UTICA CITY FC SUFFERS 11-6 DEFEAT TO KANSAS CITY IN A FEISTY MATCHUP

Independence, MO - Off of a disappointing loss to Milwaukee on Friday night, Utica City FC traveled south to face off against the Kansas City Comets tonight. UCFC and KC always produce fireworks, Sunday afternoon was no different. In a matchup that saw 19 penalty minutes, Kansas City came out on top, 11-6. 

The game started off a high-intensity affair between the two sides, as Rian Marques scored in the first 30 seconds to put KC up 1-0. Logan Roberts and Steven Fernandez would respond with two UCFC goals, each one minute apart, to put the visitors up 2-1. The game then got nervy between the two sides, resulting in a blue card for Nicolau Neto. On the resulting power play, Rafa Godoi scored to push the Utica lead to 2. Then, 30 seconds later, Ronaldinho Diniz scored an even strength goal to make the score 4-1. That would be the final tally of an action packed first quarter, with Utica leading by three. 

The second quarter continued the intensity, but this time it was the home team that benefitted. Marques scored his second of the game before Zach Reget added another within 4 minutes of the start of the 2nd frame. Neto was called for his second blue card of the game, and then the Comets had Christian Anderaos called for another blue card. Gordy Gurson nabbed another power play goal for the City, before Reget and Anderaos scored to tie the game at 5 at the 9:21 mark. The Comets added two more goals before halftime, with Anderaos taking advantage of a miscue in the Utica defense, and Reget scoring a shorthanded goal for KC. The Comets turned things around in the second quarter, outscoring Utica by 5 and heading into the halftime break with a 7-5 lead. 

A first half filled with offense was contrasted by a second half that started off defensively. It took until 9 minutes into the third quarter for Nacho Flores to score a goal for KC, and 10 seconds later Roberts responded for Utica. Unfortunately for Utica, Kansas city tacked on two more goals before the fourth, with Reget and Leonardo Acosta scoring for the home side to take a 10-6 lead into the fourth. Even with an empty net and Utica firing numbers towards the KC goal, the final tally of the game was not scored until the 14:09 mark in the fourth. Kansas City sealed the victory with a goal from Chad Vandegriffe to take home an 11-6 victory. 

After tonight’s matchup, Utica City FC returns home to kick off a three-game homestand on Sunday, March 17th against Harrisburg. Kickoff for the matchup is at 3:05 pm–tickets for the matchup are available at uticacityfc.com/tickets.