MIJATOVIC LEADS COMETS PAST WAVE

INDEPENDENCE, MO - (March 14, 2025) - The Kansas City Comets (14-4-2) are back in the good graces of victory after defeating midwest rival Milwaukee Wave (11-7-2) by a 9-6 score on Friday night at Cable Dahmer Arena.

The Comets' three-game losing streak came to an end with a big offensive showing against the Wave on Silverstein Eye Centers Field. The Comets have now won nine straight against the Wave inside Cable Dahmer Arena, last losing on home turf against Milwaukee in February 2020.

Stefan Mijatovic's four-point performance earned him a curtain call before the night's conclusion as the top star. The new acquisition showed his quality all game long against the Wave.

For the first time since March 1, the Comets grabbed a lead when Mijatovic scored his first goal as a Comet, using his big frame to hold off a defender and guide his header past the keeper 2:29 into the game. The lead only lasted a few minutes before Mario Alvarez equalized for the Wave.

The Wave added another two more in the second quarter to take a 3-1 lead, but Lucas Sousa fired one across the face of goal that bounced in to make it 3-2. Just four seconds later, Salvador Nunez restored Milwaukee's two-goal advantage.

After going down 4-2, the Comets flipped the switch. They scored two more in the half, one coming from a Mijatovic effort that was slammed home by Junior Kazeem. The other came off the foot of Leo Acosta, sneaking it in at the near post with 2:04 left in the half.

The Comets made it three without an answer when Acosta scored the only goal of the third period, squeezing another past the keeper's near post to put KC up 5-4. Milwaukee found the equalizer for a second time just 19 seconds into the fourth from Alex Sanchez.

Looking for an answer, the Comets erupted in response with four goals the rest of the quarter. Michael Lenis, Henry Ramirez and Lucas Sousa each tallied goals to make it 8-5 KC. Ramirez's goal came after a creative wallascora pass off board from Junior Kazeem for the game-winner.

Milwaukee's Alvarez cut into the lead, scoring with 6:03 left to play to make it a two-score game. The Comets defense stepped up when it needed and Christian Anderaos finished the game off with a last-second effort against six attackers.

While the Comets were outshot 45-33, the Comets' defense got 28 blocks and stayed out of the penalty box. The Comets also managed the game well late despite defenders Nacho Flores and DeBray Hollimon getting into foul trouble.

"To be able to do that with missing players and without our top goalscorer is huge," Comets coach Stefan Stokic said. "A lot of things are not going our way. We'll just keep on going and keep on pushing."

The Comets moved 11 points clear of fourth-place Baltimore, who has three games in hand. Kansas City will close the regular season in Baltimore in what could be a critical game to decide playoff seeding.

Next up for the Comets is a home-and-home series with the Tacoma Stars next weekend. The series begins in Tacoma next Friday before the Comets' home regular season finale on Sunday, March 23. Visit kccomets.com/tickets to reserve your seat for the final time before the team heads to San Diego for the 2025 Ron Newman Cup Playoffs.

1st – KC Mijatovic (Vandegriffe) 2:29; MKE Alvarez (Ludwig) 6:14. Penalties – MKE Tayou (bc - tripping) 14:07.

2nd – MKE Bennett (Sanchez) 1:30; MKE Sanchez (Oliveira) 5:47; KC Sousa (Mijatovic) 12:03; MKE Nunez (Ferdinand) 7:47; KC Kazeem (Mijatovic) 12:03; KC Acosta (Flores) 12:55. Penalties – None.

3rd – KC Acosta (Thetsane) 5:23. Penalties — None.

4th – MKE Sanchez (Tayou) 0:19; KC Lenis (Thetsane) 1:35; KC Ramirez (Kazeem) 5:00; KC Sousa 6:33 SO; MKE Alvarez (Sanchez) 8:58; KC Anderaos (Mijatovic) 14:58. Penalties – MKE  Oliveira (bc - holding) 6:31.

Power Play – Comets 0/1, Milwaukee 0/0

Penalty Minutes – Comets 0, Milwaukee 4

Fouls – Comets 20, Milwaukee 15

Shots – Comets 33, Milwaukee 45

Blocks - Comets 28, Milwaukee 14

Attendance - 3,840