HART – In a field of four teams, it was a goal differential that placed a trophy in the hands of Hart’s girls soccer team at their home tournament Saturday, May 3.
The Pirates went 2-0-1 on the day, knotting them at the top of the leaderboard with Wyoming Potter’s House Christian. Fortunately for them, Hart scored 10 goals through three games, earning them victory via tiebreaker.
Starting the morning off, Hart faced Potter’s House in a competitive match that had the Pirates in control. Unfortunately, a pair of mistakes on defense kept the Pumas in the match.
On two separate occasions, Hart was called on a handball violation with Potter’s House attacking near the net. That set up penalty kicks, putting freshman keeper Baleigh Klotz – who was standing in for typical starter Emma Jeffries – in one-on-one situations. The Pumas scored on both opportunities, leaving them behind 3-2 late in the game.
That deficit nearly lasted until the game’s final horn, but Potter’s House made a fierce run at the net in the final minute. Pushing toward the right post, a Puma striker put a ball past Klotz to leave the game in a 3-3 tie – marking the fifth time a game has ended in a tie in the two teams’ last six meetings.
In Hart’s second game of the day, the Pirates faced WMC opponent Ravenna. The Pirates and the Bulldogs had just faced off five days earlier on the same field, with Hart taking a 3-1 victory. Saturday’s rematch ended in an identical score, with the Pirates on top once again.
The ‘Addison Connection’ was in full effect to get the Pirates out in front. Freshman midfielder Addison Barefoot got it started when she sent a through ball to senior Addison Kokx for a goal. Kokx repaid the favor later, assisting Barefoot on a goal. Zoily Sarabia ended the game with a goal on an assist from Natalie Rosema.
The day’s final matches featured Hart and Comstock Park on one field, with Potter’s House and Ravenna playing on the other. With both Hart and Potter’s House owning a 1-0-1 record heading into their final contests, a win for one and a loss for the other would spell an overall victory.
Hart got to work immediately, focusing on what they could control. Taking a 4-0 victory over the Panthers, the Pirates dominated from start to finish. Rilynn Porter scored two goals in the game with Devyn Adams and Brooklyn Storms each tallying one of their own.
Potter’s House also won over Ravenna in their second match of the day, making a tiebreaker necessary. Every goal mattered for Hart (10 total goals), as they beat the Pumas (nine total goals) in goal differential.
In total, the Pirates were led by Barefoot, Storms and Porter with two goals each. Sarabia, Adams, Kokx and Olivia Bradley each scored one goal.
The weekend action pushed Hart’s overall record to 6-4-3 on the season.
