Poor Second Half Dooms Comets

Sorry I'm just reposting the press release today, not feeling the greatest this morning.

From the Comets.

(Syracuse, NY) The holiday season didn’t start off the way the Comets hoped it would as they lose to the Syracuse Silver Knights tonight 18-8. Cory Elenio and Savisa Ubiparapovic each had a hat trick for the Knights while Lucas Rodriguez led the Comets with 4points on two goals. The two teams battled hard for 30 minutes before Syracuse ran away with the score in the 2nd half.

Coming off a stretch where they lost six of their last seven games, the Syracuse Silver Knights started the game off with a high pressure attack that put the Comets on their heels. Halfway through the 1st quarter the Comets looked like they had solved the Knights tactics and Lucas Rodriguez put home a rebound to give the Comets the early 2-0 lead. The Comets pressured the Silver Knights immediately off the kickoff and it paid off when Geison was able to find the net only 17 seconds later and all of a sudden the Comets had a 4-0 lead. Andriy Budnyy was able to get it past Danny Waltman to get the Silver Knights on the board as the 1st quarter ended with the Comets leading 4-2.

The 2nd quarter ended up being a fierce battle between two teams anxious to get any advantage they could. Both teams adopted an aggressive approach that moved play up and down the arena floor and resulted in what was the most physical game for the Comets to date. Nine fouls were called between the two teams and all the scores were a direct result of those penalties. Syracuse’s Jeffrey Hughes scored off a restart, then Byron Alvarez converted a Penalty Kick for the Comets last lead of the night. Nelson Santana tied it up for the Knights on a Penalty Kick of his own and the half ended with the teams knotted up at 6.

Coach Kim Roentved probably wishes he could have packed up the team and started the Holiday weekend right then, because the 3rd quarter was all Syracuse. Four different players scored for the Knights as the high pressure attack returned caught the Comets out of position several times. In the 4th quarter the Comets tried to mount a comeback with Vahid Assadpour in as the sixth attacker. Lucas Rodriguez got his second of the night as the Comets cut the Silver Knights lead to 16-8, but Cory Elenio was able to beat the sixth attacker and put the final nail in the coffin as the Comets will return home with a 18-6 loss.

The Comets are finally back at the beautiful Independence Events Center this Wednesday December 28th to take on the Wichita Wings. It is also the 1st annual Media Game. Brett Anthony from NBC Action News, Bill Althaus from the Independence Examiner, Bryan Truta from JACK FM and Nick Vasos and Sarah Clark from Fox 4 will join more of your favorite media personalities in a short soccer exhibition at halftime. Kickoff is at 7:35pm. For tickets and information visit CometsIndoorSoccer.com

For more information about the Comets, Season Tickets or Group Outings please call Jeff Husted (816-478-7870) or email jhusted@cometsindoorsoccer.com.