KC Comets open soccer season Friday with home & home doubleheader vs. St. Louis Ambush

An I-70 series kicks off the Major Arena Soccer League’s 2022-23 season in Kansas City as the Comets and St. Louis Ambush meet twice over Thanksgiving weekend.

Game one of the home-and-home doubleheader will take place at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. Game two is scheduled for the following evening, Saturday, at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence.

The MASL Eastern Conference rivals will meet a total of six times this season. Last season, they played doubleheaders to open and close their regular-season campaigns. The Comets swept the opening series; the Ambush swept the closing series.

Their overall season series was split 3-3 last year as the home team won four of the six games. St. Louis has seen some offseason departures, including leading scorer Mohamed Ndiaye, but goalkeeper Paulo Nascimento is back after missing last season through injury.

“Their squad is getting stronger even though they have lost some players this summer,” Comets assistant coach Stefan Stokic said. “It’s always a battle with St. Louis, especially when we go to their place.”

Former Sporting KC defender Kevin Ellis was a member of the Comets for parts of the previous four seasons but retired in the middle of last season. Ellis has since come out of retirement and signed with the Ambush, giving them a lively spark.

As the reigning Central Division champions, the Comets return the bulk of their squad that made two straight semifinal appearances.

Comets defender Richard Schmermund enjoyed his first preseason with the Comets after coming to Kansas City via trade from St. Louis in March.

“These guys are intense,” Schmermund said. “Every single day we’re trying to kill each other basically. They’re ruthless, but that’s how you have to play.”

“Everybody is pretty tight with each other and that makes a huge difference. I feel like in previous teams I’ve been a part of we didn’t have that chemistry.”

In the past, the Comets prepared for the regular season by winning the Central Cup preseason tournament in back-to-back years. That tournament did not return this year, so the Comets competed in intra-squad scrimmages instead.

The KC coaching staff is pleased with how the preseason went.

“We’re in a really good spot fitness-wise,” Stokic said. “Now we’re just working on little details and little things.”