For the first time in school history the Powell Panther girls’ soccer team returned home with some hardware at the state tournament. The Panthers finished third after defeating Worland 3-1 on Thursday, losing to Cody after a late goal made it 1-1 and eventually losing in a shootout 2-1 before rebounding, and defeating Douglas 3-2 on Saturday.

POWELL 3, WORLAND 1

Starting out the tournament the Panthers (13-6) matched up as the No. 3 seed out of the West against the No. 2 seed out of the East, the Warriors (13-5).

Powell fired early and often from long range, testing the Worland keeper throughout the first half.

The Warriors ended up being the team with the best chance of the half however, as Worland hit one off the inside of the post 16 minutes in, but the Panthers saw it fall harmlessly away from goal to stay 0-0.

Powell’s long shots paid off, as Ivy Agee got the Panthers on the board with 7:40 left in the half, rifling one past the keeper and making it 1-0.

That scoreline held going into the break, but it didn’t take long into the second half before the Warriors equalized.

A strong shot by the Warriors found its way into the side netting just three minutes into the half, making it 1-1 with 37 minutes left.

Powell had a response, re-establishing its advantage just four minutes later.

A strong run by Emery Hernandez up the right wing allowed for a cutback to Agee in the box, and she slotted it home to give Powell the lead back 2-1.

Both teams continued to attack, but neither was broke through until late in the contest.

That came when Agee completed her hat trick, capping off her day with another strong finish to make it 3-1.

“This team was able to accomplish a great deal this year and it seemed fitting that they were also the first team to get through to the final four,” coach Danny Agee said. “Worland was a great team and being able to still get that win under that type of pressure was a blessing.”

The victory was Powell’s first ever in the quarterfinals of the state tournament, setting up a date with Cody on Friday.

CODY 1, POWELL 1 (2-1 SO)

The matchup with the Fillies (14-3) came in the midst of a blustery afternoon, with teams attempting to beat the keepers from range throughout.

Cody had the better chances early, but Powell had one attempt by Coy Erickson with 22 minutes left that gave the Panthers hope.

Powell started gathering its footing, with more pressure allowing for the Panthers to put one in the back of the net before the break.

That came after Agee stole the ball and drove towards the net, when her initial shot was saved and deflected towards the back post.

Waiting there was Saige Kidd, who put it into the back of the net to give Powell the 1-0 lead.

“All the ladies know that we need to crash the posts on any shot and we have been working to get the timing down all year,” coach Agee said. “Seeing it all come together in such a big game was amazing. We are proud of them.”

Powell continued hanging on for much of the game, and was inching closer to its first ever state title game.

However, late in the second half, one of Cody’s shots finally found its way into the back of the net on a long shot with just four minutes remaining.

“Seeing that goal go in so late in the game was tough, but only because we knew the ladies had worked so hard and going into extra minutes was going to be hard for them,” coach Agee said.

That led to a pair of two 10 minute extra sessions, with neither team finding a winner and the game going into a shootout.

“They all dug deep and were able to take it to penalties,” Agee said.

In those penalties, neither team was able to find the back of the net often, as both teams missed their first penalty and Agee was the only one to convert in the second set of shots and Powell led 1-0 after two rounds.

Cody scored in the third round and Powell missed to send the score tied 1-1 going into the fourth round.

Both teams missed in that round, before Cody scored in the fifth and Powell did not, which sent the Fillies to the state championship game and Powell to the third place game.

“We were not disappointed with the team at all. They gave everything they had and that is all we can ask of them,” coach Agee said.

Cody went on to lose the state title game 2-1 to Lander.

POWELL 3, DOUGLAS 2

In the third place game the Panthers were still in search of their first trophy ever, taking on the Bearcats (12-5) who had also lost a disappointing shootout the night prior.

Powell put the loss behind quickly, scoring less than two minutes into the game on a long shot from Coy Erickson.

“It can be so hard to finish strong after a disappointing loss in the semis, so to see them come out and score in the first two minutes was amazing,” coach Agee said.

Douglas had an answer six minutes later, equalizing on a strong shot to make it 1-1.

Powell was able to regain its advantage just past the midway point, as Ava Gilliatt made a strong run and put a shot into the side netting just past the Bearcat keeper to make it 2-1 with 17 minutes left.

That lead held going into the break, but the Panthers didn’t waste much time in the second half to extend the lead.

Just three minutes in, Agee found herself behind the defense and slotted it past the keeper to make it 3-1.

Douglas did not go away, scoring with 16:36 left to tighten the scoreline once again, but the Panthers were able to hold the late charge, winning the first trophy in school history.

“Without taking away from the efforts of the ladies on the field; nothing would have been possible without the support of all the subs,” coach Agee said. “They are so positive and uplifting, cheering on the team from the sidelines even though they did not play much. They are just as big of a part of this last week’s efforts as the starters.”

BRIGHT FUTURE REMAINS

Powell will continue to hold a bright future moving forward as a program, graduating two starters in fullbacks Emma Johnson and Aubree Fisher while maintaining a large majority of the roster heading into next season.

“The trophy is great and will serve as a reminder of what they accomplished,” coach Agee said. “But these ladies played three of the top four ranked teams in the state back-to-back-to-back and they went 2-1, only losing in a penalty shootout. They are the champions as far as we are concerned.”

The Panthers are expected to return a large majority of their lineup next year, and are expected to bring in another strong group of freshmen who could make an immediate impact as the team continues to chase its first state championship.