Four different Crookston players scored in a 4-0 win over Walker-Hackensack-Akeley. The Section 8A matchup was played in Crookston and saw the return of Reese Swanson from injury, but not in net where she usually plays. Instead, Swanson got to play in the field in her last regular season home soccer game.
FIRST HALF –
The first eight minutes of the match mainly saw Crookston possession, but they could not get any shots off. Katelyn Christiensen broke away in the 11th minute, but the shot was just barely wide of the net. For the next 10 minutes, the ball was mainly in the middle third of the field. Crookston got a corner kick in the 21st minute, but there was no shot. Jennika Reese had a shot in the 23rd minute, but a Wolves defender blocked it. Crookston had two consecutive corner kicks a minute later but could not get a shot off. Crookston finally broke through with a shot from Madeline Harbott. It bounced off the keeper’s hands, and Christiensen was there with an open look, and she buried it to give Crookston a 1-0 lead.
Crookston continued the offensive pressure when Reese Swanson had back-to-back shots in the 28th and 30th minute, but they were both saved. In the 34th minute, Keona Arnold took an excellent shot from about 25 feet out, and it went over the goalie’s hands and into the net to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. The last eight minutes mainly saw even possession with no shots from Walker-Hackensack-Akeley. In the 39th minute, Madelyn Knutson had one more shot on goal from near midfield, but the keeper saved it, and Crookston went into the half up 2-0.
SECOND HALF –
The first five minutes of the second half saw even play before Emily Boucher had a shot on goal, but it was saved. Josyln Wallace had a blast two minutes later, but it was deflected wide. On the ensuing corner kick, the Pirates nearly benefited from an own goal, but the keeper was able to save it. The following seven minutes saw even play before Crookston got a penalty kick in the 54th minute. The keeper was able to save the penalty kick, but only a few minutes later, when the Pirates got a corner kick, Harbott kicked it in, and Miryah Epema buried it to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
The next ten minutes saw even play. The Wolves got a shot on the net, but Cassie Solheim saved it to preserve the shutout. With 10 minutes left in the game, Crookston pulled Solheim from the net and put her back out on offense. Shyuh Burnette replaced Solheim and even tallied a save in the final five minutes. The decision to put Solheim on offense paid off, as in the 79th minute, Solheim received a pass from Harbott, and she buried it to give the Pirates a 4-0 victory.
Crookston improves to 4-7-2 on the season and heads to Pelican Rapids on Thursday. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley falls to 1-8-1.
To listen to coach Sarah Reese’s post-game comments, click below:
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Crookston | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Walker-H-A | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring –
25:43-Crox-Katelyn Christensen (Madeline Harbott)
31:44-Crox-Keona Arnold
58:39-Crox-Miryah Epema (Madeline Harbott)
79:03-Crox-Cassie Solheim (Medline Harbott)
| SAVES | 1 | 2 | Final |
| Cassie Solheim – Crox | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Shyuh Burnette – Crox | – | 1 | 1 |
| Lexi Gardner– W-H-A | 4 | 4 | 8 |
