Comets start off season with a victory

Plenty of Missouri Comets fans showed up in their blue on Friday Night, but like much of Kansas City there was still plenty of Royal blue as well. The whole town is still experiencing Royal fever, but Kansas City’s indoor soccer team wanted to get its season off to a hot start of its own.

Youth club soccer players, parents and diehard fans packed the seats of the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena to watch their team kick off another season. The fans had plenty to be excited about, as the Comets were 20-0 during the 2014-15 regular season.

The Comets began an arc to a new season with a 9-8 overtime victory over the Cedar Rapids Stampede, thanks to a game-winning goal by Robert Palmer.

“I just happened to be at the right place at the right time,” Palmer said after the game. “It was great to get it done in overtime.”

It was a nice cap to an improbable comeback that was marked by three goals in the final three minutes that tied the game at 8-8 in regulation.

Comets coach Vlatko Andonovski was not pleased with the effort early on, but the comeback is exactly what he wants to see from his team.

“I told the boys after the game there’s only one thing that we can be happy with: the heart and the ‘never quit’ mentality,” Andonovski said.

“This town is known for a never-quit mentality.”

Lucas Rodriguez scored twice, and the Comets also got a goal from league MVP Leo Gibson, who also set up many of the big plays on Friday.

The Comets’ Max Touloute put away two early rocket shots. The second one was off a big bounce that Touloute took advantage of for the goal.

After that it was excitement from the Comets players and the faithful. Missouri kept its pedal on the gas and proved why it is so tough to beat at home.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 10:59 PM with the headline "Comets start off season with a victory."