Platte County’s season took a potentially devastating turn in the early minutes of the Panther Classic fifth-place game.
Record-setting goalscorer Chandler Peterson went down with a hip injury in the ninth minute against Park Hill on Thursday, Oct. 5 eventually exiting Park Hill District Soccer Complex on a golf cart. Minus their star, the Pirates fought on to take an early lead and eventually force penalty kicks.
Park Hill won the shootout 4-2 with Gabe Smith making a key save.
NICK INGRAM/Citizen photo
Park Hill players celebrate with goalkeeper Gabe Smith (99) after the Trojans beat Platte County in the Panther Classic on a penalty kick shootout Thursday, Oct. 5 at Park Hill District Soccer Complex in Riverside, Mo.
Peterson did return and play 71 minutes, scoring three goals in a Tuesday, Oct. 10 home game with Raytown South. He set a school record for goals in a season with 61 as a junior and had 55 goals in Platte County’s first 17 games this season.
“Hopefully, everything is OK,” Platte County coach Ashlyn Brantley said. “He did have pain in the hip that he had had surgery on before so we’re hoping for the best.”
Peterson showed a slight limp early in the matchup with Park Hill. In the ninth minute, he took off toward the corner after a loose ball and went down in obvious pain, and after a lengthy stoppage, coaches and a trainer helped him off the field with no weight being put on his left leg.
Platte County managed to take the match into halftime scoreless.
In the 47th minute, Blake Cochran, a junior taking over as the main attacking option for the Pirates in Peterson’s absence, scored off of a pass down the left flank from Ethan Dolan. Cochran chipped the ball over Park Hill goalkeeper Stefan Derra rushing out into the 18-yard box for a 1-0 lead.
Park Hill would put up the next two goals to take a 2-1 lead.
NICK INGRAM/Citizen photo
Platte County junior Blake Cochran (8) watches his shot chipped over Park Hill goalkeeper Stefan Derra during a Panther Classic game played Thursday, Oct. 5 at Park Hill District Soccer Complex in Riverside, Mo.
In the 58th minute, a set piece helped lead to the first. Platte County cleared out an initial free kick from Jackson Turner, who took the ball back and sent in a looping cross from the left that bounded through the box before junior defender Aaron Simpson headed it home just before Pirates goalkeeper Kemper York could snatch the ball at the far post.
Platte County deflected a cross from Simpson on the left into the path of freshman Ben Jobe, who fired a left-footed shot past York in the 71st to make it 2-1 Park Hill.
Chase Peterson, a sophomore, tied the score for Platte County with 6 minutes left in regulation. He took a free kick from about 15 yards out on the left side, bending a right-footed shot into the far side of the goal for the Pirates’ late equalizer.
Regulation ended with the score tied 2-2, and the match went to penalty kicks.
Jack Austin, Simpson, Chris Munoz and Matt Lachowitzer all converted penalty kicks for Park Hill. Cochran stepped up first for Platte County and went low to the right with Smith making the save. Chase Peterson and Tanner Ride converted for the Pirates, but Colton Grisham fired high in the fourth round, allowing Park Hill to escape with the win.
Platte County held a lead in all three Panther Classic games but lost all three. Chandler Peterson scored three of the Pirates’ six goals in the tournament, and his three goals Tuesday brought his season total to 159 — second most in state history and just 23 behind the mark of 182 Aaron Froehlich of Rolla set from 2010-2013.
Peterson’s 61 goals in 2016 ranks third all-time in state history, and his 58 this season would be fifth all time. He’s currently 14 goals away from tying the single-season state record of 72 Eric Ooton of St. Pius X set in 2005.
With 58 goals in 19 games played, Peterson’s current goals per game average of 3.05 would be a new single-season state record.