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.

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 Lose Heartbreaker

The Missouri Comets suffered a heartbreaking loss on Saturday evening to their rival, the Wichita Wings. Leo Gibson scored three goals, John Sosa had three assists, but they were ultimately done in by the Wings 12-11 in a game that was in doubt until the final buzzer sounded.

The Comets started the game extremely aggressively, winning nearly every 50/50 ball and getting off several shots. In the first quarter they outshot the Wings 12-5, with Leo Gibson getting his first goal on the night with four seconds left in the quarter.

The Wings turned the momentum around in the second quarter. Kevin Ten Eyck and Frederico Moojen each scored to take over the lead five minutes into the second quarter. Seven minutes later, Edvin Worley took advantage of the open space after Comets' defender, Cristiano, was shoved off the ball. He was able to come in one-on-one against Comets' goalkeeper Boris Pardo and increased the Wings lead to 6-2. Leo Gibson got his second goal of the night from John Sosa a minute later to get within two points of the tie and the teams went into halftime with a Wings 6-4 lead.

Shortly before the half ended, Wichita's Moojen was sent to the penalty box for accumulating four fouls in the half. The Comets started the second half with a one man advantage for one and half minutes, but they only needed 15 seconds as the Sosa to Gibson connection once again connected for a goal and evened up the score. The Wings went ahead again shortly after that, but a Vahid Assadpour rocket from beyond the arc gave the Comets their second lead of the night (9-8) with eight minutes left in the quarter. They were not able to hold on to the lead, though as Andre Berenzon scored his first goal in a Wings uniform shortly before the quarter ended and regained the lead 10-9.

Victor Quiroz opened up the fourth quarter scoring for the Wichita Wings, despite the efforts of the Comets attack. Now needing to come back from a 12-9 deficit, they team pushed hard into their attacking third of the field, but were unable to get open looks as the Wings collapsed their defense in front of their goalkeeper. It didn't make matters easier when forward Byron Alvarez was sent off for accumulating three cards in the game. Despite being down a man, the Comets continued to pressure and forward Ramone Palmer was able to get the Comets to within one, 12-11. With only ten seconds remaining the Comets thought they had a chance, getting a restart at the top of the arc. Kevin Ten Eyck threw himself in front of the last second shot and preserved the victory for the Wings. Comets fall 12-11 tonight, but still lead the I-35 series three games to two.

Missouri returns home next Saturday, January 19th in the annual Retro Game. The players will be wearing jerseys inspired by the 1992-93 NPSL Champion Kansas City Attack. Fans can take these jerseys home with them in a LIVE auction immediately following the game. At halftime Comets and Attack alumni will play a spirited exhibition game. Kickoff is set for 7:35pm.

Comets Take Big Win Against Wings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wichita Travels North To Battle Comets

The Wichita Wings will be traveling for their first game of the New Year to take on the Missouri Comets this Sunday, January 6th. This will be the fourth meeting between the two clubs this season with Missouri leading the series, 2-1. Sunday's game is set to play at the Independence Event Center, kickoff scheduled for 3:10 p.m.

The Wings three game win streak was broken in their most recent match against the Milwaukee Wave on New Year's Eve. The match showed an extreme battle of defense, resulting in a low scoring affair with the Wave shutting out the Wings with a 4-0 lead going into halftime. In the third quarter, Freddy Moojen finally came up with an answer for the Wings with their first goal of the game to bring the score, 2-4. Andrew Hoxie would continue Wichita's offensive attack by scoring the equalizer to tie the game 4 all with five minutes left in the third quarter. Luan Oliveira scored a goal for the Wave with seconds left in the third quarter to put the Wave back on top ending the third period 6-4. With his first goal on the night, Miguel Ferrer tied the score again at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Wave's Jonathan Greenfield responded with a 3-point goal to pull ahead 9-6 late in the game. In the end, Israel Sesay's first career goal on an empty net would solidify a 12-6 win for Milwaukee.

