GIRLS SOCCER: Permian limits mistakes, but can’t keep Midland High off the scoreboard

Since the first time the Permian girls soccer team played Midland High this season, it’s narrowed the amount of mistakes it makes.

That decreasing number went from something vast down to just two. Unfortunately for the Lady Panthers, those two mistakes ended up each costing them a goal.

Midland High downed Permian 2-0 Tuesday night at Ratliff Stadium in District 2-6A action. Lady Bulldogs’ senior striker Kylie VonHolle scored both of the contest’s goals to bring her season total to 26 tallies.

“I saw a much more workman-like effort for us,” Permian head coach Chad Peterson said. “I think we still kind of put our heads down in the wrong instances at the wrong times that kind of led to initially two mistakes, two back of the net balls that we’re still giving them.

“In hindsight, we took millions of mistakes from the first time to two mistakes this time.”

Permian (13-5-1 overall, 2-3-0-1 district, seven points) hung with Midland High for the entire game, never being outclassed in any of the 80 minutes.

The Lady Panthers just couldn’t find that solid pass or great shot to put a ball into the back of the net. Permian got several shots on net during the game, but none of them proved to be difficult saves for Midland High goalkeeper Allison Robinson.

“Slowly but surely, we’re getting back to that idea of finding that fun where we can outwork somebody for long stretches of the game,” Peterson said. “Now we just got to find that same workman-like effort in front of the goal that got us all the way through preseason that seems to kind of dwindled now.”

VonHolle got the first of her two goals in the 21st minute, when a Permian turnover in its defensive third rolled to her feet and gave her a one-on-one opportunity with a Lady Panthers’ defender.

After taking a few dribbles toward the net, VonHolle shifted to her left and ripped a shot at the bottom-left corner of the net. Permian goalkeeper Jenafur Warren dove and got a hand to the ball, but the strike was too strong as it found its way over the goal line.

VonHolle added her second tally seven minutes into the second half. After a Permian offensive chance went astray, Midland High used a counterattack to give VonHolle the ball onside behind the Lady Panthers’ defense.

She made no mistake from there, getting closer to the net and finishing the chance from close range.

“We actually gave ourselves some chances to go forward and to get to the goal,” Peterson said. “In my opinion, I think we had some chances that we could have actually won the game or at least pushed it into penalties but you know it happens. It’s no fun losing a game like this, but at least this one is a little easier to take than the first time.”

“I think we did enough to deserve one (goal), but this is that game where you don’t get what you deserve, you only get what you take.”

The loss keeps Permian in fourth place in the district standings, three points clear of dropping out of a playoff spot. Midland High leapfrogs Odessa High for second place with the victory as the Lady Bronchos took a road defeat Tuesday against first-place Wolfforth Frenship.

The Lady Tigers still have yet to allow a goal in District 2-6A competition. Permian will try to be the first to get a breakthrough when the teams clash at 5:30 p.m. Friday on the turf fields at Ratliff.

“Luckily for us at this point with where we are, it’s really less about what Frenship does and what Frenship has and more about what we decide to do,” Peterson said. “We’ve proven over and over again that we’re capable of playing at a high level for long stretches of the game with some of the best teams in the state. What we now have to do is we have to figure out how to do that within our district with players and teams that we know.”