Though the Powell High School girls’ soccer team dropped its third game of 2021, the squad showed growth in its most recent outing.

The Panthers fell 3-0 on the road Saturday against Green River. Early goals proved costly, as PHS was unable to come from behind.

While the 0-3 start isn’t what coach Kaitlin Loeffen was hoping for, she saw improvement on the defensive side in Saturday’s match. 

“As the season is progressing, the defense is communicating more,” Loeffen said. “They are also gaining more confidence in themselves as well as each other.”

In an 8-0 loss to Cody earlier in the week, the Panthers were unable to sustain many offensive chances, but on Saturday, they passed more efficiently, leading to more shots. 

“Against Cody I felt we rushed the offensive opportunities we did have, while against Green River, we delivered the ball outside a few times and made decent runs that resulted in a few shots on goal,” Loeffen said. “We will continue to emphasize the give and go and corner deliveries.”

Individually, Abby Bradley stood out for PHS in the loss. She “came off the bench and really stepped up for us defensively,” Loeffen said. The coach was also impressed with the effort from the midfielders and forwards.

With just one goal through three matches, Powell’s focus ahead of Tuesday’s match against Worland will be offense. 

“We have emphasized shooting during practice and have seen growth and have given the green light to take shots,” Loeffen said. “I have expressed the game of soccer is a game of numbers.

“When the [opponent] shoots 30 times they will score multiple times; when we shoot no more than five times, we may or may not get a single goal,” she said. “They will need to shift their mindset from taking the perfect shot, to taking a shot, period.”

Even after a slow start, Loeffen is excited with where the program is headed. She has seen growth from her varsity girls, as well as the JV squad, which won 3-1 on Saturday. And the Powell Middle School program currently has a strong crop of 24 players. 

As the team returns home today (Tuesday) for its first match in Powell, the team’s goal will be to turn improvement into wins.

“Playing on our home turf is always an advantage as we practice nearly twice a week out there,” Loeffen said. “I am hoping the home crowd excitement propels our ladies into their first win.”

The Panthers will host Worland at 3 p.m.