Absent A Buyer, Wichita Wings Soccer Franchise Likely To Fold

By Josh Heck

Unless something changes soon, professional indoor soccer won’t be played in Wichita this season and likely beyond.

Efforts to sell the Wichita Wings to a new ownership group have proved unsuccessful thus far, but the Major Indoor Soccer League is still working to find a buyer.

Wink Hartman, who revived professional indoor soccer — and the Wings franchise — in Wichita after a 10-year absence, announced in March that he wanted to sell the team as part of a review of his group of companies.

League President Tim Holt says a new ownership group would need to emerge in the next 30 to 45 days to allow enough time to complete the scheduling process in time for the 2013-2014 season, which starts in November.

If that doesn’t happen, Holt says, the Wings won’t field a team, and the organization will fold.

Holt tells me that the MISL has not received any business plans or ownership-transfer agreements regarding the Wichita Wings, which seems to refute earlier reports on Wednesday that the league had rejected a potential buyer’s group for the Wichita Wings.

“At no point and time have we received any application or business plan for transfer,” Holt says.

Hartman representatives could not be reached for comment.

In 2011, Hartman announced his plans to bring indoor soccer back to Wichita. The original Wichita Wings ceased operations in 2001.

It wasn’t until later that Hartman was given clearance to use the Wings name again with the new team.

Holt says the team was a good addition to the MISL.

It had, he says, a loyal fan base and was competitive in games, though that wasn’t necessarily reflected in the win column. Holt says the Wings appeared to be headed in the right direction and could have been a playoff team in another year or two.

Holt says the league hopes to again have a team in Wichita.

But that’s starting to appear less likely.

Milwaukee Wave Get New Ownership

Sue Black, who was named president and CEO of the Milwaukee Wave in February, on Wednesday announced she has taken ownership of the indoor soccer team from Jim Lindenberg.

“The more I got to know about the organization and the team and the potential, it just seemed like a natural fit,” Black said.

She made the announcement Wednesday with Lindenberg and coach Keith Tozer. The Wave plays at the U.S. Cellular Arena in downtown Milwaukee.

The terms of the sale are confidential, but it includes ownership of the Wave and its charitable nonprofit organization Wave of Hope.

Black said she is reviewing a number of ways to improve team operations.

“It’s a matter of prioritizing, but I’m being very stealthy about what we tackle first,” she said.

Black in late March said the Wave of Hope organization was a leading factor in attracting her to take the CEO position.

Black said Wednesday that giving back to the community will remain her No. 1 priority.

“The more I got to know the players and the coach and how the team gives back to the community, it’s everything I was looking for,” Black said.

Lindenberg, former owner of World Class Wire & Cable in Waukesha, bought the Wave in 2009. He recruited Black to lead the team while she was hunting for a job after being fired as director of the Milwaukee County Parks system.

Wichita Wings Seeking New Ownership

Hartman Sports announced today that it has initiated the process of seeking a new ownership group for the Wichita Wings to ensure the continuation of the popular Major Indoor Soccer League franchise.

Local businessman and philanthropist Wink Hartman acquired the rights to a MISL franchise in 2010 and resurrected the Wichita Wings brand in the 2011-2012 MISL season. With an avid fan base, the Wings have been amongst the league leaders in attendance over the past two MISL seasons hosting games at Hartman Arena and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the playoffs in 2011-2012.

The timing of the announcement coincides with an internal review within the overall Hartman Group of companies and is designed to shift the ownership to a group that can dedicate its primary focus and resources towards the operation of the MISL team in Wichita.

"The Wichita Wings is a great organization. It is time for an ownership group that can focus 100% of their time to take control and create a winning team on and off the field. The MISL future is very bright and I know the Wings will continue to be a major part of their success," said current owner, Wink Hartman.

The Wings are working in conjunction with the MISL league office to identify an ownership group that has the experience and wherewithal to build upon the platform set forth by Hartman Sports for future success. It is the objective of all parties to have the new ownership group in place prior to finalization of the 2013-2014 MISL alignment in early summer.

Comets Magical Season Comes To An End

The 2012-2013 Missouri Comets set some high goals for themselves at the beginning of the year.  They nearly accomplished all of them tonight after jumping out to a 4-0 halftime lead in Game Two of the MISL Championship against the Baltimore Blast.  The Blast scored four straight goals in the second half, and held off a Comets comeback attempt to become the 2013 MISL Champions.

After falling behind early in Game One, the Comets were determined to have a stronger start game.  Playing strong on both sides of the field, Missouri controlled possession for much of the quarter. With 5:02 remaining in the opening quarter Byron Alvarez put the Comets on the board.  In the second quarter a streaking Robert Palmer was heading towards goal when he was taken out from behind by Baltimore’s Max Ferdinand.  Byron Alvarez converted the resulting shootout opportunity and the Comets went into the halftime break leading 4-0.

