Just a short time ago, Park Center junior defender Caleb Love was faced with a penalty kick in a preseason jamboree.

On Thursday night, the opportunity came again. This time, the stakes were quite a bit higher.

It was late in the second half of Park Center’s season-opener against North St. Paul, and the Pirates trailed the Polars 2-1. But despite some pressure, Love buried his first penalty kick opportunity into the back-left corner of the net. helping Park Center (0-0-1) earn a tie against North St. Paul (0-0-1).

For Park Center coach Jason Barnhouse, the season opener was filled with plenty of opportunities to see some fresh faces play. The Pirates—who came into the season ranked No. 7 in the Class 2A Minnesota Soccer Coaches Association preseason poll—had to completely revamp their defensive core while taking on the No. 8-2A Polars.

When the first half ended, the Pirates kept North St. Paul off the scoreboard, despite several strong scoring attempts from senior attacker Kenlove Solon. Senior goalie Hassan Kamara helped Park Center’s defense keep the Polars in check early.

“One good thing about this year’s team is we have two great goaltenders,” Barnhouse said of Kamara and sophomore goalie Brody Ping. “It wasn’t surprising for me to see (Hassan) play like he did.”

But after 40 minutes of scoreless play, it didn’t take long for the Polars to get on the board. Sophomore attacker Amad Jalloh found himself with an easy scoring chance less than a minute into the second half and gave North St. Paul a 1-0 lead.

Jalloh added his second goal of the game with less than 14 minutes remaining in the second half, which wound up being his team’s last tally of the night. North St. Paul coach Casey Holm said Jalloh and Solon will have to play a large role in the Polars’ offensive attack.

“We were really hoping for strong efforts from (Solon) and (Jalloh),” Holm said. “We also have some other strong scoring compliments. We’re just going to need scoring by committee this season.”

And while Solon and Jalloh gave strong offensive performances, the game resulted in a draw following the late penalty in the box that left the Polars’ sideline in bewilderment.

As Love came up to the box for his penalty kick, the junior didn’t seem to feel the pressure. And once he put the kick into the back of the net, he stood stoically as his teammates mobbed him.

“I just wanted to put it in the back of the net. I didn’t feel any pressure,” Love said.

These teams aren’t in the same conference or section. However, the game will likely benefit both teams, which have recently found success. In 2016, the Pirates earned the No. 1 seed in Section 5 while North came within one game of the state tournament. And with both teams ranked in the top 10, more big games appear to be on the way.

“We enjoy building up our non-conference schedule,” Holm said. “It allows us to gain experience and be prepared for other big games down the road.”

After a scoreless first half, North St. Paul, ranked No. 8 in the Class 2A coaches’ preseason poll, and Park Center traded goals as the No. 7-2A Pirates (0-0-1) and Polars (0-0-1) played to a 2-2 draw.

The game looked controlled by the Polars until Park Center was granted a penalty kick with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation. Junior defender Caleb Love tied the game at 2 by kicking the ball past North St. Paul goalkeeper Kearby Larson.

Sophomore midfielder Chief Williams added the Pirates’ first goal of the match nearly midway through the second half. Park Center senior goalie Hassan Kamara also loomed large in Thursday’s game, stopping a flurry of strong scoring chances.

For the Polars, sophomore attacker Amad Jalloh tallied both North St. Paul goals. His first came less than a minute into the second half, giving the Polars a 2-1 lead with less than 14 minutes remaining.

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