Comets Fall Short In Game One

The Missouri Comets advanced to the MISL Finals for the first time this season while their opponent, the Baltimore Blast are now playing in their third straight Championship Series.  The experienced Blast jumped out to a big first half lead, but behind 5,279 cheering fans, the Comets rallied back.  Unfortunately, it was not enough and the Comets fall 21-12 in Game One of the series.

The playoff atmosphere was apparent from the beginning of the game.  With the MISL Championship Trophy on display during player introductions, the crowd was buzzing with the excitement of seeing the first indoor soccer championship match since 1997.  Even after the Blast’s Tony Donatelli scored in the first 27 seconds, the crowd was roaring for their home team.  The energy in the building propelled Byron Alvarez to answer with his first goal of the night one minute later, tying the game at two points each.

The rest of the half though belonged to Baltimore.  While the Comets adjusted to playing in the biggest series of the year, the Blast calmly sat back and waited for their chances to strike.  Adauto Neto, Ptah Myers, Donatelli, Lucas Roque, and Michelle Millwood all scored for Baltimore before Neto closed the half with his second goal.  At halftime the Comets were reeling 14-2.

The team calmed down at halftime and found the rhythm that helped them to upset the defending champion Milwaukee Wave in the Semi-Final round.  Milan Ivanovic planted himself in front of Baltimore goalkeeper William Vanzela’s net and tapped in an easy two point goal from John Sosa two minutes into the half.  Ryan Junge stepped up his pressure and caught an unsuspecting Vanzela off guard a minute later.  Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman joined the attack later in the quarter and took a shot towards goal that Lucas Rodriguez deflected into the corner netting.  After three quarter the Comets had rallied back, only trailing 16-6.

Baltimore weathered the Comets relentless attack to start the fourth quarter.  Goalkeeper William Vanzela proved why he was named to the MISL’s all-rookie team earlier this week with several point-blank shots.  Machel Millwood deflected a restart opportunity for the Blast to extend their lead midway through the final period.  The Comets pulled Waltman to bring in Vahid Assadpour as a sixth attacker with about six minutes remaining.  The extra player resulted in two quick goals from Leo Gibson and Byron Alvarez, his second on the night.  However with only a few minutes remaining Tony Donatelli was able to lob a pass over the Comets defense for an empty net goal, sealing the Baltimore victory 21-12.

The series moves to Baltimore on Saturday March 16th at 6:35pm CDT.  Should the series be tied after Game Two a 15 minute ‘Mini-Game’ will be played immediately following to decide the winner.  Comets fans are invited to the Comets Nation Fan Club Watch Party at Coach’s Bar & Grille on 103rd & Wornall at 6:00pm.

Blast Run Past Comets

The Missouri Comets were defeated by the Baltimore Blast 27-13 on Sunday afternoon at the Independence Events Center.  Cristiano had two goals for the Comets and Leo Gibson had a point in his tenth straight game, but Ptah Myers and Adauto Neto each had a multiple game efforts for the Blast and led their team to the victory.

Hoping they would be fatigued from playing in Wichita on Friday night, the Comets attacked Baltimore aggressively to start the game.  Leo Gibson, John Sosa and Cristiano worked the ball down the field in a beautiful passing display, resulting in a goal when Cristiano’s shot deflected off Baltimore’s Mike Lookingland for the goal.  Leo Gibson stole the ball away from the Blast defender seven minutes later and ripped home a three-point shot that gave the Comets a 5-0 lead.  Baltimore did not lie down though and goals from JT Noone and Max Ferdinand tied the score by the time the quarter ended.

Adauto Neto scored first in the second quarter when he was able to walk in on Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman and go around his outstretched arms.  Cristiano got his second goal of the night shortly after that, then Ramone Palmer buried a Byron Alvarez missed shot to give the Comets the 9-7 lead.  Neto and Ptah Myers found the net for Baltimore as the half came to a close however and the Comets trailed 11-9 after two quarters.

The second half was all Baltimore as the Comets gave up eight Blast goals, many coming on defensive lapses or odd-man situations.  Missouri looked to climb back into the game when Ryan Junge and Vahid Assadpour scored to make it 17-13 at the end of the third quarter.  However, Adauto Neto completed his hat trick less than a minute into the fourth quarter and the Blast didn’t look back, adding four more goals to their tally for a 27-13 Baltimore win.

