KC Comets prepare for playoff push. They’re still keeping this hope alive
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Comets hold promising position in MASL playoff race with a game in hand on rivals.
- Team targets top-two finish for semifinal bye and recovery buffer in April.
- Coaching staff emphasizes game-by-game focus as key to building playoff momentum.
The 2025-26 season is winding down in the Major Arena Soccer League, and the Kansas City Comets remain in a promising position to set themselves up for a deep postseason run.
While the Comets have fallen to fourth place in the standings after their week off, two of the three teams ahead of them dropped points over the weekend. They now have a game in hand on third-place Milwaukee and second-place St. Louis, trailing them by one and two points, respectively.
The top six teams make the playoffs, but the Comets have eyed a first-round bye by finishing in the top two, and ideally winning the MASL Shield by finishing at the top of the standings.
“Our mindset this year was always to be first place, and our mindset is still the same,” coach Stefan Stokic said. “Right now, the next six games are very important to build that momentum going into playoffs.”
The Comets will finish the season with back-to-back games in two of the final three weeks. The team expects those final games to be played at a level of intensity similar to the playoffs, which will take a physical and mental toll on the team. But a top-two seed will help buy some time for recovery in early April.
“Our goal now in these last games is to go game-by-game and try to build momentum,” Comets goalkeeper Phillip Ejimadu said. “Obviously, we want some momentum and we can do that by finishing first and getting that automatic bye straight to the semifinals.”
The Comets are one of four teams that have spent time at the top of the table over the past couple of weeks. With ample parity throughout the league, the Comets have focused inward — on their own principles of play — rather than on how other teams are performing at any given moment.
“We have to focus a little bit more on us instead of things on the outside,” Ejimadu said. “Game-by-game, we’re going to figure it out before the playoffs.”
Next up, the Comets visit the Tacoma Stars for a meeting on Friday, March 6. The Stars sit in seventh place, but made some key additions, headlined by four-time MASL MVP Franck Tayou and former MASL Goalkeeper of the Year Claysson De Lima.
“It has been hard to go into Tacoma and win games,” Stokic said. “We’re ready for a battle and a big transition game.”
After visiting Tacoma, the Comets return home to Cable Dahmer Arena for a matchup against the league-leading San Diego Sockers on March 14. Tickets for next week’s home game, which will also feature a Celebrity Halftime Game between Team Nick Vasos and Team Steve Serrano, are available at kccomets.com/tickets.