January 10, 2014 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Syracuse Silver Knights SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse Silver Knights (7-3) returned on Friday, January 10th to the Oncenter War Memorial Arena for the first time in 2014 to take on the Missouri Comets (6-4). The Silver Knights had already defeated the Comets when Kenardo Forbes' impressive hat-trick decided a pulsating encounter, marking the Syracuse outfit's first away win at the Independence Events Center. This time again, the Silver Knights had the better of the Comets, 11-8, following their tremendous halftime fight-back.
The Silver Knights made the worst start imaginable. The Comets were aggressive in their pressing and incisive when attacking. The visitors' early pressure immediately paid off as Bryan O'Quinn miscued his clearance right at a Comets player. Lucas Rodriguez collected the ball and smashed home a vicious, dipping volley (1').
The Comets thus grabbed the early lead, but did not let up. The Comets immediately resumed their assault and the Silver Knights' midfield was smothered, their attack snuffed out, and their defense too easily breached. The Silver Knights' defensive laxism again showed when Brian Harris' solo run destabilized them for but a second, allowing Ramone Palmer to pick up the loose ball and tap in from close range (10').
It was really a first quarter to forget for the Silver Knights. They trailed 4-0 and it was a generous score-line considering. O'Quinn had to come up twice with excellent saves, denying Bryon Alvarez in a 1-v-1 and Stefan St. Louis' tap-in at the back-post. The Silver Knights would benefit from further luck, with both Harris and Bryan Perez having seen their long-range efforts crash against the crossbar and post respectively.
Harris was the fulcrum of most of the Comets' better play, causing the Silver Knights defense all sorts of problems. Harris was particularly good coming forward through the middle, creating the extra man in offensive phases and allowing the rest of his teammates to fan out and open up the pitch more.
It was a real show of strength from the MISL's most prolific attack. The Comets created chances at will, cut into open swaths of space in midfield, and besieged O'Quinn's goal for the first half. The third goal soon came, as Milan Ivanovic tapped in (18') St. Louis' assist at the back-post to make it 6-0 at halftime.
As it is often in their habit however, the Silver Knights returned from halftime with more fight and drive. Bo Jelovac immediately set the tone as he unleashed a ferocious shot (30') from outside the arc. The Silver Knights defender's long-range effort flew towards goal, off the post and in. With the Comets' lead now cut in half, the Silver Knights launched another offensive minutes later.
"It was a big goal to help the whole team go forward again," Jelovac said. "We needed that goal to break the ice, and then everything else followed."
Antonio Manfut led a 3-v-1 counter and slipped in Nate Bourdeau down the wing. The Silver Knights player made no mistake and smashed in the ball (32') from a tight angle to bring the Silver Knights within a point of the Comets.
It was another trademark Silver Knights blitzkrieg, as the Comets looked shell-shocked and unable to cope. The shock would come through all the more when Jelovac found Neto in the area. With a defender tight to him, Neto cleverly turned his man and squeezed his shot (36') between the goalkeeper's legs. It completed an impressive comeback as the Silver Knights led for the first time of the game, 7-6.
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