April 10, 2023 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Utica City FC News Release
Utica, NY – In front of a packed, energized, and hope-filled crowd, Utica City FC opened their 2023 Ron Newman Cup Playoff campaign against the #5 seeded Kansas City Comets. In a tightly contested battle, it took overtime for Utica to prevail over KC by a score of 7-6.
Utica started the game quickly, carrying on the momentum from the last game. Bo Jelovac found himself with a clear opportunity just 27 seconds into the game, but fired a shot straight into the palms of Nicolau Neto. A minute later, Kansas City found itself down a man as Leo Gibson was carded for tripping. Even down a man, the Comets pressed hard and Rian Marques scored, only for the goal to be called back for a foul committed on Stefan Mijatovic in the build-up. In the same short-handed situation, Marques found himself free in the box again and made no mistake with this one, rifling a shot into the roof of the net. With no foul called on this play, Kansas City took a 1-0 lead at the 3:19 mark in the first quarter.
After the Marques goal, both teams settled into the game. With 5:38 left in the first quarter the Comets would get an opportunity with a shot from Mads Falck, but Utica keeper Andrew Coughlin got down to his left to make the save. However, Kansas City would keep up the pressure, and with 3:14 left in the first quarter Marques would roll his second goal of the day after getting past Mijatovic and passing the ball under a sliding Coughlin. The first quarter would end with the Comets holding a 2-0 advantage.
UCFC came out firing in the second quarter as a shot from Issak Somow forced Neto into a one-handed save. The Comets responded well, as Falck latched onto a volley that produced a great stretching save from Coughlin. Kansas City would then gain a free kick at the top of the box and Ray Lee would launch the ball around the wall and straight to the back of the net for a 3-0 lead only 2 minutes and 19 seconds into the quarter. On the Comets’s next offensive possession, Coughlin would make a point-blank save to deny KC’s Ramone Palmer.
Utica would get their first goal with 6:20 left in the first half. After a block on a set piece, Taylor Walter Bond played a spinning pass to Jelovac who made no mistake from close range. After curling the shot into the top left corner, the score sat 3-1 in favor of the Comets. UCFC would then get another goal just 2 minutes later, with Cristhian Segura beating Neto with…