Wisconsin Soccer Central

The Milwaukee Wave's opener in their 30th season of indoor soccer certainly didn't start too well, as the Missouri Comets scored twice in the opening 93 seconds Saturday night.

But as has been the case more often than not during their long history, the evening ended with a victory for the Wave.

Ian Bennett scored a career-best five goals, including two in a 38-second span late in regulation to tie it and the game-winner 8 minutes, 7 seconds into overtime, as Milwaukee rallied past the Comets 23-21 in a thrilling Major Indoor League Soccer match in Independence, Mo.

The Comets, who upset the Wave in the MISL semifinals last season, needed just 17 seconds to take the lead through Vahid Assadpour off a restart and former Milwaukee player Alex Megson made it 4-0 when he scored 1:33 into the game.

Bennett's first goal was a 3-pointer to pull the Wave within a point, but they wouldn't get that close again until Nick Perera's goal 51 seconds into the fourth quarter capped a four-goal outburst in a 3:40 stretch that tied the score at 15.

Missouri answered, though, as Assadpour, Geison and John Sosa rattled off goals in a 1:44 span to push the lead back out to six. Milwaukee coach Keith Tozer then pulled goalkeeper Marcel Feenstra and inserted veteran defender Victor Quiroz as a sixth attacker.

Carlos Munoz started the late charge with his first goal for the Wave with 2:55 remaining, and Bennett brought the visitors within 21-19 just 45 seconds later. Feenstra returned to the net and Bennett finished a feed from Luan Oliveira from a tight angle on the left side with 1:32 left to tie it up again.

In the extra session, Marcio Leite took a free kick just off the right boards, played it into the end board near the Missouri goal and Bennett ran onto the ball and one-timed it past Comets keeper Danny Waltman (19 saves) off the set piece to give Milwaukee the road victory.

Oliveira finished with two goals and two assists for the Wave, which had 10 players record points, while Feenstra made 12 saves.

Milwaukee continues its season-opening road trip next weekend on the East Coast, at the defending MISL champion Baltimore Blast on Saturday night and the expansion Pennsylvania Roar on Sunday afternoon. The Wave's home opener at U.S. Cellular Arena is Dec. 7 against the Blast.

Watch full match on YouTube