Kansas City Comets open MASL playoffs with overtime victory against Utica City FC
Nacho Flores’ overtime winner effectively rescued the Kansas City Comets on Monday night at Cable Dahmer Arena.
The Comets beat Utica City FC 5-4 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, taking a giant step toward earning a spot in the Major Arena Soccer League’s conference finals.
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals is set for Monday at Utica. A win by the Comets win would clinch the series.
A strong defensive effort kept the Comets afloat in Game 1 of the Ron Newman Cup playoff series — especially during KC’s quiet second half. Coach Stefan Stokic was happy his team found a way to win but knows improvements must be made.
“It wasn’t our best game,” Stokic said. “We could have played a lot better, especially in the third quarter. We started playing a little better in the last seven minutes of the game.
“We have to find a way not to let that happen again.”
The Comets pulled ahead 3-0 in the first quarter and everything was going as planned — they had a three-goal lead at halftime. That advantage slowly evaporated, however as Utica City scored two in the third period and one early in the fourth while the Comets’ offense fell silent in the second half of regulation.
The Comets kept their hopes alive and got the game to overtime. After more than 30 minutes without scoring, the home team finally found the golden breakthrough at a critical time.
Flores pounced on a rebound inside the box, smashing a side-volley with his right foot into the back of the net. It was a story of redemption for the Comets captain, who missed a big chance from a shootout in the third quarter.
“I had to overcome that situation,” he said.
Despite scoring twice, Flores held himself accountable for some lapses on Monday but is focused on closing out the series in Game 2.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” Flores said. “We’re one step closer, which is huge, but we want to make it a two-game series, not three.”
If the Comets lose the second game of this two-game series, the teams will play a 15-minute knockout game to decide who advances to face the Milwaukee Wave in the conference finals.
Next Monday’s game in New York begins at 5 p.m. and can be streamed on Twitch. Go to kccomets.com and follow the Comets on social media to stay up to speed on the latest news.