PHS boys score weekend sweep

Posted 5/12/09

Panthers come through in must-win games

The Powell Panther boys soccer program entered this past weekend with its back to the wall, in a manner of speaking. If the Panthers harbored any hope of making good on its pre-season goal of a top-two …

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PHS boys score weekend sweep

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Panthers come through in must-win gamesThe Powell Panther boys soccer program entered this past weekend with its back to the wall, in a manner of speaking. If the Panthers harbored any hope of making good on its pre-season goal of a top-two finish in the conference, the team needed wins against Jackson on Friday and Pinedale on Saturday. Mission accomplished. Just when it appeared the goal was about to slip out of reach, the Panthers placed themselves sqarely in the middle of the fight with a pair of shutout victories. Powell scored late to beat Jackson 1-0 on Friday, then followed with a 3-0 win at Pinedale on Saturday. “The Jackson game was just how you want high school sports to be,” said Panther head coach Pat D'Alessandro. “Both teams were going hard. It looked like we were heading to overtime with them again and then we were able to make a play and score the game winner.”Powell scored the game's only goal with roughly three minutes remaining. Jordan Brown took a through ball served in from above the 18-yard box by Mitch Barker. Brown won the foot race to the ball and was able to lift it over the reach of a sliding Jackson goal keeper for the win. “Mitch was involved in most, if not all our goals this weekend,” D'Alessandro said of his senior midfielder. “He does such a good job of sending the ball into open space.”On Saturday, Drayson Bratt netted the first two of Powell's goals. The first came on a play resembling Friday's game-winner by Brown. The second saw Bratt tuck the ball into the left corner after finding himself in space near the top of the 18-yard box. “We really recovered from the lull we were in against Worland,” said D'Alessandro. “We're ready to wrap up our regular season.”The victories momentarly send Powell back into second place in the conference standings with one week remaining in the regular season. The Panthers head to Cody on Thursday to close out the regular season. “It could get crazy,” D'Alessandro said of the various scenarios that could play out this week within the 3A western division. “The best scenario would be if we win, or even get a point (for a tie) against Cody.”Barring that, the Panthers could be destined for a possible tiebreak scenario with Jackson, Worland or perhaps both schools. Both schools presently trail Powell by three points in the conference standings, but will face each other later this week. Worland also has a game remaining on its schedule with Pinedale. “The first tiebreak is head-to-head, which wouldn't matter because we've split with Jackson and we've split with Worland,” said D'Alessandro. “The other tiebreak factors are really close between the three schools as well.”Those factors include performance against the highest-rated conference team —Cody, in this case — and goals allowed to conference opponents during the season.“We could still finish everywhere from second to fourth depending how the week goes,” said D'Alessandro. “We just need to worry about Cody. That's the only part we can control at this stage.”

Panthers come through in must-win games

The Powell Panther boys soccer program entered this past weekend with its back to the wall, in a manner of speaking. If the Panthers harbored any hope of making good on its pre-season goal of a top-two finish in the conference, the team needed wins against Jackson on Friday and Pinedale on Saturday.

Mission accomplished.

Just when it appeared the goal was about to slip out of reach, the Panthers placed themselves sqarely in the middle of the fight with a pair of shutout victories. Powell scored late to beat Jackson 1-0 on Friday, then followed with a 3-0 win at Pinedale on Saturday.

“The Jackson game was just how you want high school sports to be,” said Panther head coach Pat D'Alessandro. “Both teams were going hard. It looked like we were heading to overtime with them again and then we were able to make a play and score the game winner.”

Powell scored the game's only goal with roughly three minutes remaining. Jordan Brown took a through ball served in from above the 18-yard box by Mitch Barker. Brown won the foot race to the ball and was able to lift it over the reach of a sliding Jackson goal keeper for the win.

“Mitch was involved in most, if not all our goals this weekend,” D'Alessandro said of his senior midfielder. “He does such a good job of sending the ball into open space.”

On Saturday, Drayson Bratt netted the first two of Powell's goals. The first came on a play resembling Friday's game-winner by Brown. The second saw Bratt tuck the ball into the left corner after finding himself in space near the top of the 18-yard box.

“We really recovered from the lull we were in against Worland,” said D'Alessandro. “We're ready to wrap up our regular season.”

The victories momentarly send Powell back into second place in the conference standings with one week remaining in the regular season. The Panthers head to Cody on Thursday to close out the regular season.

“It could get crazy,” D'Alessandro said of the various scenarios that could play out this week within the 3A western division. “The best scenario would be if we win, or even get a point (for a tie) against Cody.”

Barring that, the Panthers could be destined for a possible tiebreak scenario with Jackson, Worland or perhaps both schools. Both schools presently trail Powell by three points in the conference standings, but will face each other later this week. Worland also has a game remaining on its schedule with Pinedale.

“The first tiebreak is head-to-head, which wouldn't matter because we've split with Jackson and we've split with Worland,” said D'Alessandro. “The other tiebreak factors are really close between the three schools as well.”

Those factors include performance against the highest-rated conference team —Cody, in this case — and goals allowed to conference opponents during the season.

“We could still finish everywhere from second to fourth depending how the week goes,” said D'Alessandro. “We just need to worry about Cody. That's the only part we can control at this stage.”

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