After 80 minutes of scoreless play to start the girls soccer season, goalkeeper heroics from Anna Pudenz led Park Hill South to a 3-1 penalty shootout victory against Platte County on Thursday, March 20, in the Platte County Invitational.
The junior goalkeeper had very little to do all afternoon but came up with some crucial saves when it mattered the most. Pudenz made a critical stop inside the final 10 minutes and didn’t allow a score in the final three penalty attempts.
The game had ebbs and flows as both teams enjoyed good spells, but neither team created much until midway through the first half. A Pirate giveaway was pounced on by the Panthers, who whipped in a dangerous cross from the right side that goalkeeper Finely Kaser deflected away before an ambitious shot sailed over.
With five minutes left in the first half, the Panthers came close again. Junior forward Olivia Dallas received a pass and made a nifty turn to open up a shooting lane on the left side, but she pulled her effort just wide from about 15 yards out. Both teams remained tough to break defensively with both teams settling for shots from distance that never troubled either goalkeeper.
Pudenz was finally forced into action with less than 27 minutes remaining in the contest when she came off her line to break up a promising Platte County attack. With about nine minutes left in the contest, Pudenz faced her first major test of the game. Platte County freshman Addison Stone touched the ball past a defender before taking a right-footed shot, but Pudenz managed to drop down to her left to make the save.
“That’s the thing about that position,” Park Hill South head coach Jared Byrne said. “You can not really be involved, and all of a sudden, your number’s called on. You’ve got to come up big. She was locked in all game, even though she wasn’t getting a lot of saves.”
The danger still wasn’t clear as the ball sat in traffic several yards out in the goal mouth. The ball eventually popped out to another Pirate, who ripped a shot destined for the right corner, but Pudenz dove down to her left to make another save, this one more challenging, tipping the ball wide of the post.
As regular time ended scoreless, the Panthers and Pirates lined up for a dramatic penalty shootout to determine who advances to the semifinals. Once again, Pudenz made her presence felt with the assistance of the goalframe.
After Park Hill South senior Arianna Perschau and Platte County senior Lily Kytasaari made first-round attempts, South sophomore Kinley Cogswell converted before Platte County senior Brooklynne Jenni clanked hers off the post.
The Panthers were unable to take advantage of the early opportunity when junior Sarah Listrom had her effort saved by Kaser, but Pudenz restored the Panthers’ advantage when she dove to her left to make a save against junior Aubrey Henson.
“I just turned a switch,” Pudenz said. “My mentality when I do a shootout is to pick a way and stick to it. You can’t hesitate and it pulled us through.”
The goalkeeper battle continued into the fourth round when Kaser made another save to deny Olivia Dallas’ attempt. The Pirates were unable to flip the script as senior Giada Cucchiara’s effort hit off the underside of the crossbar and out, setting up junior Panther Savanna Pittman’s fifth-round winner.
Byrne was pleased with his side’s first game of the season. With a young team of sophomores and juniors, Byrne was happy to begin the season with a shutout and saw some good traits on the offensive side as well.
“I really liked our movement off the ball,” Byrne said. “That’s something we’ve really been working on. Staying connected and trying to build and not just play kickball.”
The reigning Platte County Invitational champion Panthers advanced to the semifinals for a second straight year, where they lost to Grain Valley in another penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation on Saturday, March 22.
“This is our bar for the season,” Pudenz said. “We can only go up, move on, get better and grow as a team.”