The Baltimore Blast, playing in their third straight Championship Series, were not ready to go down easy.  Ferdinand, Tony Donatelli, Adriano Dos Santos and Lucas Roque rattled off four straight goals across the third quarter and first part of the fourth quarter.  With seven minutes remaining and the season in the balance, the Comets began a furious comeback attempt.  Byron Alvarez completed his hat trick, scoring his third goal with five minutes remaining to bring Missouri back to within 2 points, 8-6.

Inserting Vahid Assadpour as the sixth attacker with two minutes remaining gave the Comets many chances, but Baltimore goalkeeper, William Vanzela, came up with several game-preserving saves.  His performance earned him the 2013 MISL Most Valuable Player Award.

The Comets finish with a regular season record of 13-13 and a second-place finish in the 2013 MISL Playoffs.

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.

2012-13 MISL Award Winners Announced

The Major Indoor Soccer League honored its top performers of the season today, announcing the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defender of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2012-13 season. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Independence, Missouri, site of tomorrow’s first leg of the 2013 MISL Championship Series featuring the Missouri Comets and the Baltimore Blast.

MISL award winners were selected through a vote by MISL team management and select media members.

Most Valuable Player – Doug Miller, Rochester Lancers

Miller’s record-breaking season at the age of 43 proved the veteran still had much to offer the game. The first player in the current era of the MISL to surpass 100 points, finishing with 102, Miller also set a record for goals in a season with 44 as he led the Lancers to within one win of the playoffs. Miller also finished the season with five game-winning goals, and tied an MISL record with a six-goal game against Missouri

Rookie of the Year – Luan Oliveira, Milwaukee Wave

Quickly becoming an integral part of Keith Tozer’s squad after being suggested as a signing by Wave teammate and childhood friend Marcio Leite, Oliveira led all rookies, and the Wave, with 68 points. The Brazilian averaged a goal per game in his first season in the league, with a three-goal, two-assist night against Rochester a highlight of his first season.

Coach of the Year – Danny Kelly, Baltimore Blast

Taking the honor for the third time in four seasons, Kelly led the Blast to the top of the MISL standings in a season that saw the Blast open the season with nine consecutive victories, and end it on a six-game winning streak that allowed it to edge the Milwaukee Wave for the regular season championship. With some key offseason departures, Kelly quickly integrated the new faces in his squad seamlessly as the Blast continued their tradition of excellence.

Defender of the Year – Mike Lookingland, Baltimore Blast

Lookingland was selected for the second consecutive season after a standout two-way campaign that saw him record 49 points, make 35 blocks and commit only 16 fouls. A master of positioning in his defensive end, the Blast’s captain also showed an uncanny knack for knowing when to join the attack, and proved crucial on special teams as he led the side with four power-play goals.

Goalkeeper of the Year – Nick Vorberg, Milwaukee Wave

Claiming the honor for the second time in three seasons, Vorberg was a standout in goal for the league’s best defense. Vorberg faced an average of 18.5 shots per game, finishing with an outstanding .812 save percentage, while also leading the league with a 7.76 points-against average. In his 14 regular-season appearances, Vorberg never conceded more than five goals.

Baltimore and Missouri will face off in the best-of-three 2013 MISL Championship Series starting Thursday at the Independence Events Center in Missouri (8:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com), with the second leg set for Saturday at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore (7:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com). A deciding mini-game will be played immediately following Game 2 if needed.

Comets Host Game One Of MISL Championship

The Missouri Comets shocked the Major Indoor Soccer League last weekend when they came from behind in two games to defeat the defending champion Milwaukee Wave for a chance to win this year's title. Now they are set to host the first professional league championship in any sport since the Kansas City Attack hosted the NPSL Finals in 1997 and before that, the Kansas City Royals hosted their last World Series game in 1985. The first MISL Championship series for the Comets begins at home, in the Independence Events Center, this Thursday, March 14th at 7:35pm.

Finishing third in the MISL's Regular Season, the Comets were paired up with the Milwaukee Wave for the third straight year in the MISL Semi-Finals series. After winning the MISL Championship each of the past two seasons, Milwaukee enjoyed a 16 game winning streak and a 12-1 home record this season and looked to be on a path towards a third straight championship run after they defeated the Comets in Game One of this year's Semi-Final series at the Independence Events Center in overtime 12-10.

The Comets entered Game Two at Milwaukee with the confidence that they were the only team to make the Wave suffer defeat at home and that they ended the 16 game winning streak for the Wave this season. However, after falling behind 8-5 in the fourth quarter, the outcome was looking bleak. Coach Kim Roentved kept his side calm though as they chipped away at the Milwaukee lead. Mads Falck got Missouri within one point with an unassisted goal halfway through the final quarter and with 34 seconds left in the game Leo Gibson sealed the win with his first goal of the postseason.

