Panthers pick up steam, fall late

As has been the case before, a slow start put Creston behind early, before it finished strong and fell 3-2 to visiting Chariton on Tuesday.

The Panther girls had trouble getting organized and several miscues led to a Veronica Blidchenko goal. A loose ball around the net in the 14th minute allowed Leah Gotz to find Blidchenko, who barely flicked the ball past Creston keeper Madison McCoubrey for the early goal.

Creston responded soon thereafter, when the Panther midfield put together several nice touches. Bree Ross pushed a through ball through the heart of the Charger defense, and found a streaking Karmen Chuong on the near left wing.

Chuong did not hesitate, knocking a shot cleanly to the far right post and past the charging Chariton goalkeeper to knot the game 1-1 in the 17th minute.

The junior forward continues to showcase her improved skills on the pitch as she continues to make plays that would have been difficult for her last season easy.

“She has taken a lot of initiative and when we say, ‘here is things you can do outside of (organized) soccer,’ she does it,” Lauffer said.

Creston followed that with a defensive letdown, as an unmarked Blidchenko, far on the right side of the goal box, ripped a shot to the upper left corner of the goal where McCoubrey could not reach it.

Lauffer noted that the Panthers must work on reacting to counterattacks and not get caught asleep after a big swing in the game.

Before the half was over, the Panthers gave up one last goal, an easy finish for Nina Kiefer off a rebound following an initial McCoubrey save.

Creston played on Chariton’s end with the ball more in the second half. Good touches from the Panther midfield led to several shots around the goal.

Defensive quickness from the likes of Kara Kinsella and Kalan Bloodgood enabled the Panthers to keep pressure off their defense more in the second half, as McCoubrey only had to save two shots in the latter 40 minutes.

“Kara, she can just come out of nowhere. She was an outside mid at one point and we don’t even know there she came from and all of the sudden she was there.”

Bree Ross finally took advantage of a chance in the 69th minute by blasting the ball into the back of the net to narrow the Creston deficit to one, but the Panthers got no closer.

“They (Ross and Grace Root) can see things happen, and they have the knowledge to help it happen,” Lauffer said. “Even if the players aren’t moving as they know they need to ... but if the ball is there, they’re gong to get there. That’s what Bree did tonight.”

Creston had other chances. Chuong picked up a hard-earned free kick late in the first half when she was fouled, and Grace Root’s ensuing freebie barely bounced off the upper post and out of danger.

Late in the game, Rachell Wignall’s near 25-yard boot from straight on was saved by the keeper and off the bar.

“We do good things, but we tend to to good things late in the game,” Lauffer said.

The Chargers, who moved to 3-1 with the win, were able to rip 20 shots in all.

UP NEXT — Creston (0-5, 0-2 in Hawkeye 10), plays at undefeated (in Iowa) Lewis Central on Tuesday.

Chariton (3) — Blidchenko, 14th minute, 19th minute; Nina Kiefer, 40th minute.

Creston (2) – Karmen Chuong, 17th minute; Bree Ross, 69th minute. Shots (on goal) – Bree Ross 3 (2), Karmen Chuong 2 (1), Rachel Wignall 2 (1), Lexi Rounds 2 (1), Grace Root 1, Emma Christensen (1) . Keeper saves – Madison McCoubrey 7.