The Kansas City Comets will kick off the 2018-19 season with their first two games on the road, and will play their first game at home Dec. 15 against the longtime rival Milwaukee Wave at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.

The 24-game season opens Dec. 1 at Milwaukee. The season opener has a 6:05 p.m. start. The home opener against the Wave will begin at 7:05 p.m.

“Everyone is excited about the upcoming season and we have been working hard in the offseason to give our fans the best team possible,” coach Kim Roentved said. “As a coach, I would always like a little more time to prepare, but I am as excited as anyone else about the schedule and season and home openers.”

The Comets will play in the newly formed South Central Division of the Major Arena Soccer League’s Eastern Conference. They will be joined by the Wave, St. Louis Ambush, Tropics and Orlando SeaWolves.

Kansas City will host 12 games at SEC Arena this season. In addition to divisional foes, the team will face off against the Harrisburg Heat, Utica City FC and the first MASL team from Canada, the Mississauga MetroStars.

The Comets will make their first trip north of the border to play their second game of the season at Mississauga Dec. 13. Outside of the division, the Comets will also make a trip to face thet defending MASL champs, the Baltimore Blast, on March 10.

“We had so many new players last season that it took a while to become a team, to really play and compete as a team,” assistant coach and all-time leading scorer Leo Gibson said. “This season, we are going to be a very competitive team.

“Kim and everyone with the Comets has worked hard to build a great team. We have a great winning tradition in Kansas City and we want to return to that tradition this season.”