With the series tied at one game apiece, the two teams immediately faced off in a 15 minute "˜Mini-Game' to decide who would move on to the MISL Championships. The Comets got on board first with a three-point goal from Coady Andrews. Although only scoring four goals all season, this was Andrews' second three-point goal of the day. Milwaukee jumped back with two goals of their own for a 4-3 lead though and packed in their defense to try and preserve victory. The Comets pulled their goalkeeper, Danny Waltman, to bring on Vahid Assadpour as an extra attacker as they threw everything at the Milwaukee defense. With seven seconds remaining in the season for one of the two teams, Marcel Feenstra of Milwaukee deflected a shot up and over his goal, setting up a corner kick for the Comets. As Assadpour and Lucas Rodriguez crashed the goal, John Sosa's corner kick found Byron Alvarez sneaking into the space vacated by the two midfielders and knocked home the game winner.

Championship weekend for the MISL begins tomorrow, March 13th when the league announces the Most Valuable Player, Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. Earlier today, Comets defender Leo Gibson was named 1st Team All-MISL and captain Vahid Assadpour was named 2nd Team All-MISL. The awards will be handed out at a press conference in the Independence Events Center's President's Club at 3:30pm. The Press Conference is open to the public.

MISL All-League, All-Rookie Teams Announced

The Major Indoor Soccer League honored the top performers from the 2012-13 regular season today, naming the All-MISL First and Second Teams as well as the All-Rookie Team.

Six MISL clubs are represented in the teams, with the Baltimore Blast and Rochester Lancers leading the way with four selections each. The Milwaukee Wave and Chicago Soul each had three players honored, while the Syracuse Silver Knights and Missouri Comets had two each.

The All-MISL and All-Rookie teams are selected through a vote by MISL team management and select media members.

Baltimore and Missouri will face off in the best-of-three 2013 MISL Championship Series starting Thursday at the Independence Events Center in Missouri (8:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com), with the second leg set for Saturday at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore (7:35 p.m. ET, MISLNation.com). A deciding mini-game will be played immediately following Game 2 if needed.

