How the Comets avenged their Ron Newman Cup Finals loss with win vs. Chihuahua Savage
Cable Dahmer Arena was rocking Saturday night as 5,194 soccer fans pushed the Kansas City Comets to a 5-2 victory over the Chihuahua Savage.
After a tough loss to Chihuahua in the 2024 Ron Newman Cup Finals — KC held one-goal leads in both games — the Comets’ weekend triumph was tinged with sweet revenge as KC beat an opponent it had never beaten before.
“I feel like something’s been pulled off my chest,” Comets coach Stefan Stokic said. “It’s been something that’s been hurting me since last season.”
The Comets’ performance resembled their final stretch of last season, where they won 10 straight. They put together an excellent four quarters in which Stokic’s team took it to another level with energy and attitude.
With some regulars out injured, rookie defender Nathan Durdle stepped into the lineup and delivered, scoring his first career goal in the opening quarter. Phillip Ejimadu kept the Comets afloat in goal with a season-high 19 saves and assists on two goals.
Of all the players in the lineup, defender Chad Vandegriffe was not the one expected to deliver brutal blows to Chihuahua, but that is precisely what he did. With the score level at 2-2 in the second half, Vandegriffe raced down the field and scored on two counterattacks, assisted by Zach Reget both times.
The 2025 MASL All-Star selection scored once in 21 games last season. He has now scored four goals in his last six matches.
“You get to that back post and you’re going to get chances,” Vandegriffe said. “I put myself in the right spot and Zach made some great passes. Whenever I score, that’s a bonus.”
On the defensive end, Vandegriffe produced a career-high 10 blocks.
“Coach was preaching to the whole team that we would have to throw our body in front of the ball and block shots,” Vandegriffe said.
Keith Tozer, Major Arena Soccer League commissioner, praised the pageantry and level of competition that was on display Saturday.
“Tonight’s game really showed what indoor soccer can be and will be,” Tozer said. “It was a chess match in the first half with fantastic goalkeeping, goals and crowd. The game on CBS Sports Golazo can bring it to the next level. This is what indoor soccer is all about. Put it all together and you have a great product.”
KC Comets’ seventh attacker
The raucous crowd served as an extra player as fans cheered the home team to victory with a simple “Let’s go Comets” chant that roared throughout the arena all night.
“This game was for all of us, for the entire Comets community,” said Reget, who ended his four-game scoring drought with a second-quarter goal. “Having a full arena is the most motivating childhood dream. It’s one of the main reasons I came here. The fans are so passionate. As a player, that’s the most rewarding thing.”
The Comets are leading the league in average attendance for a third straight season, with 4,617 per night at Cable Dahmer Arena.
“I got goosebumps on the bench,” Stokic said. “I can’t imagine the guys playing and what they felt. Our fans are the seventh player on the field. They don’t understand how big of a role they play for us.”
As someone who has experienced the indoor soccer atmosphere for over a decade, Vandegriffe had thoughts about what makes Comets’ home-field advantage so special.
“There is no place like it in this league,” he said. “Anytime we throw our arms up to get the crowd going, they’re already loud and they get even louder. It’s like ‘How is this possible?’ It makes us run that much harder, sacrifice our bodies that much harder and block shots that much harder.”
The Comets visit the Dallas Sidekicks on Thursday for a game that will be broadcast on YouTube via MASLtv. They return home for a clash on Sunday, Feb. 2, against the Harrisburg Heat.