The girls soccer season came to an end last week as Park Hill and Park Hill South fell victim to Liberty North in the Class 4 District 8 tournament.
Trojans fall in District Championship
The No. 4 state-ranked Park Hill girls soccer team had their dreams of a state championship shattered on May 22 after a defeat to No. 6 Liberty North in the Class 4 District 8 championship.
The Trojans previously defeated North Kansas City 6-0 and Liberty 2-0 to get back to the district championship for the first time in four years.
The top two teams in the district met for the championship at Park Hill District Soccer Stadium, but a second-half surge from Liberty North ended Park Hill’s season prematurely.
With 23:49 left in the contest, Liberty North found the breakthrough after they won a loose ball in the box before Addy Armstrong placed her shot into the side netting. Armstrong struck again less than 10 minutes later for the Eagles, displaying her speed before placing her shot low and finding the left side of the goal.
Park Hill pulled one back when Alyssa Estanich’s corner kick was fumbled across the goal line by the goalkeeper. Ultimately, the Trojans could not find another in the final seven minutes of the contest as they suffered just the second defeat of the year, but one that ended their season with a 17-2 record.
Park Hill junior forward Maryn Hudson battles against a Liberty North defender in the district championship.
Park Hill South falls in OT of district semifinal
The Park Hill South girls soccer season came to a heartbreaking end on Tuesday, May 20, after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Liberty North in the Class 4 District 8 semifinal at Park Hill District Soccer Stadium.
Park Hill South gave Liberty North, ranked No. 6 in Class 4, all they could handle for the first 86 minutes as the Panthers finished regulation with a shutout for the 12th time this season. Neither team was able to create much offensively, but ultimately, Liberty North found some opportunities late and sophomore Harper Tiesing spoiled the Panthers’ postseason aspirations in overtime.
Tiesing nearly found the go-ahead goal in the final five minutes of regulation. She cut towards the middle and sizzled a right-footed shot from outside the box, but Park Hill South goalkeeper Anna Pudenz reacted well to dive to her left and stretch her left hand out to make the save, tipping the ball around the post.
With a set piece near midfield in overtime, Liberty North pushed seven players forward and sent a long ball into the box. While Park Hill South won the first two aerial contests, they were unable to clear the ball, which eventually fell to Tiesing, who created space and found the far post from the left side.
That sudden-death goal concluded a grueling season for the Panthers, who had built up some momentum by winning four of their previous five games.
Park Hill South finished with a 12-9 record, a sixth consecutive season with a winning record under head coach Jared Byrne. While the Panthers will lose six seniors next year, they could return as many as eight rising seniors before next spring’s campaign.
Park Hill South junior Reese Dutton takes a shot while under pressure from a Liberty North defender in the district semifinals.