November 25, 2022 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Kansas City Comets News Release
ST. CHARLES, MO. – The Comets (0-0-1) and Ambush (1-0-0) went to overtime in the first game of the MASL season to decide a winner and St. Louis claimed the victory by a 5-4 score in front of 2,782 fans at the Family Arena. The Comets came from behind twice to force the extra period led by a pair of goals from Lucas Sousa but came up short despite outshooting St. Louis 36-15.
A fast-paced first quarter ended scoreless with the Comets outshooting the Ambush by a 5-1 margin. Kansas City nearly had an early power-play opportunity when a blue card was shown to Marcel Berry but the card was reversed after video review, and the teams continued five-on-five.
The Ambush tallied the first goal of the MASL season just over a minute into the second quarter when Kevin Ellis connected with Tony Walls for the 1-0 lead.
It took St. Louis just 33 seconds into their first powerplay opportunity of the game to make it a 2-0 lead. After Nicolau Neto was shown a blue card for tripping, Walls was on the giving end this time for the Ambush and he sent a pass to Duduca Carvalho for the extra-man goal with 2:25 to go in the quarter.
The second time on the powerplay was not as advantageous for the Ambush. Off a restart, John Sosa slipped a pass to Nacho Flores directly in front of the net for a tap-in short-handed goal to cut the St. Louis lead in half at 2-1 with 0:41 left in the half. The Comets killed off the penalty and the teams went to the break with a one-goal St. Louis margin.
It was a quick goal again to start the third quarter for the Ambush when William Eskay converted on a Robert Kristo assist to put St. Louis in front 3-1 with 13:25 left in the frame. They almost took that lead to the final quarter but the Comets struck with 13 seconds left in the third.
Mike Da-Silva drew Ambush keeper Paulo Nascimento off his line with Sousa trailing to his left. He got the pass to Sousa who tapped it in a wide-open goal to make it a one-goal game headed to the final 15 minutes of regulation.
The Comets first and only opportunity on the powerplay came after St. Louis drew a blue card for too many men on the field. It was Da-Silva to Sousa again with the extra man advantage which tied the game at 3-3 with 9:11 left to play.
Less than two minutes later, Ado Jahic scored his first of two goals in the game to give the Ambush a one-goal margin again at 4-3 with 7:37 on the clock.
A late Comets goal for…