Loss to Belgrade ends Pirates' season
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POLSON — With a 1-0 loss, the Pirate soccer season ended on Saturday in a semifinal game against the Belgrade Panthers.
The Polson Pirates had home-field advantage for the second playoff game in a row, but the advantage didn’t give the team the edge they hoped for.
The Belgrade Panthers scored the first and only goal of the game, knocking a rebounded ball past Polson goal keeper Clay Frissel in the first half.
Though they played a solid defensive and offensive game, Polson couldn’t find the “back of the net” to score the goal needed to tie the game, explained Polson Coach Jess Kittle.
The Pirates had attempts at goal in the first half, but their efforts were blocked by the Panther goal keeper Jordan Malarchick.
Malarchick made several saves, including a diving save that kept Pirate Trevor Moll from scoring in the first half and thwarted attempts on goal in the second half. On more than one occasion, Malarchick crawled through defensive and offensive players to grab the ball.
“Belgrade had a real solid defense,” Kittle said. “The keeper was the key.”
Kittle also mentioned that Nick Howell and the rest of Polson’s defense played solidly throughout the game.
In the second half, Panthers honed in on Pirate offense, keying in on Polson’s leading scorer, Sean Hart.
Kittle noted that he could have run more substitutes through the game, but believed in his starters to finish the game.
“I have confidence in my starters,” said Kittle. “They are the ones that got us there. Those guys are great soccer players and in real good shape.”
But by the second half, the Pirates were beginning to lose some of their original zest, said Kittle. The starters' weariness and Panthers’ defense, kept the Pirates at bay — leading to their first loss in nine games and effectively ending the season.
Though many Pirate soccer players mourned the end of their season after the game, the 2010 season was not a loss for the team.
It was a season of firsts, Kittle said. It was the first time Polson soccer had made it to the semi-finals in the playoffs and the first season Polson hosted a play-off game.
“It was a good season,” Kittle explained. “The kids played real well, and they played hard all year around, and they played well in practice.”
“I’m real proud of them,” he added.
Belgrade 1, Polson 0
Belgrade10 - 1
Polson00 - 0
B -Will Wright, 31:00