The Comets play at home again next Sunday, February 17th at 3:10pm against the Milwaukee Wave.  It is the Comets Annual Pink Game and the team will be wearing special pink jerseys to honor The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation.  Fans will be able to win their favorite player’s jersey in a special LIVE auction on the field immediately following the game, with proceeds benefitting the TAKE Foundation.

Comets Ready To Battle Blast

The Missouri Comets get ready to face the Baltimore Blast this Sunday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. CT at the Independence Events Center. The two teams are battling for playoff position as the final month of the MISL regular season gets into full swing.

The Comets are currently in third place in the MISL, a game up on the fourth-placed Chicago Soul and two-and-a-half games up on the fifth-placed Wichita Wings. Baltimore comes into the game solidly in second place, but only a game back of MISL leaders, the Milwaukee Wave.

Behind two new goalkeepers, William Vanzela and Troy Hernandez, the Blast are 17-5 on the season. The Comets are the only team to beat the Blast in Baltimore this season and they hope to be just as successful at home.

January’s MISL Defender of the Month, Leo Gibson and his three goals, gave the Comets the boost they needed to come from behind and beat the Blast 14-11 two weeks ago. The team will need his offensive firepower, along with team scoring leader Byron Alvarez and newcomer Stefan St. Louis, to repeat the victory again on Sunday.

Citizens Bank & Trust is sponsoring Sunday’s match and is giving away Citizens Banks to the first 1,500 fans to visit the arena. Several of the commemorative banks will have special prizes inside, ranging from tickets to money.

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.

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.

Comets Defeated By Baltimore

In the span of a couple weeks, the Missouri Comets have made two trips to the east coast.  Neither of those trips are worth remembering for them.  Tonight, in the second game in as many days, the Comets fall to the still undefeated Baltimore Blast by the score of 15-7.

After battling against the Syracuse Silver Knights last night, the Comets had to travel over 300 miles south to battle the league leading Blast.  The wear and tear of the trip showed early as the team looked very sluggish.  Baltimore started the scoring early when a Mike Lookingland shot deflected off Comets defender, Cristiano, less than a minute into the game.

Baltimore didn’t look back after that.  Six different players scored for Baltimore in the next three quarters.  Lucio Gonzaga was the only person to score twice, one of them a three-pointer.  Any chance the Comets could put together was immediately followed by a fast Baltimore attack.  Goalkeeper Danny Waltman, making his first appearance in five games, only faced 13 shots, but was under relentless pressure throughout the night.  At the end of the third quarter, the Comets had yet to get on the scoreboard and were looking at a 15-0 deficit.

The Comets were able to mount a small comeback in the fourth quarter.  Danny Waltman found Ryan Junge on a distribution for the first Comets points of the night.  After that, with the Vahid Assadpour in as the sixth attacker, Brian Harris found the net, followed by a three-point goal from Lucas Rodriguez and a Penalty Kick from Byron Alvarez.  As the clock hit zero, the Comets were defeated 15-9.

The Comets are back on the road next weekend against the rival Wichita Wings on Friday, December 21st.   The next home game is December 29th at 7:35pm against the Syracuse Silver Knights, in the annual Media Night.  At halftime, fans can watch their favorite TV, Radio, Newspaper and Internet personalities battle in a spirited exhibition soccer game.

Comets Fall For First Time

The top two teams in the MISL met for the first time tonight, the upstart Missouri Comets and the dynasty Baltimore Blast. The Comets fought hard, but the Blast showed why they have found themselves playing the final game of the year each of the past two seasons. In the end, the Comets were unable to break through the Blast defense and fell for the first time this season by the score of 12-4.

This game was billed as a battle of the Major Indoor Soccer League’s two best teams. Each team entered the game with an unblemished record, including wins over the defending champion Milwaukee Wave. The first quarter played out exactly as advertised, with both teams battling hard on offense and coming up with great plays on defense. For the first time this season, neither team was able to score in the first quarter.

The second defense started out the same way and some were beginning to wonder if anyone was going to be able to find the net. Then, in the ninth minute of the quarter, the Blast figured it out. Machel Millwood, Adriano Dos Santos and Agustino Nunez each scored in a three minute span. Suddenly the Comets found themselves down 6-0 as they went into the half.

