Comets Steamroll Revolution to Remain Unbeaten

It took a little while for the Missouri Comets to get going tonight against the Tulsa Revolution, but once they did, the Revolution didn't stand a chance as the Comets cruised to an 18-2 win over their Central division foe.

The Comets controlled play early, but the Revolution were up for the game. Just over five minutes in, new signing, Josh Gardner fired from long range to put the Comets up 1-0. They doubled their lead just over nine minutes in off a quick restart as Brian Harris fed the ball to Vahid Assadpour who scored his first of the night. Thirty seconds later though the Revolution were on the board after Danny Waltman couldn't hold onto an initial shot by Jose Junior, and Lucas Almeida turned it home to cut the lead in half. That's actually how the first quarter ended as the Comets looked to be going through the motions against an obviously inferior opponent.

The Comets though woke themselves up in the second quarter and did so quickly as Bryan Perez scored off an assist from Kiel Williams less than a minute in to make it 3-1. The Comets continued to press early in the quarter and were able to add to their lead. Just over two minutes in, John Sosa found the net off a feed from Gardner on a restart. Thirty seconds later, Andre Braithwaite cut inside his defender and curled a shot into the far corner past the goalkeeper to make it 5-1 Comets. The Comets continued to dominate play but were unable to add to their lead as the quarter continued to tick by. With less than five minutes left, it was the Revolution who got themselves back within three goals as Almeida fired a restart at the yellow line past Waltman and into the net to make it 5-2. That goal seemed to wake the Comets up as over the final three minutes of the quarter the Comets proceeded to find the net four more times to close the half out at 9-2. First Braithewaite scored his second of the game, again firing into the far corner after cutting inside. Leo Gibson then got himself on the goal scoring with a pair of goals. First one came off a restart, his first effort was saved by Richard Nolasco, but the rebound fell right back to him and he fired home. Then a minute later, Stefan Stokic headed a ball up field that got behind the Tulsa defender, Gibson hit the shot into the net on the side volley to make it 8-2. Finally, with just under a minute left, Alain Matingou finished off the scoring off an assist from Sosa on another restart, the Comets fourth of the night.

The third quarter saw the Comets continue to pressure the Revolution and they were rewarded by extending their lead. First Assadpour scored his second of the match off an assist from Gardner for the Comets' captain's second of the night to extend the lead to 10-2. The lead went to 11 when the Comets were on the power play just over five minutes in as Gardner knocked home a pass from Perez to get the power play goal. Milan Ivanovic got in on the effort less than seven minutes in, finishing off a wall pass from Stokic to make it 12-2. The Revolution just couldn't handle the Comets pressure nor the skill that they possessed. With just over five minutes late, Gibson set up Perez for his second of the game. Assadpour rounded out the scoring for the quarter on the power play finishing off his hattrick on another feed from Gardner to make it 14-2 after three quarters.

Like the second quarter, the Comets came out quick in the fourth, as Perez finished off a scoop pass from Gibson to finish off his hattrick and extend the lead to 15-2. The pressure continued and just over three minutes in, Braithwaite finished off his hattrick to make it 16-2. And less than a minute later, the Comets had their fourth hattrick of the night as Gardner got to a wall pass from Sosa first to knock the ball home to give him three goals to go with his three assists on the night.

Things took a bad turn for the Comets though shortly after that. Saving a shot from the Revolution, Waltman went down in his own box and stayed down. Waltman walked off under his own power, but was replaced in goal by defender Brian Harris as the team did not dress two goalkeepers. The Comets proceeded to play the final 10 plus minutes with the sixth attacker. The Comets didn't miss a beat though, keeping more possession with Harris in goal and they were even able to add to their lead to make it 18-2 as Matingou scored his second of the night off an assist from Gibson. During the media timeout in the fourth though there was more bad news for the Comets as Ivanovic walked off the bench and into the locker room with his left arm in a sling. Waltman (ankle) and Ivanovic (collar bone) will be evaluated this week, but with Coady Andrews and Ramoe Palmer still questionable for Friday night against St. Louis, the Comets injury woes continue. Still, with Harris in goal the Comets were able to easily handle the Revolution, who only managed two shots on Harris during his time in net as the Comets were able to take all the air out of the game and just kill it with possession on their way to their 12th win of the season.