The Missouri Comets' last game resulted in a 17-9 win over the Syracuse Silver Knights, in their first home match after a four game road trip. The Comets controlled the pace in the first quarter as Mads Falck scored back-to-back goals along with a Byron Alvarez goal to enter the second quarter with a 6-0 lead. Syracuse charged back with five points in under three minutes into the second quarter and continued to push Missouri as they outscored the Comets four to two in the third quarter to take a 9-8 lead heading into the fourth. The Comets finished the game strong against the Silver Knights, scoring nine unanswered points in the fourth quarter including huge goals from Ryan Junge and Cristiano. Alvarez, finishing the game with eight points, was the main catalyst on the night for the Comets in a 17-9 Comets victory over the Silver Knights.

The last time these two clubs met on December 21, Wichita held Missouri to four points; only the second time this season Missouri has scored four points or less. The Wings have played the Comets in Independence Events Center once so far this season, and while they started out hot with a 13-0 lead and gave up the win to the Comets who scored 16 points unanswered to ultimately end the match with an 18-15 win. The fireworks will continue on Sunday when this heated rivalry is renewed on Missouri's pitch.

Key match-ups - Wings Defense vs. Byron Alvarez Sanaldo and the Wings defenders played a key role in Wichita's last game against Missouri on December 21. Thanks to a total of 17 blocks by Wings players, led by defender Victor Quiroz with four, Sanaldo only faced 15 shots saving 13 of them. Missouri's Byron Alvarez enters the game second in the league in scoring with 47 points, 11 of which have come against the Wings. Another solid defensive performance by the Wings will be the key to a victory on Sunday, especially if they can stifle Alvarez offensively.

Comets Kick Off New Year With Rival Wichita

The Missouri Comets get 2013 started with a visit from their southern rivals, the Wichita Wings, this Sunday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. CT at the Independence Events Center. These two teams opened the season with a home-and-home series, with the Comets winning both matches. However, a December 21st tilt in Wichita saw the Comets unable to overcome an early deficit and went home with a 10-4 loss.

The Wings' roster is packed with offensive talent, including current MISL Player of the Week, Frederico Moojen and last season’s MVP, Geison. Despite this, the Wings will enter this game with the league’s second-lowest goal total. They average only 4.7 goals per game, fewer than any other team in the MISL.

The Comets' offense, led by Byron Alvarez and directed by team captain Vahid Assadpour ranks third in the MISL with 73 goals scored this season. Recent road trips and injuries have led to some defensive lapses. December was certainly not kind to the team. Now, fully recovered and restocked with talent, the team is ready to right the ship and build on its outstanding 4-1 record at home this season.

Sunday’s game kicks off at 3:10 p.m. CT and the first 3,000 fans will receive a free nesting doll featuring Comets’ stars Brian Harris, Ryan Junge and Boris Pardo. Tickets can be purchased by calling (855) KC-ARENA, visiting CometsIndoorSoccer.com or Ticketmaster.com.

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.

Comets Visit Rival Wings

The Missouri Comets head down the Kansas Turnpike to Wichita for an exciting match on Friday night at 7:35 p.m. CT. This battle between long-time rivals is the first matchup since the opening weekend of the season. The Comets started the season by pulling off one of the greatest comeback wins in team history at home, down 13-0 they scored 16 unanswered points for the eventual 18-15 win. Following that win, they went down to Wichita and soundly defeated the Wings 19-10.

Since that point, the Comets have added to their win column with some impressive wins over the Syracuse Silver Knights, the Chicago Soul and the defending champion, Milwaukee Wave. However, the east coast has not been kind to them and they are currently coming off a road trip that saw them lose to the Silver Knights and the Baltimore Blast.

The Wichita Wings come into this match with only two wins on their record, both against the Syracuse Silver Knights. In an effort to change their fortunes, they pulled off a landmark trade a few weeks ago, sending former Comets Jamar Beasley and Bryan Perez to Syracuse for Matt Clare and Andre Berenzon. While Berenzon is still trying to find his footing in Wichita, Clare has started his Wings career with a bang, scoring a pair of 3-point goals and an assist in his only game with the team.

For the Comets to be successful, they need to stop Andrew Hoxie, who scored a hat trick in both games earlier this season. The Comets will also have to re-discover their scoring ways. After averaging 16 points scored per game in their first four games, they have only scored an average of 10 in their last six. Lucas Rodriguez and Vahid Assadpour will be key in creating opportunities for forwards Byron Alvarez and Will John. On the defensive side, goalkeeper Danny Waltman will be counting on his defense, led by Ryan Junge, Brian Harris and Leo Gibson, to keep the Wings offense in check.

