For the second straight game, a failed clearance proved costly for Free State’s boys soccer team, as the Firebirds fell to Olathe Northwest, 1-0, Thursday at FSHS.

ONW’s Wyatt Fowler connected from 15 yards out with 45 seconds left in the first half for the game’s lone goal and dropped Free State to 2-2.

“We’re getting sick and tired of watching that happen,” FSHS coach Kelly Barah said. “I just need somebody to be able to get a foot on that ball and get it away, and maybe it’s a different story. We thought we played well enough again, playing two quality opponents back-to-back, to get a better result than what the scoreboard reflects.”

The Firebirds lost a heartbreaker in double overtime on Tuesday against Shawnee Mission Northwest, when a failed clearance turned into an own goal to give the Cougars a 1-0 victory.

Outside of the defensive lapse late in the first half Thursday, sophomore defender Charlie Newsome saw signs of improvement from the FSHS backline. ONW caught the Free State backline out of position in the 27th when Chase Klusman had a breakaway opportunity, but Newsome was able to stay even with him, and FSHS junior goalkeeper Jonathan Lesslie came out of the goal to help force an errant shot.

“I was thinking of everything my coaches taught me,” Newsome said. “I was making sure he didn’t get by me, and that’s all.”

Newsome and the FSHS defenders had their hands full with marking ONW midfielder Connor Jokerst and forward Griffin King. Jokerst ripped a shot off the crossbar less than 10 minutes in, but the majority of the Ravens’ 14 shots came from outside of the 18-yard box.

“When they are right to you, it gives you a lot of time to think about it,” Lesslie said. “It also gives them the opportunity to place it, and you just have to go out and dive for it. As long as you just get your body behind it, you should be able to save it.”

Senior Will Laufer dropped back from his midfield position to help the FSHS defenders. Laufer said that the Firebirds did a good job of handling the Ravens in their attacking third but that FSHS needs to generate some offense of its own.

“We never were able to get into a good passing rhythm, but we did stick it out defensively.” Laufer said. “If we hadn’t had that lapse and bad pass in the back at the end of the first half, I think we would have been in it until the end.”

While the Firebirds would have gone into overtime again without the goal from Fowler, they would have been without Laufer. The senior midfielder was sent off with a red card with three minutes remaining following an aggressive tackle.

Laufer and Barah were dismayed with the referee who gave Laufer the red.

“Absolutely terrible call on that,” Barah said. “He (the referee) had a poor angle, so he couldn’t even see that it was literally a very fair and clean tackle.”

The Firebirds will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Olathe North.

What will it take from Barah and his coaching staff to get Free State back in the win column?

“Probably some sleepless nights to draw up some stuff that is better for my team to be able to get chances in the attacking third and possibly finish some of those,” Barah said.