Platte County secures NKC Invitational on penalties in championship game

Platte County only scored once in a challenging stretch of three games in three days yet still came away with the NKC Invitational title for the first time since the current seniors were freshmen. An own goal made the difference in a 1-0 win over Oak Park in the first round, while senior forward Rylee Burris struck in the first half to help the Pirates beat Kearney by the same count of a competitive semifinal between rivals.

In Saturday morning’s final, a scoreless 80 minutes of regulation with Smithville gave way to a shootout at North Kansas City District Activities Complex in Kansas City.

Platte County senior goalkeeper Finely Kaser converted a penalty kick in the fifth round then went back to her more common spot and dove right as the final shot pinged off the post resulting in a dramatic victory. The Pirates have suddenly won 11 straight heading into the final stretch of Suburban Conference White Division matchups to close the regular season.

“I don’t like to think of it as a streak because then it adds a little bit of pressure, but sometimes, the pressure is what you need to keep going and keep showing up every day,” Platte County senior defender Annabel Beeman said.

Platte County (12-2) mostly insulated Kaser from danger in the tournament, having refortified the backline with senior Madison Palmer’s return from injury. The Pirates have recorded seven straight shutouts with the fourth-year starter putting up a cleansheet in nine of the past 11 games overall since losing two of three in the season-opening Platte County Invitational.

Smithville (11-3) managed to force the shootout scenario but immediately feel behind in the first round after Platte County senior Lily Kytasaari converted the opener. The Warriors sent their first attempt high over the bar.

The teams ended up tied after the next three rounds.

Smithville denied Burris on Platte County’s second attempt and made the next three penalties. However, the Pirates kept applying pressure after successive makes from senior midfielder Giada Cucchiara, freshman defender Emily Fadler and finally Kaser.

Just as Platte County welcomed back Palmer and senior midfielder Brooklynne Jenni, a new pair of injuries tested the offensive depth. The Pirates remain without senior Lauren Stone and freshman Addison Stone with both forwards recently sidelined due to foot/ankle issues.

“It’s definitely an adjustment we have to make,” Beeman said. “But I think we’ve proved … that we can compete with any number of players and any sequence of players on the field.”

Kytasaari, another four-year starter, shifted back mostly up top of the formation after excelling most of this season back in an attacking midfield role. That’s led to increased time for sophomore Macy Doll at forward plus junior transfer Kiara Smith; sophomores Amela Dzilic, Bella Dean and Mila Cucchiara; and freshman Katelyn Newberry in midfield alongside a trio of established starters in Jenny, Giada Cucchiara, junior Saige Dickens

Palmer suffered a head injury in the first game this spring and missed multiple weeks. Her return now allows Platte County to use a six-player rotation in front of Kaser with Beeman and Fadler starting in the center while sophomore Caroline Linn, senior Alivia Juarez and junior Kaylee Dixon sharing duties on the outside. Palmer, a three-year contributor, can now provide support in any spot.

The recent run of form for the defense comes during the busiest stretch of the schedule with Platte County coach Ashlyn Brantley going deeper into the roster and mixing and matching combinations.

“Honestly, whoever’s in the back, whether it be Kaylee, Alivia, Caroline or Emily, we all work together, and as long as we’re communicating, we seem to have a good synchronization,” Beeman said.

Kaser needed to make just three saves in the shutout of Oak Park in Thursday’s opening round matchup.

Platte County’s applied consistent pressure but struggled to solve senior standout goalkeeper Lili Everley, who made 12 saves. Newberry skied a volley from the center of the 18-yard box to open the Pirates’ best stretch of offense late in the first half. Moments later, Everley came off her line to smother an attempt from Doll in the 29th minute off a soft and well-placed setup from Kytasaari. In the 31st minute, Doll hit a well-struck shot straight at the goalkeeper.

The lone goal in Platte County’s 1-0 win came in the 36th minute with Dickens pressuring Oak Park freshman Nevaeh Friends in a seemingly innocuous area in the left corner of the Lady Oakies’ defensive third. Friends attempted a difficult clearance and instead ended up putting essentially a well-placed shot past a perplexed Everley and into the upper right corner of the net.

“I didn’t even see it happen,” Beeman said. “I mean Saige was on her and so if you’re pressuring the defense, sometimes it happens, and sometimes it goes our way.”

Platte County seemed destined to add to the advantage, but Everley stopped shots at the end of back-to-back combinations between Kytasaari and Burris in the 56th and 57th minutes. Each of the Pirates’ main attackers had shots stopped on those plays, and Dickens later sent an attempt from distance just over the bar.

Doll and Burris also missed shots late in the second half.

A pair of late fouls offered faint hopes for Oak Park late, but Kaser helped cut out potential chances in both cases and preserve the shutout.

Platte County struck in the first half through Burris and held on from there in the semifinal with Kearney (9-5), which won all three meetings between the teams a year ago and ended the Pirates’ season in the Class 3 District 8 semifinals.

Platte County upset Smithville in the first round to earn that third matchup, but the Warriors dropped to Class 2 this season. This year’s seeding for Class 3 District 8 also includes defending champion Pembroke Hill (8-3), Van Horn (12-4) and St. Pius X (14-2), a small school powerhouse moved up due to the private school success multiplier.