Question: What did Free State High’s boys soccer team fire Thursday afternoon?

a) wet powder.

b) blanks

c) duds.

d) all of the above.

You guessed it. The answer is d).

The Firebirds generated virtually no firepower in dropping a 3-0 Sunflower League match to Shawnee Mission East at the FSHS field.

“The loss was to a quality opponent, without doubt,” Firebirds’ coach Jason Pendleton said, “but we’re not far off if we can find a way to generate some offense.”

So punchless was Free State that SM East goalkeeper Isaac Kostrow wasn’t credited with a save until the 76th minute. By then, the Lancers were ahead by three goals and coasting.

SM East broke the ice in the 34th minute when the Firebirds’ mishandled a corner kick by the Lancers’ Brian Humphrey and the shot pinballed past Free State netminder Brian Hatesohl off a teammate.

Still, the Firebirds hardly were out of it, trailing 1-0 at the break.

“At that point, I thought we were outplaying them,” Pendleton said. “Overall, we did a pretty solid job, but we weren’t able to generate any offense.”

Six minutes into the second period, SM East’s Garrett Webb broke free in the box when two Free State defenders collided and kicked the ball past Hatesohl. Finally, in the 72nd minute, the Lancers’ Brad Crawford left-footed a 30-

footer into the upper right corner of the goal – a seeing-eye shot Hatesohl had no chance of blocking.

“The first goal was our mistake,” Pendleton said. “On the second one Webb, a Division I prospect, made us pay. And the third one : that kid will never hit that goal again the rest of his life.”

Meanwhile, the Firebirds can’t afford to go the rest of the season without scoring against quality opponents, so Pendleton said he might shake up his young front line.

“We have some sophomores who are athletic and fast,” the Firebirds’ coach said, “but we need to play harder and with more intensity.”

Free State (4-2) will travel Saturday to Junction City for a noon match.

“It’ll be a good game for us to regroup,” senior defender Aaron Ideus said. “Right now, we just don’t have anybody attacking. Our forwards aren’t getting what we need out of them.