2012-13 All-MISL First Team

GK Nick Vorberg, Milwaukee Wave

D Leo Gibson, Missouri Comets

D Mike Lookingland, Baltimore Blast

MF/F Doug Miller, Rochester Lancers

MF/F Neto, Syracuse Silver Knights

MF/F Mauricio Salles, Rochester Lancers

2012-13 All-MISL Second Team

GK Jeff Richey, Chicago Soul

D Pat Healey, Baltimore Blast

D Nelson Santana, Syracuse Silver Knights

MF/F Vahid Assadpour, Missouri Comets

MF/F Carlos Farias, Chicago Soul

MF/F Luan Oliveira, Milwaukee Wave

2012-13 MISL All-Rookie Team

GK William Vanzela, Baltimore Blast

D Stephen Basso, Rochester Lancers

D Pedrinho, Rochester Lancers

MF/F Luan Oliveira, Milwaukee Wave

MF/F Carlos Munoz, Chicago Soul

MF/F Lucas Roque, Baltimore Blast

Comets Rally To Reach Championship

The Missouri Comets booked their first trip to the MISL Championship Series since the franchise's return to action in 2010 after taking a pair of dramatic victories against the Milwaukee Wave on Sunday evening at the U.S. Cellular Arena. Leo Gibson's goal with 34 seconds remaining kept the Comets' hopes of advancing alive, evening the series with a 9-8 win, before Byron Alvarez scored the game-winning goal with five seconds to play in the Game 3 mini-game to earn a 5-4 win and a meeting with the Baltimore Blast.
After losing Game One 12-10 in overtime on Thursday night, the Comets knew they had a big mountain to climb in Milwaukee. Missouri fell behind early when the Game 1 hero for Milwaukee, Guiliano Oliverio, scored halfway through the opening quarter. Oliviero’s initial shot was saved by Comets goalkeeper, Danny Waltman, but was still bouncing slowly towards the goal line when Comets defender Vahid Assadpour raced to save it off the line, only for his shot went off Oliviero’s head and in the net.
Jeff Hughes put the Comets on the board three minutes later when his cross in front of the Wave goal was deflected in by the Milwaukee defender, but the Wave regained the lead in the second quarter as Ian Bennett snuck home a shot off the right post to take a 4-2 lead into the half.
The Comets and Wave traded goals in the third period, with Tenzin Rampa making it 6-2 for Milwaukee as he scored from close range. Coady Andrews answered for the Comets from 3-point range, making it a one-point game entering the fourth quarter, but Oliviero scored nine seconds into the fourth quarter to give the Wave an 8-5 advantage.
The Wave then fell into a defensive shell to try and protect their advantage, giving Missouri the bulk of possession in the quarter. Feenstra was unrelenting as he faced several shots from the Comets and turned most of them away. Brian Harris was able to get the Comets back within one point when he took a shot from outside the penalty box that ricocheted through the Wave defense and into the net.
The Comets brought Vahid Assadpour on as a sixth attacker with around two minutes remaining in the game to try and overcome their 8-7 deficit. The move paid off with 34 seconds remaining when Gibson, returning from a three-game suspension, deflected a ball into the net, forcing a Game 3 ‘Mini-Game’.
In the 15-minute game, the Comets maintained their momentum from Game 2 as Coady Andrews, who scored only four goals all season, knocked in his second 3-point goal of the day only two minutes in. As the two-time defending champion, however, Milwaukee was not ready to give up its chance for a three-peat. Luan Oliviera weaved through the Comets defense for a goal from the left, then had the assist four minutes later when Hewerton’s goal put the Wave in front 4-3 with a little over five minutes to play.
Once again, bringing on Assadpour as the sixth attacker proved to be the key for the Comets as they pressed for a late game-winner. The extra pressure that comes from having one more attacker than the Wave had defenders created space, and Feenstra did well to deny the Comets as he tipped a shot over the crossbar with seven seconds remaining for a corner kick on the left. Milan Ivanovic threaded the needle on the restart, Alvarez finding space after a dummy run by Assadpour pulled defenders toward him, and the former MISL Most Valuable Player wasted no time and buried the shot from close to the penalty spot to give his side victory.
The Comets will host Game 1 of the MISL Championship Series at the Independence Events Center on Thursday, March 14th at 7:35 p.m. CT, with Game 2 set for Saturday, March 16 at Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena.

Wave Rally For Overtime Victory Over Comets

The Milwaukee Wave scored six consecutive goals to rally for a 12-10 overtime victory against the Missouri Comets on Thursday night in Game 1 of their semifinal series of the MISL Playoffs at the Independence Events Center. Hewerton scored a hat trick, including the game-tying goal with 20.6 seconds to play, while Giuliano Oliviero scored the game-winning goal for the Wave 8:48 into overtime, putting his side one win away from a return to the MISL Championship Series.

The Comets high-pressure approach to the game early forced mistakes from the Wave that created early opportunities for the hosts. Coady Andrews started things off when he recovered a rebound from a Byron Alvarez shot. Milwaukee goalkeeper Nick Vorberg cheated far to his left to try and block the shot, leaving the rest of the goal wide open for Andrews. As the first quarter ticked down, Jeff Hughes stole the ball from the Wave defense and found a streaking Milan Ivanovic on the right side of the goal. Ivanovic wasted no time and hit a one-timer into the back of the goal, giving the Comets a 4-0 lead at the end of the first.

The Comets remained strong in the second quarter. Hughes got his second assist of the night when he and Mads Falck streaked down the field uncontested towards the Milwaukee goal. The Wave’s Vorberg tried to cut off the angle as he attacked Hughes, but the speedy midfielder was able to push the ball over to Falck who finished the opportunity. A few minutes later, Hughes stepped up to the plate and scored himself, this time on a diving header from forward Byron Alvarez on the power play to give his side an 8-0 halftime lead.

As the second half started, the Comets seemed to be in control, especially after Robert Palmer scored his first MISL goal to put Missouri up 10-0. As the defending champions, however, the Wave were not ready to go home yet. Slowly they chipped away at the Comets' lead as goals by Hewerton and Oliviero brought the Wave to within six points at the end of the third quarter.

The Comets were unable to maintain their high-energy attack in the fourth quarter, and the Wave wrested away control through goals by Hewerton and Luan Oliviero in the first seven minutes of the quarter. With the score 10-8, Missouri seemed to settle down and played a ball-control game, hoping for the clock to tick down to the end. Pulling their goalkeeper in favor of a sixth attacker, the Wave put everything into the attack as the seconds ticked down, and their persistence was rewarded when Hewerton was able to complete his hat trick with only 20.6 seconds to play, sending the game to overtime.

The Comets seemed to be reenergized in the extra period, making several attacks that nearly ended the game. Goalkeeper Danny Waltman was at the top of his game as well, stopping several Milwaukee shots without allowing dangerous rebounds. Ultimately, however, Guiliano Oliviero placed a far-post shot from the left side in the only place he could fit it and won the game for Milwaukee.

The series shifts to Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. If the Comets can pull off the win in Game 2, there will be a 15 minute ‘mini-game’ to decide the series winner. Fans are invited to watch the game with the Comets Nation fan group at Coach’s Bar & Grille.

