Unlike the previous meeting, Platte County didn’t waste any time in a matchup with Belton on Thursday at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County senior Alex Beeman makes a pass out of the back against Belton on Thursday at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County did all the scoring in the first half on the way to a 3-0 victory on senior night. During pregame, coaches and teammates honored four starters playing their final home game in a season filled with ups-and-downs but two big moments still awaiting.
The senior starters include defenders Alex Beeman and Kaelyn Bellach plus midfielders Marissa Orellana and Addison Sloan.
“I can still remember my first game on this field really well,” Beeman said. “First half, we played really well together as a team. We were really working together well. It was great to come out like that on senior night.”
For a second straight season, injuries have forced Platte County to adapt at an inopportune time.
Platte County needed to beat Belton to keep hopes alive of a split of the Suburban Conference White Division title. In the first league meeting between these Pirates, Platte County dominated but went scoreless into the closing moments before finding a way to pull away for a 3-0 win.
Platte County sophomore midfielder Saige Dickens hits a cross against Belton on Thursday at Pirate Stadium.
This time around, Orellana set up sophomore midfielder Saige Dickens with a cross-header combination to take a 1-0 lead after just 4 minutes. Orellana then capped the scoring 34th minute, collecting the ball under pressure in the center of the box and physically holding off a Belton defender to poke a shot home.
“It was definitely a lot more relaxing to playing three goals up than 0-0,” Alex Beeman said.
Platte County junior goalkeeper Finley Kaser continued a strong run of play but needed to make only one save to hold a second straight clean sheet.
Belton created few opportunities even with Platte County’s defense missing junior right back Annabel Beeman (foot) for a fourth straight game. Bellach started on the opposite side from freshman Caroline Linn with Alex Beeman and junior Madison Palmer on the inside.
In control, Platte County also rotated in junior Alivia Juarez with freshman Mila Cucchiara again starting and taking the majority of minutes at defensive midfielder.
Platte County has been without junior defensive midfielder Giada Cucchiara, who might end up missing the entire season while recovering from a torn ACL. The Pirates have been playing junior Brooklynne Jenni in that spot but have recently moved her up in the formation, a move even more important after reserve winger Carissa Bacon suffered a recent head injury that has forced her to miss time.
Platte County senior Kaelyn Bellach hits a clearance against Belton on Thursday at Pirate Stadium.
“It does throw a wrench in things because this is the time when we want to get on a roll,” Alex Beeman said.
Platte County’s midfield rotation includes junior Lily Kytasaari, freshman Amela Dzilic, Sloan, Dickens, Jenni with junior Rylee Burris up top. Kytasaari has also seen more time at forward in an effort to put her in more goal-scoring situations.
After Orellana’s opener early, Kytasaari showed off her unique skillset. She chased down a ball along the left sideline and worked her way inside in a one-on-situation and cut a shot at a tough angle to put Platte County up 2-0 in the 20th minute.
Despite the scoreless second half, Platte County recorded a second straight win and built a bit more momentum heading into Tuesday’s rematch with Grain Valley, which can win the conference title outright with a win.
Regardless, this will be the regular season finale for Platte County, which dropped to the sixth seed in the Class 3 District 8 bracket based on a complicated set of head-to-head results for No. 1 Van Horn, No. 2 Kearney, No. 3 Smithville, No. 4 Lincoln Prep and No. 5 Pembroke Hill. That means Platte County opens against Smithville on next Monday needing to reverse the result a 3-1 loss from the regular season in the teams’ only meeting this year.
“We know we can play with them,” Alex Beeman said. “We’re there every game against those teams, so I feel good about it.”
Platte County junior goalkeeper Finley Kaser collects a loose ball against Belton on Thursday at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County has not won a district title since 2021 in a four-team district before advancing to the state quarterfinals. The Pirates reached the championship game in 2022 and were eliminated in a semifinal with Pembroke Hill last season.
Platte County 3, William Chrisman 0
The Pirates also scored three goals in the first half of a White Division matchup Tuesday in Independence.
Goals from Burris, Jenni and Sloan staked Platte County to a 3-0 lead at halftime, and Kaser made the advantage stand up, making one save. The Pirates dominated the chances with nine total shots on goal, but the scoring came mostly in a bunch during the middle part of the first half.
Jenni set up Burris for the opener in the 15th minute, and 8 minutes later, Kytasaari assisted on Jenni’s goal.
Platte County went up 3-0 in the 29th minute when Sloan managed a shot in a scramble in front of goal. Juarez started on defense with Alex Beeman unavailable due to the rescheduled Suburban Conference White Division Championships track and field meet.
Pembroke Hill 2, Platte County 1
Kaser made eight saves, but the Raiders scored twice in the second half to earn a result important to the eventual district seeding.
Platte County went up 1-0 in the final 3 seconds of the first half with Kytasaari slotting in a penalty kick. However, the Pirates managed just two shots on goal and conceded in both the 47th and 78th minutes. The winner came on a header off of a corner kick.
