Panthers complete season sweep of Cody

Posted 4/24/12

From there, the Panthers packed things back into defensive mode and weathered the final few minutes to wrap up a regular-season sweep of rival Cody.

“As in the first game, we completely controlled the tempo and took away what they wanted to …

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Panthers complete season sweep of Cody

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Powell back at .500 with 1-0 victory

The fifth-ranked Powell boys’ soccer team blanked Cody for the second time this season with a 1-0 victory on the Broncs’ home field on Saturday. The win improves the Panthers to a season mark of 6-5 overall.Tyler Oullette’s late second-half goal provided the only scoring in a tensely fought game between Park County’s two 3A schools. Oullette’s winning strike came after he received a pass inside the 18-yard box from teammate Cooper Wise on the left wing. Oullette then one-timed the ball past a sprawling Cody keeper for the game’s only score.

From there, the Panthers packed things back into defensive mode and weathered the final few minutes to wrap up a regular-season sweep of rival Cody.

“As in the first game, we completely controlled the tempo and took away what they wanted to do,” said Panther head coach Travis Rapp. “I’m not sure of the exact time (of Oullette’s goal) but you could see Cody’s spirits die a little and my boys did a great job of collecting dangerous passes and sending them out of the defensive third. We pretty much just went into clock killing mode after the goal.”

That’s not to say the Broncs didn’t have their chances. Cody peppered the cross bar multiple times off free kick attempts, but both the frame and Panther goalkeeper Heston Swenson were up to the challenge of keeping the ball out of the net for the Panthers.

“I was really happy not just with the win but another clean sheet for Swenson,” Rapp said of the Panthers’ freshman keeper, who currently leads the state in saves and sits in the top five in goals-against average. “It was a little hotter than normal, so we had to go a little deeper into our bench, having to go 18 deep when I usually go about 15 deep.”

The victory will most likely give the Panthers second place within the Northwest quadrant with a 2-2 record, although the mathematical possibility still exists for all three Northwest teams to end the year tied in the standings. Should that happen, the outcome is anyone’s guess.

“We’ll have some interesting tiebreakers,” Rapp said of that scenario. “This was an important win for us, especially with the loss to Worland earlier this week. This gives us a clear path to number two in our quadrant.”

In addition to Swenson’s status among the state statistical leaders, the Panthers also are represented near the top of the state charts by Oullette, who ranks among the top six in goals scored. Wise and Cody Wichman rank among the top six in assists.

The Panthers head to Lander on Friday and then continue south to Pinedale for a game on Saturday.

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