Lawrence High’s boys soccer team battled Leavenworth and also the weather Tuesday night.

“It was cold,” senior Michael Valverde said. “It was kind of hard to move.”

With temperatures barely hovering above 50 degrees and a steady downpour drenching the field, Leavenworth prevailed, 3-1, at the Youth Sports Inc. complex.

Although the LHS players said they had played in similar conditions during previous seasons, the rain made it difficult to receive the ball and created a slick field.

“Touch was a big part,” senior David Liston said. “If someone’s trying to lead a pass, you’ve got to get on it as fast as you can because it’s going 10 times as fast as normal.”

The LHS players, however, liked playing in such muddy conditions. They became less tired and splashed around in puddles like little kids.

“It’s fun to play in this,” Liston said. “You get a little dirty.”

The loss further muddied the Lions’ season, dropping them to 3-8-2. They were left to wonder if Tuesday’s result would have changed had the game occurred in in dry, sunny conditions.

Lawrence High's Dar Fornelli (4) advances the ball toward the Leavenworth goal. The Pioneers upended the Lions, 3-1, Tuesday night in a steady rain at the Youth Sports Inc. complex.

“Yeah, possibly,” Liston said. “It might have turned out a little bit different. We might have been able to possess a little better.”

Liston watched the rain fall during class on Tuesday afternoon and ruminated whether they would play the game. According to Sunflower League rules, a soccer game is played unless lightning occurs or the condition of the field becomes hazardous.

The referees, however, asked both coaches to move the game up from its 7 p.m. start to 6:35 and to shorten the halftime to five minutes. They obliged.

“For safety of play, the sooner we got started, the better,” Platt said. “We wanted to make sure we got a full game in.”

During the full game, a pair of Leavenworth brothers led to the Lions’ undoing. In the middle of the first half, sophomore David Tracy scored on a goal from his brother, Ian. Ian, a senior, scored the game’s last goal in the second half. Junior Jimmy Simon also contributed, scoring the Pioneers’ second goal early in the second half.

LHS tied the score at one heading into halftime. Valverde scored on a header with an assist from Liston.

Lawrence High's Skyler Workman, right, boots the ball away from a Leavenworth player. The Lions lost, 3-1, Tuesday night at the Youth Sports Inc. complex.

“Their defense just broke down,” Valverde said. “(Liston) just crossed it in, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Despite controlling possession and attempting about as many shots on goal as Leavenworth, LHS did not score again. The Lions’ inability to finish their shots was the difference.

“We couldn’t freakin’ get the ball in the back of the net,” Platt said.

To energize a team playing stagnant on the offensive side, Platt inserted several backups toward the end of the first half.

“It was a gamble on my part,” Platt said. “I was rolling the dice, thinking some new blood would bring the level of intensity up.”

During that time, senior Nick Chance took a knee to his abdomen, knocking him out of the game. The officials did not issue a yellow card, and the Lions’ coaching staff did not know Chance’s health status.

“We’ll find out (today),” Platt said.

Just about when the Lions’ uniforms have dried out.