The Crookston Pirate Boys Soccer team traveled to St. Paul to take on Higher Ground Academy in Como Park. The game ended with Crookston leading 1-0 after a Higher Ground Academy player tackled (American Football tackled) a Crookston player from behind. The players on the field got in a scuffle and the game was called with about seven minutes left.
FIRST HALF –
The teams came out and played hard, bringing out some physical play. It took about halfway through the first half before the two teams adjusted to the officiating and relaxed the physicality, and the space started to open up.
Higher Ground had the first high-scoring chance 13 minutes into the game, but Crookston goalie Blake Melsa made a big save.
Crookston started to move the ball into the Higher Ground zone and had a shot on goal with 13 minutes left in the half, but the kick curved to the left and missed the net, and the score remained scoreless.
Six minutes later, Crookston had their best scoring opportunity on a kick from the right of the net, and the Higher Ground goalie made a diving save. Neither team found the net in the first 40 minutes and were scoreless going into halftime.
SECOND HALF –
Crookston started the second half by controlling possession, and Caden Boike received a pass in front of the net and was covered, so he dumped a pass to Carter Trudeau, who unloaded a kick on goal, but the Higher Ground goalie made the stop. The teams played even for the next 10 to 15 minutes before Crookston started putting pressure on the Higher Ground defense. The Pirates had a grade-A scoring chance, but the ball sailed wide left, and the game was scoreless with 14 minutes left. The teams had chipping.
Crookston continued to dominate play and had the ball and put a shot on goal, and Higher Ground tried to play the ball in front of the net, and they were called for a handball, giving the Pirates a penalty kick with 10 minutes left in the game. Caden Boike took the penalty kick and snuck it to the right of the diving goalie for a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Crookston continued to pressure Higher Ground and had a few more scoring chances but couldn’t find the back of the net.
With about five minutes left in the game, a Higher Ground player had the ball going toward the net, and a Crookston player tried to kick the ball away from the player from behind and tripped him (soccer term is tackled). The Higher Ground player attacked the Crookston player from behind and started a bench-clearing brawl. After coaches, officials, and parents cleared the scrum, the officials decided to end the game.
The Pirates won the game 1-0.
A video of the incident is below. In the video, Crookston’s Carter Trudeau got kicked twice while on the carpet. There was more pushing and shoving, but it broke up after about two minutes.
[yotuwp type=”videos” id=”96UVwtCMOO0″ ]
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Crookston | 0 | 1 | – |
| Higher Ground | 0 | 0 | – |
Scoring –
69:43 – Crookston – Caden Boike (PK)
| SAVES | 1 | 2 | Final |
| Blake Melsa – Crox | 3 | ||
| #99 – HGA | 5 |
