Comets dominate Ambush 8-3 in season opener

The Kansas City Comets started the 2024-25 season off well with an 8-3 win over their cross-state rivals. The Comets demonstrated a strong offense and defense on the road at the St. Louis Ambush.

The Comets scored five straight in the first half before the Ambush woke up and pulled one back before halftime. Leo Acosta led the Comets in scoring with a pair of goals and a pair of assists while Kansas City goalkeeper Phillip Ejimadu was stellar, stopping 15 of 18 shots on his way to his first career MASL win.
“It was good,” head coach Stefan Stokic responded when asked about the match. “I still felt like we didn’t do our best, best. I would say that the idea is there, the mentality is there. We did great, don’t get me wrong. We just won eight to three. Defensively we were unbelievable, our double team worked against (Franck) Tayou, on the targets with the ball. I felt like we had a lot more movement. We had a little bit more creativity. We worked a lot on that, But I still felt like we could have done better at some moments.”

“There was a period there where we got scored on, two goals and our response was unbelievable. But we have to get away from that so that doesn’t happen. The thing that I’m actually most proud about is that we didn’t get scored on against the sixth attacker is number one. And then when we went 6v4, they didn’t get one shot off.”

Acosta scored the first goal of the MASL season just seven minutes into the first quarter. Michael Lenis took a restart from the corner and sliced the ball to Acosta who one-timed a low shot into the corner.

LEO ACOSTA WITH THE OPENING GOAL OF THE 2024-25 MASL SEASON@KCComets pic.twitter.com/XIwsFySI9q

— MASL (@MASLarena) November 29, 2024

Lucas Sousa was the next Comet to score on Ambush keeper Paulo Nascimento a couple minutes later. Former Ambush defender Marcel Berry made it 3-0 when he snatched up a Tayou mistake and scored on his old team at the 11:27 mark.

Rian Marques made it four in the first quarter with just seventeen seconds left. Acosta found the powerful Brazilian forward, enabling him to turn his defender and score from inside the box. Acosta picked up a second assist in the second quarter when his shot rebounded back to Lesia Thetsane who buried his turn in the net to make the lead 5-0.
Ambush newcomer Julio Varela ended the Ambush fecklessness with five minutes left in the second quarter. He was assisted by Lucas Almeida making the score 5-1 going into halftime.

Newly signed Ambush attacker Julio Varela snapped the Comets’ run with an assist by Lucas Almeida to close out scoring in the first half.
It took ten minutes into the third quarter before another scoring flurry started. For the Ambush it was a repeat of the previous goal with Varela benefitting from Almeida to make the game 5-2. Over the next few minutes, Acosta added his second goal on an amazing run before Almeida answered and scored one of his own. Zach Reget punched one under the keeper who could only watch it roll slowly across the goal line. Henry Ramirez added to the response to make it 8-3.

2023-24 co-Golden Boot winner Zach Reget doing Zach Reget things again
@KCComets pic.twitter.com/2AsJPf1Ae7

— MASL (@MASLarena) November 30, 2024

With the comfortable lead the Comets shut down the lanes and despite the Ambush’s best efforts (7 shots), Kansas City shut them out.

Acosta earned the first star by voters at the match in St, Charles but Ejimadu could have easily been the first star. He did earn the second star making 15 saves on 18 shots. Ejimadu got the start with Nicolau Neto held out as a precaution. Neto was on the bench and could have played but coach Stokic was being cautious with Neto who is suffered a minor injury in training.

Stokic didn’t change the game plan with Neto out. “Whatever keeper is in goal, we play the same way,” Stokic stated. “We demand the same thing so nothing changed tactically. We trust both of our keepers with their feet, with their hands and we don’t change anything.”

Coach did praise his keeper after the match. “He was unbelievable, the saves that he made. But to be honest, I expect that because I see him every day in training. I expect that he’s an unbelievable shot stopper. I felt like in the beginning, he was struggling with his feet. I think towards the end he got more comfortable and had the idea what we wanted. But his shot-stopping skills, there’s not a question for me. He’s probably one of the better ones in the league doing that.”

The Comets return home to host the Ambush Sunday at 5:00 PM at Cable Dahmer Arena for their 2024-25 Home Opener.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st – KC Acosta 1 (Lenis) 6:54; KC Sousa 1 (Pereira) 9:31; KC Berry 1 11:26; KC Marques 1 (Acosta) 14:43. Penalties – None.
2nd – KC Thetsane 1 (Acosta) 8:42 pp; STL Varela 1 (Almeida) 10:05. Penalties – STL U. Tayou (bc- tripping) 6:58.
3rd – STL Varela 2 (Almeida) 9:58; KC Acosta 2 (Ramirez) 13:01; STL Almeida 1 (Hundelt) 13:47; KC Reget 1 (Vandegriffe) 14:39; KC Ramirez 1 (Berry) 14:56. Penalties – None.
4th – None. Penalties – KC Lenis (bc- tripping).

Power Play – Comets 1/1, St. Louis 0/1
Penalty Minutes – Comets 2, St. Louis 2
Fouls – Comets 16, St. Louis 14
Shots – Comets 19, St. Louis 24
Attendance – 2,802