Baltimore came into the game with the league’s stingiest defense, allowing only eight points per game. They relied on that defense throughout the second half as they frustrated the Comets time and again. Vahid Assadpour was able to knock one in the far post on a restart in the third quarter and Byron Alvarez converted a Penalty Kick in the fourth quarter, but their need for constant offensive pressure left them vulnerable on the back end. Max Ferdinand was able to tuck one in followed by two more from Nunez and the Baltimore Blast stayed perfect on the season, winning 12-4.

The Comets hit the road this week for a pair of games in Upstate New York, traveling to Syracuse on November 30th, followed by the second broadcast of the season on Time Warner Cable Metro Sports on December 1st in Rochester. The team returns home Sunday December 9th for their annual Military Appreciation game. Players will be wearing special military themed jerseys that fans can take home in a LIVE auction immediately following the game.

Battle of Undefeated Teams At Independence Events Center

The Comets find themselves right where they wanted to be as they head into the holiday season. So far this year they have two victories over their rivals, the Wichita Wings, and an exciting win against the defending champion Milwaukee Wave. Those wins, plus a dominating 17-10 defeat of the Syracuse Silver Knights, puts the 4-0 Missouri Comets near the top of the MISL's standings. Their opponent tomorrow night, the Baltimore Blast, also finds themselves undefeated with a record of 5-0.

The strong start is nothing new for the Baltimore Blast. In 2010, they won their first five games, and last season they won five of their first six. However, they have seen quite a bit of player turnover this year, including their star goalkeeper, Sagu. With two new goalkeepers and several new young players, many thought the Blast could be vulnerable this season. That has not been the case this year as new goalkeepers William Venzela and Troy Hernandez have stepped in to fill Sagu's large shoes.

The Missouri Comets enter this game with the league's most proficient offense, scoring 16.75 points per game. Scoring comes in bunches and from all over the field. Twelve players have notched at least a goal so far this year, while 2010-2011 MISL MVP, Byron Alvarez continues to perform at an elite level this year. He leads the team and the league in goals (9) and points (20). Captain Vahid Assadpour and second year player, John Sosa, lead the team with seven and six goals respectively.

Tomorrow is the Comets' 2nd Annual Day of Giving. This promotion allows the team to honor and promote some of the great charities that the players and staff work with throughout the year. Fans are encouraged to participate. Below is the list of charities who will be accepting donations and what they can bring:

Byron Alvarez Foundation - Once again Byron Alvarez will be collecting new and gently used soccer balls to help spread the beautiful game to those who may not be able to afford the equipment.

After the Comets first goal we are asking fans to shower the field with soccer balls! We will collect all of the balls and Byron will distribute them to those who are in need.

Kick For Christ - Kick For Christ is a Christian charity founded by Leo Gibson, soccer player for the MISL's Missouri Comets, and Worteh Sampson, formerly of the MISL's Baltimore Blast.

The purpose of this ministry is to bless youth in Leo and Worteh's home country of Liberia, with much needed clothing and sporting gear. Liberia is a small country located in West Africa, and was colonized by the United States of America.

There will be collection barrels throughout the Independence Events Center concourse where you can drop off Soccer balls, Tennis balls, Basketballs, Volleyballs, Footballs, and any other type of ball that kids can kick around and play with to experience the joy of life.

Blair's Foster Socks - Blair Michaela Shanahan Lane didn't have a problem with teddy bears. Blair's problem was babies with cold, bare feet. Each time a new foster child was given to her family's care, Blair, 11, asked the same question.

"Why do foster kids always show up with stuffed animals, but no one can find them socks -

That was Blair. Pragmatic. Compassionate. And determined to fix the problem. Her solution was Foster Socks, a program dedicated to providing socks to foster and homeless children.

The Galaxy Girls will be collecting New Socks at both entrances to the Independence Events Center.

The Dalton Burner Foundation - The Dalton Burner Foundation was founded in 2010 for our buddy, Dalton. Dalton is a seven year old that was diagnosed with Extraskeletal Myxiod Chondrosarcoma. Dalton has battled this type of tumor twice now and is currently cancer-free. As you can imagine, Dalton and his family have gone through major changes this year, which is why this foundation was formed. We believe that no family or child should have to go through this alone.

The Dalton Burner Foundation will be on-site at the Independence Events Center accepting donations throughout the game.