March 15, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets Des Moines, I.A. - The Utica Comets slipped by the Iowa Wild 4-3 Sunday evening at the Allstate Arena after capturing their second shootout win of the season.

Brandon DeFazio and Alexandre Grenier were the two to seal the deal in the shooutout and helped the Comets capture a very important two points as the playoff race is in full swing. Nicklas Jensen (1-0-1), Bobby Sanguinetti (1-0-1), and Alex Friesen (1-0-1) scored the game's first three goals, all coming in the second period. Cal O'Reilly (0-2-2) continued to produce in typical fashion with two assists for the game.

After a tame and scoreless first period, Jensen was the first one to light the lamp for the Comets just six minutes into the following period. O'Reilly made the right decision as he dropped off a pass to Jensen inside the right dot, because the Danish winger didn't hesitate to snipe it past John Curry's glove side for the 1-0 lead.

Exactly a minute and a half later the Comets found another to strengthen their lead to two just moments after Steve McCarthy was sent to the box for high-sticking. With a set up from Sven Baertschi, Sanguinetti directed the puck through traffic on a wrist shot from above the right circle and beat Curry on the short side to make it for the power-play goal. O'Reilly also received his second assist of the game.

At 15:30 the Comets found their third of the game on the tail end of another power-play opportunity. Alex Biega slapped one towards the net from the center point and Friesen tipped the puck in for the Comets second power-play goal to make the score 3-0. Peter Andersson was credited with the secondary assist.

With less than two minutes left in the period, the Wild started to mount their attack on a power-play of their own and Tyler Graovac scored as he tipped in the one-timer from his fellow teammate McCarthy which made it a 3-1 game.

With a boost of confidence the Wild continued to show the Comets that they weren't going down without a fight as the teams began the last stanza. Just eight minutes in the Wild found themselves on another power play as Collin Bowman pounded a one-timer on the open side of the net before Markstrom could push off and make the save. Jonathon Blum tallied his second assist of the game on the Wild's second power-play goal that put them within one.

Just five minutes later, the Comets said goodbye to their lead as McCarthy found his second point of the game as he netted a re-bound in front for the 3-3 equalizer. Brett Sutter was credited with the only assist on the play.

After no one found the back of the net in the extra period, the game made it's way into the Comets third shootout of the season. The first two Comets shooters, DeFazio and Grenier both buried the rubber to give Utica their second shootout win of the season and the 4-3 victory over the Wild.

Both teams scored two power-play goals in Sunday evening's match-up with a combined total of 10 chances.

See the rest here:

Comets Claim 4-3 Shootout Victory over Iowa

March 14, 2015 10:23 PM

(Steve Woltmann/Chicago Wolves)

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom parried 27 shots to lead the Utica Comets to a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Wolves on Saturday night at Allstate Arena.

The Wolves (29-23-6-1) came up empty on all six of their power-play chances while former Wolves forwards Alex Friesen and Alexandre Grenier notched 1 goal and 1 assist apiece for the North Division-leading Comets (35-19-6-1).

It doesnt matter what systems you use if you dont work hard, said Wolves head coach John Anderson. If youre not going to compete for loose pucks or get to the puck first, it doesnt matter what you do after that.

Utica broke on top at 8:58 of the first period when Grenier zipped a pass from the right circle to the left circle for open left wing Hunter Shinkaruk, who went top-shelf to beat Wolves goaltender Matt Climie.

The Comets pushed their lead to 2-0 with 1.8 seconds left in the first period as they killed a power play and turned it into a 4-on-1 rush. Cal OReillys backhand pass set up Friesen for a quick flip from just outside the crease.

Utica made it 3-0 on Greniers power-play goal at 7:40 of the second. The Comets kept hammering away at the puck near the crease and the Wolves couldnt clear before Grenier slid it into the net.

Anderson pulled Climie for an extra attacker with more than three minutes to go to generate some offense, but the Comets capitalized with Brendan Gaunces empty-net goal at 18:10 of the third.

Markstrom (18-7-2) earned his fifth shutout of the season while Climie (10-11-3) worked feverishly to stop 31 of 34 shots.

See the article here:

Wolves Go Down Without A Goal Against Comets

March 15, 2015 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Baltimore Blast The Blast traveled to Missouri on Sunday afternoon for game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In a hard fought game by both teams the Blast defeated the Comets to move on to the MASL Championship Series. The final score was 10-7.

The game got off to a slow start with only one goal recorded in the opening quarter. The Missouri Comets scored the first goal of the game when Kiel Williams found the back of the net at the 10:47 mark assisted Max Touloute. At the end of the first the Comets led 2-0.

The second quarter turned into a shootout with 6 goals recorded before the half. The Blast tied the game with a goal from Mike Deasel assisted by Adauto Neto. Baltimore's leading scorer Lucas Roque gave the Blast the lead with a goal assisted by Levi Houpeau. After a Comet's penalty, Tony Donatelli scored at the 11:44 mark off an assist by Lucio Gonzaga for the 3 rd straight Blast goal. The Comets answered when Alain Matingou recorded a goal vutting the Blast lead to 1. The Blast would answer when Onua Obasi gained possession at the top of the arc and hit a rocket shot past the Comets goalkeeper. Obasi's 10th goal of the season was assisted by Adauto Neto. With only one second left in the half Comet's defender John Sosa was able to score making it a 1 point game. At the half the Blast led 4-3.

