The Powell Panther boys’ soccer team split a pair of home matches over the weekend, falling behind the pace against Lander on Friday in a 3-1 loss before bouncing back for a convincing 5-0 victory over Pinedale on Saturday.

LANDER 3, POWELL 1

Cold, brisk temperatures made for an intriguing matchup Friday night, with the Panthers (6-6 overall, 4-4 3A West) seeking redemption against the Tigers (5-3 overall 5-2 3A West) after a last second loss the weekend prior.

Lander had the wind at its back in the first half, seeking to score from long range throughout.

Powell continually held the Tigers out of the net over the first 32 minutes, before a flurry of goals over the final seven minutes gave the visitors a significant advantage.

A turnover at the back led to a quick attempt for the Tigers, pushing it into the net to make it 1-0 and give the visitors more energy.

Five minutes later, a free kick from long range found the top corner and made it 2-0.

Another long shot just a minute later soared into the goal, capping off the flurry and making it 3-0 just before the halftime whistle.

“The wind was definitely a bigger factor in the first half as it died down some in the second half but Lander still outplayed us and created more chances,” coach David Gilliatt said. “They brought more intensity and they just wanted it more.”

Early on Powell sought to return the favor, but the Tigers continually shut down the Panthers at every opportunity.

The Panthers had to wait nearly the entirety of the second half, to find the back of the net with less than a minute left after a confusing play, which led to discussion between officials and players.

Chance Franks had put the ball over the line while being taken down by the Tiger goalkeeper, but the official had pointed to the penalty spot and that led to the discussion. 

The official awarded the goal, giving Powell a consolation goal late in the contest.

“I mean, it was just saving a little pride. We deserved to lose,” Gilliatt said. “Lander out-worked us and out-played us and created more chances … We had a good momentum shift in the last 20 minutes but needed another 10 minutes to have it result in more goals.”

POWELL 5, PINEDALE 0

Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, the Panthers matched up with the Wranglers (2-10 overall, 1-7 3A West) on Saturday to get back on track.

Having shifted players into new positions over the weekend, Powell found an early goal four minutes in through Trevon Abraham who fired one into the top corner to spark the Panther attack.

“Sometimes you just need to put in guys that will raise the work rate,” Gilliatt said. “Trevon has been injured for the last couple weeks and he’s not only a captain, but one of the hardest working players on the team. Having him back in the starting 11 was very impactful, and he was excellent scoring the first goal against Pinedale.”

Powell continued to press, but didn’t get the second goal until five minutes left in the half after Franks found the back of the net to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead at the break.

Early in the second half, Braxton Batt found the back of the net after a strong run behind the defense, making it 3-0 three minutes into the half.

Powell again continued creating chances, but couldn’t add to the lead until the final 10 minutes.

Franks got his second off a rebound from an Abraham shot, making it 4-0.

He got his hat trick with three minutes left, slotting one past the keeper to finish the scoring at 5-0.

“I felt that everyone recognized we needed to work harder in the Pinedale game and ultimately got the result we were after,” Gilliatt said. “I think it was a combination of the guys working harder, playing smarter and finding a little of their own style and voice. I’d love for us to win every game by a comfortable margin, but this year the margin between all of the teams in 3A is much tighter.”

CODY REMATCH

Powell will turn around quickly for its final road game of the season, heading to Cody to take on its Park County rivals on Tuesday (today).

That game is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. as the Panthers expect a battle against the Broncs (5-3 overall, 5-2 3A West) after winning in a shootout earlier this month in Powell after a 0-0 line in regulation.

“I think Cody is very hard working and physical, bringing the intensity to win in every game,” Gilliatt said. “I’m looking for us to score in active play this time and hope to change some things from the last game. We’ve already watched some film on Cody against our common opponents and will review some more on Monday. I saw the Cody coach in the stands during our game on Saturday against Pinedale so they are doing their homework as well.”