Kickoff is at 7:35 p.m. CT at Wichita’s Hartman Arena. Fans can watch all the action online at MISLNation.com. The Comets’ fan club, Comets Nation, will also be hosting a watch party at Coach’s Bar & Grill.

Wichita Seeks Vengeance Against Rival Comets

The Wichita Wings (2-6) return home this Friday night for a huge match against the rival Missouri Comets (5-5) in Hartman Arena; Kickoff scheduled for 7:35 p.m. (CST). This will be the first meeting between the two clubs since they opened the season with a home and home series dominated by the Comets. The first game saw the Wings jump out to a 13-0 lead in Missouri, only to fall 15-18 with an impressive comeback from the Comets. Two days later in Wichita the Comets won convincingly on the Wings' pitch, 19-10.

Despite a hot 4-0 start, Missouri comes into Friday's game losers of five of their six latest games, most recently defeated in their travels to Syracuse and Baltimore last weekend. In Syracuse on Friday, Missouri fell behind early, taking a 12-4 deficit into halftime. The Silver Knights would remain in control of the game throughout the second half, ultimately downing the Comets in a final score, 18-8. The following night in Baltimore was much the same for Missouri, as the league leading Blast handled the Comets with a 15-0 lead, disallowing goal for over 46 minutes. Missouri would attempt a comeback in the fourth quarter, but not before time expired as they dropped, 9-15 to the Blast.

Wichita is coming off a 10-6 loss to the Lancers in Rochester. The Wings fell behind early to the Lancers, and over the course of the game struggled to gain the momentum needed to walk away with a win. League leading scorer Doug Miller notched two goals for Rochester, the first coming off a restart in the first quarter and the second from a spectacular volley in the box from an assist off the boards by teammate Luis Enrique. Wichita responded in the second quarter with a beautiful play between Kareem Yearwood and captain, Freddy Moojen involving a perfectly placed cross from Yearwood to Moojen, allowing him to head the ball into the net to cut Rochester's lead in half. At halftime, the Wings remained down by two points with the Lancers still on top, 4-2. Moojen would add to his points for the night with a goal in the third quarter off a restart from the top of the arc to bring the score 4-8, Lancers. Geison contributed a goal two minutes into the final quarter off a power play to bring the Wings within two points of the Lancers. Despite the comeback, Wichita's chances to tie crumbled when defender, Alex Moseley, was blue carded for a hand ball and just seconds later a matching card penalized Edvin Worley, leaving the team down two players. Rochester made good on the two man advantage, putting the game out of reach for the Wings in a final score of 10-6.

Key Matchup: Wings Attack vs. Missouri Defense

Simply put, Wichita desperately needs to score more goals. The Wings are the only team in the MISL to score less than 10 points a game, currently averaging 8.6. Wichita has a perfect opportunity to improve that number on Friday against a Missouri defense that has given up 15, 18, and 24 points in their last three losses. Team captain, Freddy Moojen, scored twice against Rochester on Saturday, so watch for him to put points on the board against the Comets.

Players to Watch: Andrew Hoxie

Hoxie has played exceptionally well against Missouri this season. In the opening series with the Comets, he scored three goals in each match totaling 14 points, but has only scored three in the six games since. If Hoxie can regain his thrilling play against the Comets, Wichita could send Missouri to their third straight loss and a losing record.

Comets Win Opening Series

After battling so hard to overcome a 13-0 deficit in Friday’s win over the Wings, one had to wonder if the Comets would have enough to win in today’s match. After spotting the Wings 4 points in the first 5 minutes, it looked like the answer was no. Once again, the Comets fought back and on the strength of goals from five different players, they come out 2-0 on the season with a 19-10 victory.

For the second straight game the Comets allowed Andrew Hoxie to establish his presence early in front of the net. He scored two goals at point-blank range against Comets’ goalkeeper Danny Waltman in the first five minutes. This time, the Comets fought back right away. Mads Falck scored his first MISL goal in the seventh minute, then Vahid Assadpour found the net two minutes later on a short-handed opportunity to tie the game.  Bryan Perez momentarily regained the lead for the Wings, but it was the last lead of the day for the Wings. While the clock was winding down the Comets pressured Wings’ goalkeeper Sanaldo with a flurry of shots. Will John was able to capitalize on the offensive pressure and tied the game at 6 points each with 15 seconds left in the quarter.

