As the Kansas City Comets lost 9-8 in overtime to Eastern Conference rival the Milwaukee Wave on Sunday afternoon, they also saw some key players step up.
After the Comets had led 1-0 and 2-1 in the first quarter, a brutal second quarter trailed them 6-2 at halftime.
With their backs against the Eastern Conference leaders, the Comets had a profound response. It took Rian Marques just 20 seconds to get the comets within three. He scored again just 27 seconds later to make it 6-4.
Milwaukee pulled one back, but Marques completed his hat-trick in the third quarter before goals from Nacho Flores and Ray Lee tied the score at 7-7 for three quarters.
After going down 8-7, Marques hit his fourth of the game with 1:35 left in the contest. After going into overtime and securing a point on the road, the Comets were finally beaten 9-8 by Milwaukee’s Mario Alvarez as the Wave quickly turned a Comets turnover into a game-winning goal.
With more league results favoring the Comets, Kansas City is still third in the East with five wins and eight losses.
After struggling offensively most of the season, the Comets now had their two highest scoring games against one of the toughest defensive teams in the MASL.
The Comets entered Sunday after a 10-4 win over Milwaukee, where player/coach Leo Gibson had four goals and added two assists. In the most recent 9-8 overtime loss, it was Marques who came forward with four goals.
Marques has been among Kansas City’s leading scorers in each of the previous two seasons, but the Brazilian forward had struggled with injuries this season and scored just one goal in seven games before exploding for a career-high four Sunday.
Lee has also found his magic touch recently. After going scoreless all season, the Park Hill High School graduate added seven points with five goals and two assists in his last two games.
The Comets will return home to Independence’s Cable Dahmer Arena on Saturday, Feb. 4, when they host the St. Louis Ambush for the last time this season. Halftime entertainment will be the annual Celebrity/Media Game. Tickets are available at kccomets.com/tickets.