Comets Close Regular Season With Win

With playoff seeding on the line, the Comets traveled to Chicago to finish their regular season against the Soul. The Comets needed a single win to ensure themselves of the third seed in the 2013 MISL Playoffs. It took more than four quarters, but Byron Alvarez scored three minutes into the overtime period to give the Comets the 8-6 win against the Chicago Soul.
After waiting until the final six seconds to net a goal in their previous matchup, the Comets jumped on the scoreboard first tonight. Ryan Junge found Jeff Hughes along the left side, who buried his shot from close range. Matthew Stewart was able to tie it up for Chicago with a nice shot of his own from the side only a minute later.
Tied 2-2 at the start of the second quarter, Coach Kim Roentved employed a high pressure strategy that saw two, and sometimes three, Comets players with immediate pressure on any Soul player who gained possession in his defensive third of the field. Ryan Junge earned his second helper of the game, feeding Vahid Assadpour for the only score of the quarter. Comets led at the break 4-2.
Relaxing a bit from their high pressure stance, the Comets still had several opportunities in the third quarter. The Comets controlled the ball through much of the game, outshooting the soul 38-16 in the game. Matt Stewart and Freddy Degand were able to break through the Missouri attack late in quarter, scoring two goals in thirty seconds to put Chicago in the lead briefly 6-4. However, Assadpour answered right back two minutes later, intercepting a defensive clearance from Soul goalkeeper Jeff Richey and passing to Robert Palmer. Palmer returned the pass and Assadpour scored his second of the game, tying it up.
The fourth quarter saw no scores as both teams applied tentative pressure, not wanting to make a mistake as the clock wound down. With the score tied 6-6, the fans who braved the weather in Chicago were treated to overtime soccer. The Comets once again broke out their high-pressure attack and controlled much of the action. After Chicago's Carlos Munoz was whistled for a foul to the right of his goal, Comets midfielder John Sosa found Byron Alvarez on the restart for the goal and 8-6 victory.
The Comets will return home for the MISL Semi-Final series on March 7th at 7:35pm.

Comets Close Season On Road

As the final week of the Major Indoor Soccer League begins, the playoff picture begins to take focus. The Missouri Comets, along with the Baltimore Blast and Milwaukee Wave have each earned a spot in the tournament, with one spot still remaining. The Comets final regular season opponent, the Chicago Soul, currently holds onto the fourth and final place in the standings.
The game holds importance for both teams. A win for Missouri assures the Comets of the third seed in the playoffs and a date with the Milwaukee Wave for the third straight preseason. Chicago would clinch a place in the playoffs with a victory.
The Comets will be without the services of Leo Gibson, who is serving a suspension following a red card received last Friday against the Soul. On Sunday, also without Gibson, Brian Harris and Mads Falck stepped up to secure the Comets victory over the Wichita Wings and the team’s place in the postseason. To be successful in Chicago tomorrow, the Comets will look for more players to assert themselves. Jeff Richey, the goalkeeper for the Chicago Soul, has been difficult for the Missouri offense to solve. Last Friday night, he was six seconds away from shutting out the Comets for the first time in modern team history.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Fans are invited to watch with the Comets Nation fan club at Coach’s Bar & Grille, or they can tune in to the action on MISLNation.com.
The Comets will return home for the MISL Playoffs semifinal series on March 7th at 7:35 p.m. CT.

Comets Clinch Berth In Playoffs

The Missouri Comets began this weekend simply needing a win to clinch their spot in the Major Indoor Soccer League Playoffs. They got that win on Sunday night against the Wichita Wings behind the strength of two incredible 3-point goals from Brian Harris and a pair of scores from Mads Falck. The 15-11 win also clinched the I-35 Rivalry Series, sponsored by Independence Tourism, for the second straight season.
Coming off a disappointing loss on Friday night to Chicago, Missouri dug itself into another hole in the first quarter. In the span of two minutes, Freddy Moojen netted two scores and Daniel Villegas put in another for a 6-0 Wings' lead at the end of the quarter.
Brian Harris took matters into his own hand as the second quarter began. He first collected a distribution from goalkeeper Danny Waltman and went the length of the floor, scoring a 3-point goal only 34 seconds into the period.  A minute later, Jeff Hughes took a pass from Vahid Assadpour and fired into the far corner to get the Comets within a point before Harris scored his second 3-point goal from the yellow line, absolutely burying the shot past the outstretched hands of Wichita goalkeeper, Sanaldo to give his side an 8-6 lead.
The Comets would hold their advantage to the halftime break, but in the third quarter Wings forward Andrew Hoxie got his side back on even terms with the only goal of the third period, setting up an exciting fourth quarter.  The 4,239 fans in attendance at the Independence Events Center were on the edge of their seats to see how the final frame would turn out. Missouri needed a victory to solidify their playoff standing and Wichita needed a win to even the season series with the playoffs already out of reach.
It was the Wings who struck first in the final frame as defender Victor Quiroz scored less than 30 seconds into the quarter to briefly put Wichita ahead 11-8, but Hughes and Falck each found the net for the Comets to regain the lead for their side, 12-11. Falck then added an insurance marker, winning a footrace down the sideline against the Wings’ sixth attacker Chris Lemons in the final three minutes to ice the game with his second goal of the night, a 3-pointer, to give the Comets a 15-11 victory.
The Comets finish the regular season on Wednesday, February 27th at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena as they look for revenge from their game on Friday night against the Chicago Soul. Game time is at 7 p.m. CT and can be seen on MISLNation.com. Missouri will host the first game in a Semifinal Series of the MISL Playoffs on March 7th at 7:35 p.m. Fans can call (855) 4KC-GOAL on Monday, February 25th at 10 a.m. CT for information and tickets.