In the second half both teams came out aggressive with fast paced action. The Blast began the quarter by converting on their second powerplay opportunity. Vini Dantas recorded his 17th goal of the season etending the Blast lead to 2. The Comets would answer with back to back goals of their own. Bryan Perez and Josh Gardner recorded the Comets goals to tie the game at 5. Vini Dantas answered for the Blast with his second goal of the game at the 12:02 mark giving the Blast the lead back. With seconds remaining in the quarter Pat Healey, who leads the Blast in assists, sent a great ball off a restart to Tony Donatelli for a goal. The Blast went into the final quarter leading 7-5.

Both teams came out with high intensity during the fourth quarter. Vini Dantas completed the hat trick at the 10:03 mark putting the Blast up by 3. The Comets would battle back with goals from Josh Gardner and Leo Gibson making it a one point game with minutes to go. The Blast defense stepped up along with goalkeeper William Vanzela to seal a Blast victory. Adriano Dos Santos and Levi Houpeau would both score empty net goals in the final minute of the game making the final score 10-7.

The Blast move to 21-2 on the season and 3-0 in the playoffs. The Blast were led offensively by Vini Dantas who recorded 3 goals on the night and Tony Donatelli who scored 2. Blast captain Pat Healey drew the tough task of defending the potential league MVP Leo Gibson and in 2 games Healey kept Gibson in check. Goalkeeper of the year candidate William Vanzela recorded 24 saves and improves to 17-2. Vanzela and the defense had a remarkable series against a high powered Comets offense.

The Blast advance to the MASL Championship series and will face the winner of the Las Vegas Legends and Monterrey Flash series which concludes tonight. More information regarding series dates and times will be announced at the conclusion of the Western Conference Championship.

Discuss this story on the Major Arena Soccer League message board... Digg this story Add to Del.icio.us

More:

Blast Advance to MASL Championship, Defeat Comets 10-7

March 15, 2015 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Missouri Comets INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (March 15, 2015) - The Missouri Comets' 2014/15 season came to an end with a 10-7 loss against the Baltimore Blast in game two of the Major Arena Soccer League Eastern Conference Championship in front of 3,862 fans at the Independence Events Center.

Despite the efforts, head coach Vlatko Andonovski's team was unable to get passed Baltimore's defense, the best in the league. On the other hand, the Blast capitalized each one of their opportunities to advance to the Ron Newman Cup final.

The two sides came out to the field with an offensive mindset but it wasn't until the 10:47 mark when rookie Kiel Williams scored the first tally of the night assisted by Max Touloute to en the quarter 1-0 in favor of the Comets.

Five minutes into the second stanza, the visitors found the equalizer courtesy of Mike Deasel who buried a one-time shot past Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Danny Waltman to tie the match. Moments later, Lucas Roque and Tony Donatelli would increase the lead by two to make it 3-1.

The Paris, France native Alain Matingou shortened the lead at the 12:28 mark before Onua Obasi shot a rocket that found the back of the net making it 4-2 but with 0.01 seconds left in the half, John Sosa scored to end the half with a 4-3 score.

One more time, the visitors extended the lead when Vini Dantas dribbled past the defense to score his first one of the match making it 5-3. However, two back-to-back tallies from Bryan Perez and Josh Gardner tied the game at five but the visitors responded quickly with goals from Dantas and Donatelli to end the quarter 7-5.

Late in the fourth quarter, Dantas would complete a hat trick before Gardner and Gibson shortened the lead to one goal. With 1:15 left in the match, Andonovski put Sosa in as the sixth attacker, which ended up in two more goals for the Blast scored by Dos Santos and Houapeu to end the match 10-7.

Discuss this story on the Major Arena Soccer League message board... Digg this story Add to Del.icio.us

Link:

Comets Fall 10-7 against Baltimore in Eastern Conference Championship

For a brief moment, the members of the Crestwood Comets varsity ice hockey team were upset.

Disappointed.

After becoming the first team from the region to earn an invite to the Flyers Cup and advancing to the semifinals as the 19th and lowest seed, the Comets remarkable run came to an abrupt halt thanks to a 9-3 loss to Bayard Rustin, the second-ranked team in the tournament.

But after the game, the emotions that come with losing were soon replaced by pride. The Crestwood team who came into the Flyers Cup as an unknown and an underdog proved they could play with the powerhouse teams from the Philadelphia area.

The team that wasnt expected to win its first game had opened eyes and made believers out of their opponents. The Comets ended up winning the first three rounds, knocking off third-ranked Hershey and 6-seeded Garnet Valley along the way.

We were upset after we lost, but we were also proud of ourselves, said senior Michael Thamert, who scored four goals in the last two games. We had a strong team and we knew we would go far, and I think what we did really opened up a lot of eyes when it comes to Crestwood ice hockey.

The Flyers Cup was the icing on the cake for a season in which the Comets dominated on the local level. They rolled through the regular season of the NEPA Scholastic Hockey League with a 12-0-1 record, good enough for first place. In the playoffs, the Comets breezed through three rounds to win the championship with a convincing 7-0 victory over Back Mountain.

During the three rounds, Crestwood outscored their opponents 28-1 with goaltender Gavin Lewis earning two shutouts.

When the invite for the Flyers Cup came, the Comets were ready.

By the end of the playoffs the rumors came out that we were getting an invite to the Flyers Cup, head coach Paul Eyerman said. All the way back in October we knew we had a very competitive, strong team this year so we were anxious to keep playing.

Visit link:

Crestwood opens eyes in the hockey world