Comets Win Close Battle Over Rochester

The Comets first three games against the Lancers resulted in a blowout win for each home team. In the final matchup this season between these two squads, it was fitting that the result was unclear until the end moments.  At the final buzzer, behind his fourth hat trick in five games, Leo Gibson the Comets to a 12-11 victory.

Leo Gibson had scored 12 goals in his last four games coming into tonight’s contest and had rocketed up to 10th in the league’s scoring table.  His offensive production picked up when he was converted to a forward while Byron Alvarez recovered from injury.  With Alvarez’s return tonight, he hoped to continue tearing through opposing defenses.  He started it off right with his first goal coming on the Power Play five minutes into the 1st quarter.  Lucas Rodriguez was on the receiving end of a Gibson assist five minutes later and the Comets took a 4-0 lead into the break.

The second quarter was extremely tight with Missouri pressuring Rochester’s Patrick Hannigan in goal and Missouri’s Danny Waltman shutting down any attempt at an attack from Rochester.  Neither team was able to net a score and after two quarters the Comets held onto their 4-0 lead.

Rochester’s attack is based on their defense finding their star forwards Doug Miller and Mauricio Salles hiding behind the defense for fast break opportunities.  Tonight they were able to find their forwards, but the Comets defense, and goalkeeper Waltman were up for the challenge.  The Lancers outshot the Comets 46-25 on the night, but the defense recorded 15 blocks and Waltman had 26 saves.

The Lancers finally cracked the scoreboard two minutes into the half when Elliot Fauske buried a rebound from teammate Jeremy Ortiz.  Byron Alvarez answered three minutes later, scoring in his first game back from injury.  Before fans could sit down, the Lancers turned the ball over and Jeff Hughes scored his first goal as a member of the Comets.  The two goals came twelve seconds apart.  Salles, Alan McGreal and Doug Miller added more tallies for Rochester, but the Comets hung on to a 10-9 lead after three quarters.

The Comets held on for dear life as the Lancers desperately tried to gain control of the game.  Several Missouri defenders threw themselves between the ball and the goal and Waltman used every one of his acrobatic skills to keep the lead for his team.  On one flurry in front of the goal a shot ricocheted off the arm of Comets defender Brian Harris resulting in a Rochester penalty kick.  Doug Miller converted the kick and with 4:17 remaining in the game, the Lancers had their first lead of the night.  Suddenly facing a rare home defeat the Comets broke out of the defensive end and peppered Hannigan with several shots.  Cristiano blasted a shot past the Lancers goalkeeper that hit the crossbar, bouncing down on the line and straight up in the air.  Leo Gibson hustled to the ball and headed it into the open net.  The game-winning score was his third of the night and gave the Comets their 12-11 victory.

The team is right back in action tomorrow night against MISL-leader, the Milwaukee Wave.  The game kicks off in Milwaukee’s U.S. Cellular Arena at 6pm.  The team returns to the Independence Events Center on February 10th at 3:10pm.