Platte County definitively ends 3-game skid while still shorthanded vs. Raytown

The reprieve finally came Thursday night in Raytown.

Entering on a three-game losing skid, Platte County dominated start to finish in an 8-0 shutout that completed a two-game Suburban Conference White Division sweep of the Blue Jays. Five different players were on the scoresheet for the Pirates, who were limited to using just 12 players total with the true toll of a tough stretch of games ended up being an accumulation of injuries.

Platte County senior midfielder Marissa Orellana remains out after a back injury suffered in a North Kansas City Invitational semifinal win over Kearney. The Pirates then saw senior central defender Cosette Stephenson go out with a concussion in Monday’s nonconference loss to Blue Springs South. Finally, sophomore defensive midfielder Giada Cucchiara sat out the Raytown game with an MRI set for next week on a potential stress fracture in her shin.

Already with a thin roster going into the season after a few expected returners did not come back, Platte County (8-9) suddenly faces a lot of uncertainty as the end of the regular season nears. The Pirates even started senior Yaelis Rodriguez Castro at in place of Cucchiara at defensive midfielder in the first significant action of her career at the varsity level.

Platte County didn’t need the depth to beat Raytown by an 8-0 score for the the second time this year, improving to 4-1 in conference play and remaining behind only Grain Valley. The Pirates took the lead in the fourth minute on a goal from sophomore forward forward Lauren Stone and went into halftime up 5-0.

In the end, Platte County senior Sloan Kassen and sophomores Lily Kytasaari and Rylee Burris each scored twice, while sophomore midfielder Addison Sloan, starting with Orellana out, also continued her run of strong play with a first half goal. The Pirates’ defensive backline consisted of sophomore Annabel Beeman and junior Kaelyn Bellach on the outside, while sophomore Madison Palmer shifted inside next to junior center back Alex Beeman with Stephenson missing a second straight game.

Platte County sophomore goalkeeper Finley Kaser did not face a shot on goal in recording a clean sheet.

After Stone’s opener in the fourth minute, Kassen doubled the advantage 14th minute with a goal off of a corner kick, and she sent in a cross to Sloan that resulted in the third goal during the 19th minute. Kassen added her second on a long color run in 2 minutes later, and Kytasaari made a similar goal-scoring move in the 22nd minute to put the Pirates up 5-0.

That ended up being the halftime score, and Kytasaari tapped in her second 3 minutes into the second half on a setup from Kassen, who finished with two goals and two assists. Burris the last two goals in the 69th and 79th minutes, the first coming on a combination at the top of the box with Castro.

Platte County plays three more times next week, starting with home games vs. Pembroke Hill and William Chrisman before finishing with a second straight White Division matchup at Belton on Thursday.

Park Hill 6, Platte County 2

The Pirates netted a goal on either side of halftime through Kassen and Kytasaari in a nonconference road game Tuesday at Park Hill District Soccer Complex in Riverside, but the comeback attempt stalled from there.

Park Hill opened a 4-0 lead in the first half before Platte County halved the deficit, only to give up back-to-back goals in the 58th and 59th minutes. The Pirates seemingly ran out of gas in the first game minus Orellana and Stephenson.

Taking advantage of the inexperienced central defense pairing of Beeman and Palmer, Park Hill scored twice on early counterattacks that left Kaser exposed and added a pair of unlikely highlight-reel shots from distance. The Trojans’ first deep goal made it 3-0 in the 13th minute, and they went ahead 4-0 in the 33rd minute.

However, Platte County started to dominate possession before halftime with both Stone and Kassen having shots saved before finally an earned breakthrough in the 34th minute. Kassen’s long strides helped her knife through the center of defense and into a breakaway where she slotted past the Park Hill goalkeeper while fending off a recovering defender.

Platte County then kept the momentum after halftime.

In the 43rd minute, Burris broke into the clear only to have her right-footed shot turned away with the Park Hill goalkeeper nearly spilling the rebound into her own net. The Pirates also put shots on target in the 47th and 48th minutes. On the first, Stone set up Kytasaari for a one-time right-footed shot 16 yards out that dragged wide right across the face of goal. Moments later, Stone kept her dribble away from multiple Trojans defenders, going hard left and then cutting back to her right foot for an attempt that ended up straight at the goalkeeper.

Platte County clawed within 4-2 in the 50th minute when Kystasaari and Sloan worked a give-and-go-and give that ended with a curled right-footed shot into the right side netting.

Park Hill recovered from there, creating a pair of chaotic scrambles in front of net off of corner kicks that Platte County survived. Kaser made a kick save to snuff out the second — one of four total stops she made — but moments later the Trojans recovered with a cross from out on the left that ended up bounding uncontested through the box and resulting in the fifth goal. They added the sixth moments later on the second goal from well more than 20 yards out.

Blue Springs South 3, Platte County 1

The Pirates briefly tied the score late in the first half with Palmer’s first career goal but ended up behind again before halftime in a nonconference loss Monday at Pirate Stadium.

Blue Springs South went ahead in the 17th minute but couldn’t hold.

Instead, Platte County leveled with Kassen setting up Palmer’s goal in the 33rd minute. The Jaguars were back up 2-1 at the break and then scored the game’s final goal in the 53rd minute.

Platte County managed seven total shots, and Kaser made three saves.

With Cucchiara out against Raytown,

Rodriguez Castro, Yaelis