STARS COME UP SHORT IN ST. LOUIS 5-3
STARS SHOOT PAST COMETS 6-5 IN OVERTIME WIN
ST. CHARLES, MO. – The Stars (1-1) completed their trip through Missouri Sunday evening with a visit to the Family Arena and battled the St. Louis Ambush (3-2) close but came up short by a 5-3 final. Tacoma entered the match severely shorthanded as they sidelined four players due to COVID protocols just hours before tonight’s match.
It was a quiet first half with the teams netting just one goal apiece. St. Louis picked up theirs in the first quarter and it was JT Thomas’ first of the season, assisted by Tony Walls giving them a 1-0 lead after one quarter of play.
Nick Perera connected with Jamael Cox for his first of the year on an odd man rush in the second frame and that was it for scoring through 30 minutes of play. The third quarter was as calm as the first as the teams combined for just seven shots and one goal. That marker belonged to St. Louis off the foot of Stefan Mijatovic and gave the Ambush a 3-1 lead headed into a wild final quarter.
The wildest way to begin a quarter may be a goal scored by a goalkeeper and that is what Ambush keeper Paulo Nascimento did, going coast to coast to give St. Louis a 3-1 advantage with 12:33 to go in the game. The teams traded goals the rest of the way and the Stars turn came just over a minute later on a Perera assisted goal by Douglas Lima and it was 3-2 Ambush with 11:27 remaining.
The Ambush extended their lead to two, at 4-2, on Duduca Carvalho’s third goal of the season, assisted by Ado Jahic with 9:36 on the clock. Perera notched his third assist of the evening, this time to former St. Louis Ambush, Pablo Da Silva for Tacoma’s final goal of the match. The final tally of the game was Mijatovic’s second for the Ambush with just 3:23 left.
The Stars pulled keeper Danny Waltman for the sixth attacker but was unable to take advantage and the game ended with the 5-3 final.
Prior to the match, the Stars were informed that a player may have come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. All players and coaches tested negative before the team flight from Seatac to Kansas City, before Friday’s game in Kansas City, and at the team hotel in St. Charles. As the Stars, MASL, and all teams take player, staff, and fan health seriously, the Stars decided to sideline that player, his travel roommate, and carpool players to ensure the health of those in and around our game.
The Stars are next in action on Saturday February 6th in Dallas to face the Sidekicks. You can catch every minute of that match right here - https://www.facebook.com/MASLsoccer/events
SCORING SUMMARY
1st – STL Thomas (Walls) 6:47. Penalties – TAC Lima blue card (holding) 10:33.
2nd – TAC Cox (Perera) 4:29. Penalties – none.
3rd – STL Mijatovic (Ferdinand) 7:31. Penalties – STL Adamson blue card (holding) 13:38.
4th – STL Nascimento 2:27; TAC Lima (Perera) 3:33; STL Carvalho (Jahic) 5:24; TAC Da Silva (Perera) 8:23; STL Mijatovic (Ferdinand) 11:37. Penalties – STL Duarte blue card (holding) 8:49.
Shots – Tacoma 8-3-4-9 (24), St. Louis 7-10-3-5 (25)
The Stars are off next week but return to action on February 6th in the Lone Star State when they take on the Dallas Sidekicks 5:05 pm PST. You can see the game live at https://www.facebook.com/MASLsoccer/events
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