Comets Lifeless Against Soul

As the MISL regular season winds down and teams position themselves for the playoffs, the Comets need just one win to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament. The Chicago Soul need two wins to overcome the Comets for the third seed. The Soul were definitely the hungrier team tonight as Matthew Stewart led his team to a 13-2 win over the Missouri Comets
Alex Megson got things started off in the first quarter, followed by Stewart's first two goals. Megson bookended the half with his second of the half and the Comets were down 8-0 after the first half.
At halftime, the Comets celebrated one of the greatest players from their storied history in Alan Mayer. Mayer, who was best known for being the first goalkeeper to wear a helmet while he played, was honored with his number being retired and hung in the rafters next to his former teammate Gino Schiraldi.
Having faced large deficits previously, coming back in the second half was not unexpected for the Comets. Chicago defended against that with superb play from goalkeeper Jeff Richey and strong defense from everyone in front of him. Frustrated, Leo Gibson was caught elbowing Chicago's Eric Lukin in the third period and was ejected from the game. On the ensuing power play Chile Farias scored a three point shot and the Comets were down 11-0 after three quarters. Vahid Assadpour was inserted as the sixth attacker, but Alex Megson completed his hat trick shortly after. Brian Harris avoided the shutout for the Comets, scoring with 6.2 seconds remaining in the quarter, but it was not close to enough as Missouri loses 13-2.
The Comets will be able to rebound on Sunday when they face their rivals to the south, the Wichita Wings at 3:10pm. It is the final game of the I-35 series, sponsored by Independence Tourism. With a win, the Comets will clinch a playoff spot for the third straight season and the Turnpike Trophy for the second straight season.

Comets Look To Clinch Playoff Berth

The Missouri Comets face two important games as they prepare for the final weekend of the MISL regular season, with the Chicago Soul the first visitor to the Independence Events Center on Friday night at 7:35 p.m. CT. Friday's game matches the third and fourth seed in the MISL playoff brackets, while Sunday afternoon's clash at 3:10 p.m. CT is the final match of the season between the Comets and their long-time rivals, the Wichita Wings.
The top four teams in the MISL qualify for the postseason tournament. With the top two seeds locked up by Baltimore and Milwaukee, the Comets and Soul are battling to lock down their spots in the playoffs. Missouri just needs one win in its final three games to clinch a playoff berth. If that win comes on Friday night against Chicago, the team will also guarantee itself the No. 3 seed. Chicago needs to win all three of its final games, two of them against the Comets, to take third place. That task was made a little harder this week with the suspension of three Soul players following an incident after their game last week.
Friday is also Alan Mayer night. The Comets continue to support and honor their rich indoor soccer history by retiring the number of another of their greatest players.  Mayer was best known as the goalkeeper who wore a helmet in his matches, but he was an outstanding player who backstopped some of the greatest defenses in the original Major Indoor Soccer League. The team will celebrate his career and lift his number to the rafters at halftime.
Sunday is the final game of this season’s I-35 Series, sponsored by Independence Tourism. Missouri holds a 3-2 advantage against the Wings in the series and can earn the Turnpike Trophy for the second straight season with a win at the Independence Events Center. With 16 points in his last five games, Wings captain, Frederico Moojen, hopes to lead his team to a strong season finish. He will have a tough task though, as Comets defender/forward Leo Gibson has 21 points of his own in the last six games as shows no signs of slowing down.
Due to the severe weather in the Kansas City metro area, the Comets offices are closed today, but fans can still purchase tickets for either of this weekend’s games by visiting CometsIndoorSoccer.com or emailing tickets@kcprosoccer.com.

