Two games for Pirate soccer end in tough flights

Lady Pirates fall in tight battle with Loyola 

Despite outshooting Loyola in the second half, the Polson girls soccer team couldn’t find the back of the net Friday, falling 1-0 to the Breakers in a windy Northwestern A contest.

Polson (3-3, 3-5) generated 24 shots, including 14 on goal, but Loyola keeper Hattie Taylor made 13 saves and benefited from strong defensive play in front of her. The difference came in the 54th minute when Loyola’s Emerson Laird’s long strike caught a gust of wind, altering its arc and curling just under the crossbar for the match’s lone goal. 

The Lady Pirates had several promising opportunities, led by Amelia Stene with nine shots and four on frame, but many attempts were disrupted by Loyola’s back line or swallowed up by Taylor. Olivia Ramirez recorded four saves for Polson in goal. 

The loss was Polson’s second straight shutout, though the Lady Pirates controlled much of the possession in the second half and outshot Loyola 17-7 after halftime. 

Pirates battle Stillwater to 2-2 draw 

On the boys’ side, Polson rallied twice to earn a 2-2 nonconference draw with Stillwater Christian on Tuesday. 

After a scoreless first half, the game opened up with four goals in 22 minutes. Stillwater struck first in the 43rd minute, but Polson (3-4-1) answered immediately as Dion Lichtenberg finished a pass from Archer Russell just two minutes later. 

The Cougars regained the lead on a free kick in the 50th minute, only for the Pirates to level the score again when Roman Sawyer found the net off a feed from Lichtenberg in the 65th. 

The Pirates had several other scoring chances, with shots from Afton Hatch, Cruz Lies, Cade McConnell and Strider Gage testing the Cougar defense. Goalkeepers Maddox Bird and Zephyr Sternick combined for five saves to preserve the draw. 

The tie keeps Polson close to the .500 mark as they head deeper into conference play