After a slow start, Platte County appears to have unlocked the right combination of offense and defense for a talented but still youthful lineup. The Pirates put this on display both in a 4-0 victory over Belton at home on Tuesday and a gutting 2-1 loss at Grain Valley on Thursday.
Platte County sophomore forward Rylee Burris dribbles into the box against Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County first ran a winning streak to four games then pushed a strong Class 4 side to the brink, even holding a late lead.
Burris also scored twice in an 8-0 demolition at Central (St. Joseph) on Friday, improving Platte County to 5-6 overall. The Pirates have won five of six overall since losing the first five of the season to tough competition and scoring just one goal total in the process.
Since then, Platte County has recorded four cleansheets behind strong play from sophomore goalkeeper Finley Kaser and opened up a diverse offensive attack that includes sophomores like Burris, Lauren Stone and Lily Kytasaari but finding form in large part due to the increased visibility of senior forward Sloan Kassen both as an up-front target and facilitator from the wings.
“I think we started off a little rough. It took us a while to get back into it,” said Platte County sophomore forward Rylee Burris, who has scored in five of the Pirates’ last six games and tallied a goal and an assist in the win over Belton. “But now that we’re on a roll, we’re on a roll.”
Against Belton, Platte County showed the ability to rely on an increased number of players to be involved in scoring combinations. Giada Cucchiara, another sophomore transitioning into a full-time and pivotal role at defensive midfielder, supplied assists on both goals in the first half.
Platte County senior forward Sloan Kassen (left) celebrates one of her two goals against Belton with sophomore Madison Palmer on Tuesday at Pirate Stadium.
Cucchiara set up both Burris on the opener in the 15th minute and Kassen to make it 2-0 Platte County in the 25th minute.
“I’ve been playing with her my whole life, and she’s a very dangerous player,” Burris said of Cucchiara. “It’s just her finally finding, making that extra touch to get the ball where she wants it.”
Platte County dominated possession with Kaser needing to make just one save, and the chances were consistent, even if the goals required a bit more patience.
Early in the second half, Kytasaari’s cross from the left dangerously bounded through the box but didn’t find a teammate. Platte County then made it a three-goal lead just six minutes later when junior Marissa Orellana, a midfielder deep in the pecking order a year earlier and clearly finding footing as a starter in recent weeks, played a creative ball over the top, allowing Burris to latch on along the right flank and play a simple square ball to Kassen, who fired off a strong right-footed shot that left Belton’s goalkeeper with no chance.
The right flank continued to be key in the second half.
Addison Sloan, a reserve junior midfielder, provided a key spell of play from that side — first firing a rocket of a shot from a tight angle off of a short corner in the 57th minute that ended up punched out for another corner kick. She then sent in a dangerous cross from nearly an identical spot before earning a reward in the 64th minute.
With Stone playing a ball to the outside, Sloan took a few touches and fired in a ball that ended up more shot than cross just inside the 18-yard box, although full intention looked a little unclear. Belton’s goalkeeper ended up clearly beaten at the near post to create the four-goal margin of eventual victory.
Platte County junior midfielder Addison Sloan hits a shot that results in a goal against Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Stadium.
“I don’t know if it was a cross or a shot, but it went in,” Burris said.
Belton’s goalkeeper did well late to avoid allowing more goals. In the 77th and 78th minute, she supplied highlight-reel saves first pushing a rocket from Kassen off the post and out for a corner and then doing well to deny a point-blank header from Orellana to set up another corner that came to nothing.
Grain Valley 2, Platte County 1, OT
The Pirates took an initial 1-0 lead in the 64th minute on a goal from in a pivotal Suburban Conference White Division clash on Thursday in Grain Valley but ended up with a difficult loss.
Grain Valley leveled in the 74th minute through Meghan Knust, and Annabelle Totta scored the winner early in the second half of golden overtime. The Eagles improved to 9-4 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
Platte County took the lead on a goal for Burris on an assist from Kassen, and Kaser made an impressive 16 saves to consistently keep Grain Valley at bay. The Pirates had opened with three wins in White Division play but dropped to 3-1 and a game behind Grain Valley in what will likely be the battle for the title.
Platte County 8, Central (St. Joseph) 0
The Pirates bagged five goals in the second half to invoke the eight-goal mercy rule and close out another cleansheet Friday at The Den in St. Joseph.
Five different players factored in the scoring for Platte County with Burris and Kassen scoring two apiece plus one each for Orellana, Stone and Kytasaari. Burris had the opener in the first half before Kassen added both of hers in quick succession to send the Pirates into halftime with a 3-0 lead. Orellana and Burris put up two more early in the second half in what ended up a blowout.