Comets' Gibson Named Player Of The Week, Waltman Joins Him On MISL Team of the Week

The Major Indoor Soccer League announced today that Missouri Comets defender Leo Gibson has been named the league’s Player of the Week for the 16th week of the 2012-13 season. Gibson recorded his sixth hat trick of the season as the Comets snapped the Milwaukee Wave’s 16-game winning streak on Sunday afternoon at the Independence Events Center.
The Comets fell behind to a pair of goals by Ian Bennett, but Gibson led the fight-back in the second quarter. Gibson scored both goals as Missouri was able to draw level at the halftime break, the second coming while the Comets were shorthanded. The shorthanded goal was a league-leading fifth by Missouri this season.
The goals gave the Comets momentum into the second half, and Gibson capped his night with what proved to be an insurance tally on a fourth-quarter power play that gave his side a five-point lead with a little more than five minutes to play.
Gibson was joined on the Team of the Week by teammate Danny Waltman who recorded 13 saves, including some vital stops in the second half. Baltimore’s Ptah Myers was named for a second consecutive week with Gibson in the defensive unit after recording a pair of goals in the Blast’s 12-6 win against Wichita on Saturday night.
Syracuse’s forward pair of Andriy Budnyy and Kenardo Forbes both earned selection after scoring the crucial goals in the Silver Knights’ 17-15 overtime victory against Rochester. Budnyy’s second goal of the game tied the match 15-15 with 12 seconds to play, and Forbes notched the overtime winner a little more than five minutes into the extra session.
Rochester’s Gary Boughton completed the lineup despite the Lancers’ defeat, with the athletic midfielder recording a seven-point night against Syracuse that included a 3-point goal and a pair of assists.
The 2012-13 MISL season continues on Friday night as the Wichita Wings visit the Syracuse Silver Knights at The Oncenter at 7:30 p.m. ET in a game that will see the loser eliminated from playoff contention. Missouri can clinch the No. 3 seed in the playoffs that night as they host the Chicago Soul at the Independence Events Center at 8:35 p.m. ET.
Saturday night sees the Baltimore Blast and Milwaukee Wave clash for the final time this regular season, with the Blast needing victory at 1st Mariner Arena at 7:35 p.m. ET to maintain a chance at earning top spot in the standings. Sunday then sees the Wave move on to face the Rochester Lancers at the Blue Cross Arena at 4 p.m. ET in a must-win game for the Lancers’ playoff chances, while the Comets and Wings conclude their regular-season series at the Independence Events Center at 4:10 p.m. ET.

Comets Snap Wave's Winning Streak

The Missouri Comets took a big step towards the MISL Playoffs with a 17-9 victory against the Milwaukee Wave in front of 3,892 fans at the Independence Events Center on Sunday afternoon. Leo Gibson scored his league-leading sixth hat trick of the season, and the Comets ended a modern-era MISL record 16-game winning streak for the Wave.
The Comets have jumped out to fast starts before, especially at home. Lately though, they have faltered late, dropping four of their last five games. On Sunday night, the Wave jumped out to the fast start. Ian Bennett found himself in the right spot twice in the first nine minutes of the game to bag a pair of goals, while Marcel Feenstra played well in the net for the Wave, saving seven Comets shots and preserving a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was a reverse of the first. The Wave tried to apply pressure on the Comets to put the game away early, and saw several opportunities turned away by Comets defenders, only allowing one shot on goalkeeper Danny Waltman that he was easily able to save.  At the other end, Vahid Assadpour and Gibson paired up twice as Gibson twice found the back of the net, once shorthanded, to tie the game, 4-4, at the midway point.
The Comets then grabbed their first lead of the game early in the second half when Ryan Junge cleared a ball from his defensive zone all the way to a waiting Byron Alvarez on the far yellow line. Collecting the pass, he beat a diving Feenstra only 31 seconds in, making it 6-4. Former Comets forward Bryan Perez, playing in his first game with the Wave, tied it up two minutes later, but the Comets took the lead for good when John Sosa fed a beautiful pass to Mads Falck who buried the shot from the left side into the right corner of the net. His goal put the Comets up 8-6 at the end of three quarters.
The Wave had not entered the fourth quarter on the losing side of the scoreboard very often this season. The Comets knew they needed to keep up the pressure to walk away with a win on the afternoon.  Alvarez helped them do just that, knocking in his second of the night two minutes into the quarter to put the Comets up 10-6.  Bennett completed his hat trick with a 3-point shot three minutes later to get the Wave within 10-9, but Assadpour put Missouri back up by three points when he scored in the eighth minute. Gibson followed that up after that, completing his hat trick, before Assadpour put the final nail in the coffin when he scored a 3-point lob from his own yellow line over the Wave’s sixth attacker with less than 10 seconds remaining.
The 17-9 victory is the Comets’ 11th of the year and the Wave’s third loss. The Comets only need one more victory to assure them of a spot in the MISL’s postseason tournament.
The Comets have two games at home next weekend, facing the Chicago Soul on Friday night at 7:35 p.m. CT and the Wichita Wings on Sunday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. CT.  Friday night is Alan Mayer night, and the team will be honoring one of the best players to ever play for the Comets, goalkeeper Alan Mayer. Sunday is the final game of the I-35 Series, when the Comets look to win the season series between Missouri and Wichita.

