Even as a scoreless tie persisted for the majority of the first half, Finley Kaser didn’t have any reason to feel additional pressure.
Platte County senior midfielder Lily Kytasaari dribbles toward the defense against Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County’s senior four-year starting goalkeeper knows the potency of this season’s offense, and the breakthrough in Tuesday’s matchup with Belton at Pirate Stadium seemed inevitable. Platte County ended up doing all the scoring in a 3-0 victory during a span of just over 5 minutes just before halftime with senior midfielder Lily Kytasaari maintaining her recent run of offensive form with two goals, while junior reserve midfielder Kiara Smith added the other.
“It’s definitely less pressure for sure, just our strength up top,” said Kaser, who didn’t have to record a save in a shutout effort from Platte County’s defense.
Despite dealing with two new injuries to extend a stretch of adjustment, Platte County (9-2) extended an active winning streak to eight straight this past week — longest for the program since taking nine in a row in 2022 — with three more in Suburban Conference White Division play, sandwiching dominant shutouts of Raytown around the win grinding win over Belton.
Platte County did fully welcome back senior Madison Palmer to the defensive backline and senior midfielder Brooklynne Jenni but were without senior forward Lauren Stone in all three games. Against Belton, freshman forward Addison Stone left in the first half and did not return.
Despite the challenges, Platte County maintained momentum with a seemingly newfound swagger after finishing under .500 each of the past two seasons.
Platte County senior midfielder Brooklynne Jenni plays a pass against Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Stadium.
“I feel like our bond as a team is really good, and I feel like we have a lot of chemistry,” Kaser said.
With a replenished and deep roster seeking the first winning season since going 22-4 in 2022, Platte County continued to use new and different combinations in the starting lineup and throughout the three conference games.
The second half against Belton featured few clear-cut chances for Platte County with senior Rylee Burris and sophomore Macy Doll seeing the most time up front at striker, and Jenni saw an extended spell of action off the bench as she progresses back from a head injury suffered in the season-opener and senior Giada Cucchiara, who missed all of last season while rehabbing a torn ACL, pushed further forward with sophomore Mila Cucchiara taking her normal spot in the defensive midfield.
Platte County coach Ashlyn Brantley applauded the effort in the second half even without goals resulting from solid play.
“We’ve been moving things around and seeing who can play other positions and who can get involved in the attack a little bit more and who might give us more depth in the back,” she said. “We’re just working some players back into the fold.”
Platte County sophomore forward Macy Doll takes a shot against Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County’s defense made sure the 3-0 lead held up with freshman Emily Fadler and senior Annabel Beeman starting in the two centerback spots with sophomore Caroline Linn and senior Alivia Juarez on the outside. The rotation also included Palmer, who also missed significant time after a head injury in the season-opener, and junior Kaylee Dixon.
Belton didn’t produce a single shot on goal in what ended up Kaser’s fifth clean sheet of the season with her sixth coming two nights later in an 8-0 win at Raytown. Palmer, Beeman and Linn all returned with previous starting experience for Platte County’s defense, but the trio has rarely played together so far this season with Fadler and Juarez becoming pivotal pieces in addition to increased stability with the return of Giada Cucchiara, a starter as a sophomore, at defensive midfielder.
“It’s kind of the whole team,” Kaser said. “Our defense has really stepped up this year.”
Platte County made the most of limited chances in the first half and didn’t breakthrough until the 32nd minute when Kytasaari pounced on a rebound and for a putback goal off of a shot from Doll. Five minutes later, Fadler sent a well-placed pass from the defensive backline to sophomore midfielder Amela Dzilic down the left wing, and she beat the Belton defense, going all the way to the end line before an unselfish cross along the ground set up Kytasaari for a tap-in goal.
Platte County freshman defender Emily Fadler plays a pass against Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Stadium.
Off the immediate restart, Smith, a junior transfer who started in the midfield but has mostly come in as an impact reserve, found herself one-one-one with Belton’s goalkeeper off of a pass from Kytasaari. Smith hammered a right-footed shot into the back of the net for her second gaol at Platte County with Kytasaari earning the assist and sending the home team into the break with a well-earned 3-0 lead.
“This year, we have more depth, and even some of the returners just have more experience with us and playing with each other and knowing our expectations for certain positions,” Brantley said. “I think being able to put more people out there, get more time, it just helps and as these injuries happen, it’s fine. We have somebody else that can step up, and they have been stepping up.”
While Kytasaari, Giada Cucchiara and junior Saige Dickens remain steady starters, Smith, Dzilic, Mila Cucchiara, sophomore Bella Dean and freshman Katelyn Newberry saw additional time in Platte County midfield in wake of the foot/ankle injuries for Lauren Stone, hurt in the prior week’s 4-1 win over Fort Osage, and Addison Stone. The Pirates have versatility this year with the influx of newcomers and return of players not on last year’s roster while only graduating three seniors.
In addition to Giada Cucchiara, Lauren Stone also came back out after sitting out last year to focus on basketball.
Five different players scored for Platte County in Monday’s 10-0 victory over Raytown at Pirate Stadium with all 10 goals coming in the first half of a mercy-rule finish at halftime. Kytasaari bagged four goals, while Addison Stone also notched a hat trick, the first of her career. Doll, Dzilic and Dickens finished with one apiece.
The same two teams met Thursday in Raytown, and Dzilic’s second goal, which came in the 48th minute, brought on end an 8-0 victory also shortened due to the mercy rule. Burris scored the first three goals to complete a hat trick after just 12 minutes, while Kytasaari netted two in the final six minutes before halftime.
Jenni added her first goal of the season to help send Platte County into halftime with a 7-0 lead.
