KC Comets begin 2023-24 MASL season with rivalry win: ‘We’re only going to get better’

The Kansas City Comets opened their 2023-24 Major Arena Soccer League season with a statement 9-3 rivalry win over the Milwaukee Wave on Sunday at Cable Dahmer Arena.

The win was the first for new head coach Stefan Stokic, who was thrilled to open his tenure with a win over the Comets’ biggest rival and reigning Eastern Conference champions.

The Comets went in front with goals from Zach Reget and Henry Ramirez, but Milwaukee found its way back in the game by capitalizing on power-play opportunities. The Comets restored their two-goal advantage when Reget scored his second of three goals and Nacho Flores scored his first of two.

Milwaukee pulled another back early in the second quarter, which caused Stokic some concern.

“My main objective after that third goal was not to get scored on again,” he said. “We tightened up and made sure it didn’t happen again.”

The defense had some timely interventions throughout the match, as goalkeeper Nicolau Neto finished the night with 16 saves and Berto Palmer recorded 10 blocks in his first game since returning to the team.

Offensively, the Comets fired on all cylinders. Reget’s first-half hat trick was accompanied by a brace from Flores, three goals and an assist from John Sosa and two assists from Mikey Lenis in the former Sporting KC II player’s Comets debut.

“We don’t think it was our best game,” Reget said. “But to come out in Week 1 and do what we did is a good sign. We’re only going to get better. There’s going to be ups and downs.”

The start to the game, going up 2-0 in the first quarter, was reminiscent of the team’s 2-0 lead in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season, a game KC ultimately lost.

This time, the Comets didn’t let the game get away from them.

“That was something I brought up before the second half,” Reget said. “Have we learned from the past? What have we done in the offseason? Are we up for that challenge this time around? The team responded and we put two halves together to get the result we wanted.”

Indeed, the Comets scored five unanswered goals and kept the Wave off the scoreboard for the entirety of the second half.

Now 9-4 against the Wave since 2021, and 7-0 against them at Cable Dahmer Arena, the Comets will host the St. Louis Ambush on Sunday, December 3, at 4:05 p.m. Tickets are available at kccomets.com/tickets.