On the one hand, the Powell High School girls soccer team lost a couple games last week. On the other hand, they’re showing improvement from where they stood a year ago.

“If we are going to base our team right now, [at] this time of the season, we got to look at where we were last year,” said PHS head coach Jack Haire. And when Haire looks back, he sees better results in the current campaign.

Battling injuries, the Lady Panthers lost to Cody by an 8-1 margin on Friday and to Worland by a 7-1 margin on Saturday. Last year, both opponents shut out the Powell girls.

Cody 8, Powell 1

One of the Lady Panthers’ goals for the Cody contest was to put the ball in the net.

Kiley Cannon did just that — scoring a goal for the Lady Panthers on a corner kick, assisted by Kayla Atkinson.

“It gives you tingles when you see the effort it takes to put a goal in on a quality team and that was our goal,” said Haire. “And we wanted to keep them under 10.”

Last year, Cody blanked Powell, 10-0. This year, Powell lost 8-1.

“As far as growth for the team, it’s happening,” Haire said. “It’s visible from last season, comparatively, to this season.”

Gabby Hirsch had 18 saves.

Worland 7, Powell 1

Coach Haire said that going into the game against the Lady Warriors, the aim was the same as in Cody — personal growth and avoiding a shut out. He said the team met both of those goals.

“We played them tough, in my opinion,” Haire said. “We moved the ball around well ... in certain points of the game, which is growth for us.”

The Lady Panthers also scored against Worland — with a goal put in on a corner kick by Michele Wagner, assisted by Atkinson.

Coach Haire said he does not feel the score reflects the amount of heart the Lady Panthers played with or how well they played.

Right now, the Lady Panther soccer team is battling injuries, with eight of the 28 players on the roster injured.

“We’re injury-riddled,” said Haire.

Against both Cody and Worland, Powell had a player injured and unable to finish the game.

Coach Haire said the team is also inexperienced, with only about a half-dozen players who’ve played soccer before.

For the team’s coaches, the goal for the season is all about growth.

“We want to see growth from experienced players and we want to see growth from the brand new soccer players who’ve never kicked [a soccer ball],” said Haire. He added that, each week, the coaching staff wants to see good movement and communication among the players.

Powell is in a tough quadrant with Cody and Worland, Haire said. Worland played for the state championship last year — and a lot of those players returned this season. Cody, meanwhile, is ranked No. 1 in the state and many of the team’s players have been playing since they were about 4 years old, with the Yellowstone Fire soccer program.

“We are going to come together now as a unit, as a team and communicate and play our hearts out,” said Haire.

The Lady Panthers will next face off against Riverton — on the Lady Wolverines’ home field — at noon on Saturday.