Comets Win Big Over the Ambush

The Comets got themselves a record win tonight at the Independence Events Center against cross state rivals, St. Louis. The Comets set a team record for the largest margin of victory, topping the Ambush by 24 points, winning 26-2.

The Ambush took the lead just a minute and twenty seconds into the game as Kory Dowell fired a shot past Danny Waltman to give the Ambush what would be their only lead and only goal of the game. The Comets dominated much of the first quarter but had to wait until just over nine minutes in before finding the net. Stefan St. Louis set up the goal by racing down into the corner before firing in a cross that bounced around for a second in the box before Brian Harris stuck out a knee and knocked it towards goal where it bounced off the post, an Ambush defender and in to get the Comets level. With just over a minute left, the Comets grabbed the lead. St. Louis received the ball at the yellow line, was able to cut inside his defender and got off a shot that surprised Jeff Richey in the Ambush net as he was frozen and the Comets went up 4-2.

The second quarter saw the Comets extend their lead as Leo Gibson dribbled across the top of the box before firing pass Richey to make it 6-2 just over five minutes in. The Comets dominated the rest of the quarter but didn't extend their lead until late in the quarter went Gibson turned provider, firing a ball to the ball post, where Vahid Assadpour had beaten his defender and tapped in to make it 8-2 at half time.

The third quarter saw the Comets really pile on. Just 13 seconds in they added another goal. Ramone Palmer won the ball and then turned his defender around before firing past Richey to make it 10-2. As the quarter went on the Comets got what was basically back to back 5 on 4 advantages. They didn't take advantage of the first one, but the second one they did as Gibson again found Assadpour for his second of the night to make it 12-2. Less than a minute later, Lucas Rodriguez got in on the scoring. After a Brian Perez shot was hit into the glass above the goal, Rodriguez beat everyone to the ball and headed it past Richey and into the net to give the Comets a 12 point lead. Later in the half, the Comets found themselves down a man, but still were able to find the net, not once but twice. As the Ambush pushed the game up a man, the Comets struck on the counter. First on a long distribution by Danny Waltman, he found Harris, who took a touch and fired a rocket into the net to make it 16-2. Still short handed the Comets again struck on the break, and again it was through Harris. This time, Gibson won the ball and played the ball through to an on rushing Harris who touched the ball past Richey and into the net for his hattrick.

The fourth quarter saw the Comets extend their lead even further. Gibson picked up his fourth assist of the game as he set up St. Louis with his second of the game just before the 5 minute mark to make it 20-2. Just after the half way mark in the quarter, Alex Megson got on the scorers sheet, turning in a back post cross by Coady Andrews to give the Comets a 20 point lead. St. Louis made it a set of hattricks for Missouri on the night as he finished off a chance from Andre Braithwaite with a shot through Richey's five hole to make it 24-2. Andrews closed out the scoring after a long pass from Byron Alvarez, Andrews slid the ball into the net to make it 26-2. The Comets were able to coast the rest of the way as the Ambush found themselves down a man for most of the last two and a half minutes. The 24 point margin of victory is a record for the reborn Comets, topping a 21 point win in 2012. At the end of the night, just two of the Comets players who played tonight (Robert Palmer and Stefan Stokic) finished without at least a point. The win also clinched the season series against St. Louis with two games left as the Comets are 4-0 this season against the Ambush.