p.m. contest in Manhattan. It will be televised on Fox Sports Kansas City.

It will be the 17th meeting between the 'Roos and Wildcats in Division I contests, with  K-State leading the series 15-1. The last meeting came on December 23, 2010, with the Wildcats taking an 80-64 decision. UMKC's lone win in the series came in the shocking 93-52 contest in Kansas City on December 30, 2003.