Crookston Pirate Boys Soccer shuts out East Grand Forks

The Crookston Pirates boys‘ soccer team played a solid all-around game to beat the East Grand Forks Green Wave 2-0 on Parents Night at KROX Radio Stadium in Crookston.

FIRST HALF –
Crookston had a great start to the game and came out with a lot of energy while putting pressure on the East Grand Forks defense from the start. Crookston’s first shot on goal was by Carter Fee, who chipped a line drive at the goal from about 20 yards out, but East Grand Forks’ goal keeper Alexander Link made the save. About five minutes later, Crookston dumped a pass over the Green Wave’s defense head, and Jay Reese tracked it down and got a kick on goal, but Link made another save. Crookston dominated the first half and controlled the ball for about 90 percent of the half. The Pirates had several corner kicks, and one, a little over halfway through the half, got Crookston on the board. Grant Funk had a perfect corner kick, and the ball bounced in front of the net. Gunnar Groven played it off a bounce and got a header towards the goal and into the net for a 1-0 lead. A little over five minutes later, Crookston’s Jay Reese was tripped up in the box as he was dribbling through two defenders, and a penalty kick was awarded to Crookston. Grant Funk was the designated kicker, and he blasted a shot on goal, which the goalkeeper stopped, but it bounced back in front, and Funk followed his shot and kicked the ball into the upper right corner of the net for a 2-0 lead. Crookston continued to control play and took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
Crookston had a strong start to the second half as they controlled play for most of the half. The Pirates were putting pressure on the Green Wave defense and had a corner kick. The kick was off the mark, and the ball bounced to the 40-yard line. When Makoti Weber got the ball, he dribbled to the far sideline, tried to pass it, and kicked it right back to him. Weber launched a kick from the far sideline’s 13-yard line, and the ball sailed toward the net, hit off the crossbar, and shot straight down, and East Grand Forks cleared it away. Crookston looked like they had a goal with over 17 minutes remaining when Grant Funk crashed the net and ran into the goalie, knocking the ball loose and kicking it in the net. The official called off the goal, and the game remained 2-0. East Grand got a couple of shots on goal before Crookston had another great scoring chance. Funk broke loose and blasted a shot on goal, but it was stopped and was loose in front of the net before Funk kicked the rebound over the net, and the score stayed 2-0, and that is how the game ended.

Crookston improves to 1-5-1 on the year and will travel to Fergus Falls Hillcrest Academy on Saturday. East Grand Forks drops to 1-9 on the year.

Click below to listen to Coach Lonn Boike’s post-game comments-