Comets Cruise Past Another Former PASL Team

So far, the merger between the MISL and PASL has been no big thing for the Missouri Comets. Tonight was the Comets fifth game against a former PASL team (their other game was against MASL opponent, the Milwaukee Wave). In those five games, the Comets had won by an average of eight goals. In their loan home game they won by 10. The trend continued tonight as the Comets won their sixth of the season, topping the Chicago Mustangs 15-6 at the Independence Events Center.

From the start of the game, the Comets came out with high pressure, leading to some good opportunities, but Jesus Flores in the Chicago goal made some good saves. An early penalty on the Mustangs' Bryan Moya put the Comets on the power play and just three minutes in, Missouri grabbed the lead. Vahid Assadpour had a shot blocked but it went right into the path of Leo Gibson who put the rebound away to make it 1-0 Comets. With the one goal lead, the Comets kept up the high pressure, pinning the Mustangs in their own end. The high pressure caused all sorts of problems for Chicago's goalkeeper, Flores and six minutes in, two mistakes less than 30 seconds apart saw the Comets not just double, but triple their lead. First after some pressure, Flores gave the ball away to Assadpour who touched it past his defender and buried it. Then Max Touloute won another distribution from Flores, he played the ball ahead to Robert Palmer. Palmer touched it back to Touloute who fired a shot just wide. Palmer though followed the shot and put the rebound away to make it 3-0. Chicago though came right back for the third goal in less than a minute as Moya got played behind Missouri's defense and fired a shot past Danny Waltman at the near post. The Comets though kept up their pressure and immediately responded as Kiel Williams knocked a ball home after Waltman cleared a ball up field. Just over nine minutes in, the Comets made it 5-1. Alain Matingou picked up the ball in the Comets defensive third and proceeded to dribble the length of the floor before knocking it into the net off the post. A minute later, Flores was again at fault as he didn't get enough on a clearance. Gibson picked it up and laid it into the middle for Bryan Perez who knocked it home to make it 6-1. Only 40 seconds after that, Brian Harris finished off the scoring in the first quarter, firing a rocket from outside the yellow line to make it 7-1. Late in the first quarter, Moya picked up his second blue card of the game for tripping.

In the second quarter, the Comets took advantage of the power play as Perez scored his second of the match. Gibson and Touloute combined in the corner before Touloute played a ball to the back post for Perez who tapped it home to make it 8-1. The Comets found themselves on the power play near the midpoint of the quarter. Waltman made a good save with his knee, knocking the ball up field to Gibson who was at midfield. Gibson raced in on Flores, as he rounded the keeper, he was brought down, bringing out the blue card and a shootout attempt. On the shootout, Gibson calmly dribbled in, rounded Flores and scored to make it 9-1. The Comets faced a shootout of their own and a power play after Matingou brought down Efrain Martinez. The PASL MVP took the shootout, but attempted to lay it off to an on rushing Moya, who put his shot wide of goal. The Comets proceeded to kill off the power play with Waltman coming up with a number of good saves. Late in the quarter, the Comets added to their lead. Perez dribbled the ball down the wing into the corner before playing a ball into the middle. The ball went unde a sliding Flores to Matingou in the middle of the box who touched it home to make it 10-1 as the teams headed into half time.

The third quarter aw the Comets lay back a little bit with the nine goal lead. They allowed the Mustangs to dictate much of the play, but the Comets defense held firm. Just over four minutes in though the Mustangs got caught with too many men on the field, putting the Comets on the power play again. Once again the Comets took advantage. Perez looking for his hattrick moved around his defender and fired a shot. His effort was blocked, but the rebound fell to Gibson who fired his shot into the far corner to make it 11-1. The Mustangs continued to have more possession in the third quarter as the Comets looked to rest their legs a bit with another game against The Tulsa Revolution tomorrow. Late in the quarter, the Mustangs finally started to make their shots count. First, on a counter, Bogar Moreno beat Waltman high to make it 11-2. Then with under 20 seconds left in the quarter, Luis Ortega fired a shot over Waltman to make it an eight goal game after three.

In the fourth quarter, the Mustangs looked to build on their play at the end of the third, but it was the Comets who were able to find the net first. Matingou raced down field on a counter before squaring a ball into the middle for Harris who touched it home to make it 12-3. Less than a minute later the Comets were back up by 10 as Andre Braithwaite won the ball in the Chicago half and touched the ball to Touloute. The Haitian dribbled in on goal, turned his defender and beat Flores to the near post to make it 13-3. Seconds later though the Mustangs had again cut into the lead as Miguel Vaca played a cross into the middle that Rodrigo Flores turned in. Near the midpoint of the half they made it an eight point game again as Joshio Sandoval beat Waltman to a high ball. The Comets though game right back themselves, just over a minute later making the score 14-5. The Comets broke on a 3v2 break after the Mustangs' had pressed the Comets. Milan Ivanovic led the counter before dishing it wide to Assadpour who fired it home. The Comets turned around and won another power play minutes later as Touloute was pushed down from behind. Gibson again stepped up to take the shootout. Gibson looked to lay it off for Touloute on the shootout, but Touloute put his shot off the wall. Seconds later though Gibson was able to poke a ball home to restore the 10 goal lead at 15-5. Late on, both teams had power plays as Coady Andrews and Omar Santillan both picked up blue cards for four fouls. The Mustangs finished their opportunity, spreading the ball around before Flroes scored his second of the game.Once Santillan got his, the Comets were able to just hold the ball the rest of the way on the power play, keeping possession and killing the clock to win and remain undefeated at 6-0 heading to Tulsa tomorrow.