Both team defenses settled down in the second quarter and play opened up. The Wings and Comets battled back and forth with neither team able to take a clear advantage. The stalemate was broken up midway through the quarter when Byron Alvarez converted on a Penalty Kick. The Comets went into halftime with an 8-6 lead, but the momentum shift towards the Comets side was becoming apparent.

Overly dramatic halftime speeches were not necessary today. Coach Kim Roentved just wanted his team to keep playing fundamentally sound soccer.

“I told the boys that they know what level of soccer we are capable of and that we needed to come out hungry for more,” Roentved instructed.

The second half started just as Coach ordered. Leo Gibson took the ball from a Wings player in his own defensive third and found Alvarez in front of the Wings goal. Alvarez calmly headed the ball to the far post, out of Sanaldo’s reach. Danny Waltman had been playing aggressively all night and halfway through the quarter the referees thought he was a little too aggressive. Waltman was given a two minute penalty after a one-on-one battle with Jamar Beasley. Geison converted the resulting shootout to cut the score to 10-8. That was the closest Wichita would get. The Comets converted two Power Play opportunities after that, one from Lucas Rodriguez and another from Gibson.

Leading 14-8 going into the fourth quarter, the Comets employed a defense first strategy that frustrated the Wings offense. Shot after shot was taken, but not many made it all the way to Waltman as the Comets’ defense stood tall. Hoxie completed his second straight hat trick with a Power Play goal in the third minute to make the score 14-10.  With the Sixth Attacker on the field in the closing minutes of the quarter the Comets once again jumped on the offensive with scores from Assadpour and Brian Harris, Assadpour’s was a three pointer.

The Comets walk away from this one with a 19-10 victory and will take their 2-0 record into Milwaukee next Sunday at 3:00pm. They will return home on November 16 to welcome the Syracuse Silver Knights to the Independence Events Center.  It is the Comets’ 2nd Annual Blue-Out Night and all fans are encouraged to wear their Comets blue as they cheer on the home squad.

Comets Make Dramatic Comeback Against Wichita

For the first quarter and a half of play it looked like the Comets season debut was not going to be one they would want to remember. Midway through the second quarter they found themselves down 13-0.  Coach Kim Roentved wouldn’t allow his team to get down on themselves as they scored 16 unanswered points for an eventual 18-15 Opening Night victory.

The Comets vs Wings rivalry was reborn last season with some of the most exciting games in the league all year. This year’s matchups were sure to be just as thrilling as both teams seemed to add firepower over the offseason. The Wings signed Geison and Tiguinho away from the Comets and, in turn, Roentved went all the way to Denmark to add to his team’s arsenal with forwards Mats Falck and Kevin Jorgensen.

The Wings seemed to have the upper hand throughout the first quarter, even though the Comets were outshooting them 7-4. Andrew Hoxie started it off with a three point goal in the second minute, and then Geison beat his former goalkeeper Danny Waltman five minutes later for a 5-0 first quarter score.

It didn’t get any better for the Comets in the second quarter. Brady Bryant, Hoxie and Tiguinho each had tallies in the first ten minutes before Hoxie completed his hat trick in the eleventh minute for the 13-0 lead. Comets’ Captain Vahid Assadpour kept his team alive as he fed Byron Alvarez and Leo Gibson late in the quarter. When the halftime buzzer went off it was 13-4 Wichita.

Kim Roentved is known for being great at many things and after tonight, motivational speaker might have just been added to the list. Whatever he said in the locker room, it made the Comets come out with a passion and excitement that had been missing up until that point. Two minutes in, John Sosa found the back of the net off a pass from recently acquired Will John.  John scored a goal of his own at the twelve minute mark off a restart. Then Ryan Junge followed thirty seconds later with a shot hit so hard it might still be buried behind the goal in the Independence Events Center.