Comets Race Towards Playoffs

The Missouri Comets are set to play the MISL-leading Milwaukee Wave at the Independence Events Center this Sunday, February 17th at 3:10pm. The game will be the Comets Annual PINK game. Comets players will be wearing special pink jerseys that fans will be able to purchase in a LIVE auction immediately following the game.
The Milwaukee Wave come into the Independence Events Center with the league's longest winning streak at 16 games. This is the first of five straight road games for the Wave that will take them through the end of February. In order to be successful, the Comets will need to find a way to stop Luan Oliveira on Sunday. The rookie leads the team with 53 points and notched six points against Missouri on February 2nd.
After defeating Milwaukee at U.S. Cellular Arena in overtime on November 11th, the Comets have not been able to match the feat in two more attempts this season. They came close on February 2nd when they battled back and forth for three quarters with the Wave. Ultimately, they fell 29-15 after the Comets pulled goalkeeper Danny Waltman for the sixth attacker and the Wave took advantage of the open net.
Milwaukee has clinched a spot in the four-team MISL Playoff tournament. The Comets currently sit in third place, one game ahead of the Chicago Soul and 2.5 games ahead of the Rochester Lancers with four games left to play in the regular season.
For the second straight season, the Comets will auction off their special Pink game jerseys immediately following the game, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation (TAKE Foundation). Fans can purchase tickets by visiting CometsIndoorSoccer.com or calling 855.4KC.GOAL (855.452.4625).

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.

The Comets' Gibson Named To MISL Team Of The Week

The Major Indoor Soccer League announced today the lineup for Week 14's Team of the Week. Missouri's Leo Gibson claimed Team of the Week honors for a third consecutive week after his hat trick, and game-winning goal, led the Comets to a 12-11 win against the Rochester Lancers on Friday night. Gibson now leads all defenders with 58 points this season, and has set a new Comets' record with four hat tricks in a season.

Baltimore Blast defender Mike Lookingland has been named the league's Player of the Week for the 14th week of the 2012-13 season. Lookingland had three goals, one assist and three blocks as the Blast eked out a pair of victories against Syracuse this past weekend.

Joining Lookingland on the Team of the Week is his teammate William Vanzela, who was in goal for both of the Blast's victories this weekend. Vanzela, who sits second in the MISL with an 8.51 goals-against average, recorded 28 saves in the two victories this weekend, conceding just seven goals.

Milwaukee's Luan Oliveira was also named to the Team of the Week for a second consecutive week after helping Milwaukee extend its winning streak to 15 games against Missouri on Saturday. The rookie had two goals and two assists, moving him into the league's Top 10 with 52 points this season.

Rounding out the team are forwards Bato Radoncic of Chicago and Andrew Hoxie of Wichita. Radoncic had a pair of goals for the Soul as they edged out the Wings 8-6 Thursday night, while Hoxie helped keep his side's postseason hopes alive as he scored a hat trick in Wichita's 14-11 win against Rochester on Saturday.

The Comets return to the Independence Events Center on February 10th at 3:10pm. The first 1,500 fans to the game, being sponsored by Citizens Bank & Trust, will receive special Citizens Banks, and a few of them will have great prizes inside. For tickets and information call 855.4KC.GOAL .

All of this weekend's action can be seen on MISLNation.com, with in-game updates available on Twitter (@MISLSoccer) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/MajorIndoorSoccerLeague).

MISL Team of the Week

Pos. Player Team Highlights

GK William Vanzela Baltimore Recorded 28 saves in two wins for the Blast

D Leo Gibson Missouri Had hat trick, including game-winner, against Lancers

D Mike Lookingland Baltimore Seven points, three blocks in pair of wins vs. Syracuse

M Luan Oliveira Milwaukee Had six-point night to lead Wave past Comets

F Bato Radoncic Chicago Pair of goals helped Soul past Wings

F Andrew Hoxie Wichita Recorded a hat trick against Lancers in 14-11 win

Honorable Mention - Baltimore: Adauto Neto, Tony Donatelli; Chicago: Aaron Nichols, Matt Stewart; Milwaukee: Hewerton, Israel Sesay; Missouri: Vahid Assadpour, Lucas Rodriguez; Rochester: Alan McGreal, Mauricio Salles; Syracuse: Neto; Wichita: Kareem Yearwood, Miguel Ferrer.