Panthers fall to Lander, Worland over weekendPre-game warmups might become the focus of extra attention for Powell High School girls' soccer coach Brad Hammond this week following a pair of weekend losses by the Panthers. Powell fell 3-1 to Lander on Friday and followed with a 3-0 loss to Worland on Saturday. In Hammond's eyes, the games followed a similar script. “We just came out flat in both games,” said Hammond. “We need to try and fix that and get going in warm ups before the game or something. Both games we were just out of synch in the first half and it cost us.”Molly McCray got Powell off to a good start on Friday against Lander with an early goal to stake the Panthers to a 1-0 lead. Lander responded, twice beating the Panthers' defense and putting the ball in net to quickly go up 2-1. The Tigers would add a third tally to give the game its final margin. Saturday's game saw Worland score just moments after the opening whistle as the Warriors worked the ball in from the left wing for a point-blank shot in the box. The Warriors unlocked the Panthers' defense two more times in transition, serving the ball in from the defensive half of the field and grabbing a 3-0 lead before the halftime whistle. “We were able to keep them from scoring in the second half, but we can't get off to those slow starts,” said Hammond. “Our defense played pretty well in the second half to hold them out and we were able to generate a few threats.”The Panthers' coach rejected the notion that a busy spree on the calendar may have led to some of the team's struggles. The contest against Worland was the team's fifth game in the span of nine days. “That's Wyoming in the spring,” said Hammond. “That's how it is here and you deal with the weather and what it does with your schedule. This was our last home game and I'd hoped we'd come a little better than we did.”Powell travels to Pinedale and Jackson this week. The Panthers defeated Pinedale 4-0 last week, holding the Wranglers without a shot on goal in the contest. Jackson continues to hold the number one spot in the Wyopreps Class 3A girls' soccer poll.

Panthers fall to Lander, Worland over weekend

Pre-game warmups might become the focus of extra attention for Powell High School girls' soccer coach Brad Hammond this week following a pair of weekend losses by the Panthers. Powell fell 3-1 to Lander on Friday and followed with a 3-0 loss to Worland on Saturday.

In Hammond's eyes, the games followed a similar script.

“We just came out flat in both games,” said Hammond. “We need to try and fix that and get going in warm ups before the game or something. Both games we were just out of synch in the first half and it cost us.”

Molly McCray got Powell off to a good start on Friday against Lander with an early goal to stake the Panthers to a 1-0 lead. Lander responded, twice beating the Panthers' defense and putting the ball in net to quickly go up 2-1.

The Tigers would add a third tally to give the game its final margin.

Saturday's game saw Worland score just moments after the opening whistle as the Warriors worked the ball in from the left wing for a point-blank shot in the box. The Warriors unlocked the Panthers' defense two more times in transition, serving the ball in from the defensive half of the field and grabbing a 3-0 lead before the halftime whistle.

“We were able to keep them from scoring in the second half, but we can't get off to those slow starts,” said Hammond. “Our defense played pretty well in the second half to hold them out and we were able to generate a few threats.”

The Panthers' coach rejected the notion that a busy spree on the calendar may have led to some of the team's struggles. The contest against Worland was the team's fifth game in the span of nine days.

“That's Wyoming in the spring,” said Hammond. “That's how it is here and you deal with the weather and what it does with your schedule. This was our last home game and I'd hoped we'd come a little better than we did.”

Powell travels to Pinedale and Jackson this week. The Panthers defeated Pinedale 4-0 last week, holding the Wranglers without a shot on goal in the contest. Jackson continues to hold the number one spot in the Wyopreps Class 3A girls' soccer poll.