The fourth quarter began with the Comets down by one goal and suddenly everyone in the building began to believe that a home victory was within reach. Sosa scored his second of the night from newcomer Milan Ivanovic only five minutes in and completed the 16 point rally to put the Comets ahead. Alvarez added his second of the night four minutes later to give his side a two goal cushion. As the Wings pushed to try and regain what at one time seemed an insurmountable lead, Danny Waltman proved once again why many think he is the best goalkeeper in the league. He made several saves, including one diving to his right keeping the ball inches from going in. Although Geison added his second goal on a penalty kick at the 14 minute mark, the Comets were able to hold off any other attempt at a Wichita comeback. Stefan Stokic finished off the scoring with 1.7 seconds left and the Comets walk away tonight 18-15 winners.

These two teams face each other again on Sunday afternoon in Wichita at 3:00pm. Fans can watch follow all the action on the Comets official Gameday Twitter account, @CometsGameday and watch live on MISLNation.com. The Comets return home on November 11th to face the Syracuse Silver Knights at 7:35pm.

Comets Eager For Season Opener

For the third straight season the Missouri Comets are kicking off the MISL Regular Season schedule as the team opens with a home-and-home weekend series against the Wichita Wings. The Comets play host at the beautiful Independence Events Center for Friday night’s matchup at 7:35 p.m. CT, then travel to Wichita’s Hartman Arena for Sunday’s tilt at 3:05 p.m. CT.
These teams are very familiar, having faced each other six times last season. The two teams are once again playing for the Turnpike Trophy, sponsored by the tourism departments of the City of Independence, Mo. and Park City, Kan. The Comets currently own the trophy by winning the head-to-head series four games to two last season, however Wichita won the final match of the series in front of an announced crowd of nearly 9,000 people at Sprint Center.
The Wings hope to continue their winning trend with the addition of former Comets’ players Geison and Tiguinho, while retaining stars like goalkeeper Sanaldo Carvalho and 2011-2012 All-Rookie Defender Kevin Ten Eyck.
Missouri has had a busy offseason as well. A summer trip back home for coach Kim Roentved led to the signing of two Danish forwards, Kevin Jorgensen and Mads Falck. Both players have extensive experience at the highest levels of European and International Futsal and are excited to bring their skills to the MISL.
“It is a little different than Futsal, but Danny (Waltman), Brian (Harris) and the rest of the guys have really helped us to get adjusted,” said Jorgensen. “We’re really looking forward to playing in front of the home fans. They have already been very supportive and encouraging to us.”
Tickets are still available for tomorrow night’s match. Fans can call 855-KC-ARENA (522-7362) for information. For more information about the Comets, visit www.cometsindoorsoccer.com.

Wichita Wings Ready To Renew Rivalry With The Comets

The Wichita Wings of the Major Indoor Soccer League will begin their 2012-2013 campaign with a two-game series against the Missouri Comets in opening weekend play for the MISL. The two games, scheduled for Friday night and Sunday afternoon, will undoubtedly spark excitement as the two clubs continue their fierce rivalry.
The Wings will travel to Independence, Mo., home of the Comets, on Friday for the first game of the weekend doubleheader. Kickoff for Friday’s game is set for 7:35 p.m. (CST) at the Independence Events Center. Following Friday night’s game, the Wings will return to Hartman Arena for their home opener on Sunday afternoon, with a kickoff scheduled for 3:05 p.m. (CST).
With the home opener also come memories of the Wings’ home opener against the Comets last year. In that match, Wichita fell to the Comets in overtime by a final score of 16-14. Wichita played Missouri in a total of six games last season, winning two.
New additions to the Wings’ roster will be crucial to bolster both the squad and their win record over Missouri this season. Reigning League MVP and former Comets player, Geison De Carvalho Moura, joins the Wings for the 2012-2013 season. Geison was a leading scorer for the Comets both of his last two years with Missouri, helping take the Comets to back-to-back playoff berths. Last year, Geison totaled an astonishing 90 points off four 3-point goals, 33 2-point goals and 12 assists. Wichita has also added fire power to its squad with the signings of midfielder Tiguinho from Missouri, midfielder Miguel Ferrer, formally with Norfolk, forward Andrew Hoxie from Rochester and others. Along with several returning players, the Wings will look to make a statement this weekend against an always competitive Comets team.