Windy conditions hindered Free State High’s girls soccer team Monday, and facing Olathe South didn’t help much either.

O-South, ranked No. 8 in Class 6A, scored twice in the second half with the wind at their back for a 2-0 victory over the Firebirds on the FSHS field.

“We knew it was going to be a battle of halves,” Firebirds coach Jason Pendleton said, “and gaining the wind in the first half I was really hoping we could get a goal or two to put some pressure on them because it’s difficult to clear into the wind.

“I don’t know that it had a direct bearing on the outcome, but it certainly kills momentum and I think more than anything it’s mentally challenging when you’re playing in the wind to constantly face that.”

Even with the wind in the first half, Free State (1-2) still couldn’t do much on offense in the first half.

The Firebirds’ best opportunities came on a Morgan Matthews breakaway shot that was blocked by an Olathe South defender with just over 29 minutes left in the first half. Six minutes later, Meredith Mayo’s unsuccessful breakaway was stopped.

“In the first half, we had a couple opportunities where the ball was played in, and we could have maybe created some offense, that we didn’t capitalize on,” Pendleton said. “We have to do a better job when we get those opportunities, especially against better teams like Olathe South.”

Between those two opportunities, FSHS goalkeeper Alicia Sellon made a diving one-handed save on a 25-yard shot by Carrie DeFreece, and FSHS defender Emilie Humbarger helped out around the goal by clearing the ball from two Falcon forwards.

Free State couldn’t stop DeFreece in the second half, though, as the sophomore forward scored Olathe South’s first goal with a high, arching shot from the right side and into the back left corner of the net with 27 minutes remaining.

Loren Steele added an insurance goal for the Falcons (2-0-2) with six minutes remaining off a rebound of a shot by Leah Cogswell. FSHS keeper Linsey Morningstar got a hand on Cogswell’s shot, but she couldn’t corral the ball and the Firebird defenders couldn’t clear it.

Even with the loss and defensive breakdowns, Pendleton was pleased with his team’s effort.

“We’ve got some technical problems with our skills and in terms of clearing the ball that hurt us today,” he said. “Both goals were a result of a breakdown in individual technique, but we do like the fact that we’re able to compete with a team that is going to be one of the better ones in the Sunflower League.