Crookston Pirates Girls Soccer team shut out by Walker-H-A

The Crookston Pirates Girls’ soccer team was shut out by the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves in a 5-0 loss in a Section 8A matchup played at KROX Radio Stadium in Crookston.

FIRST HALF –
Crookston had a good start to the game as they controlled play for the first 10 minutes before Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (WHA) controlled play the rest of the half. They put pressure on the Pirate defense most of the half and started to get some better scoring chances in the final 10 minutes. With a little over eight minutes remaining in the half, WHA had a shot from about 20 yards out but it sailed to the left of the net. Less than a minute later, WHA continued the pressure on the Pirate defense and Piper Burns got a pass over to Elizabeth Cairns along the far sideline and kicked the ball from about 25 yards out and the ball went off the Pirate goalkeeper’s fingertips into the net for a 1-0 Wolves lead. WHA continued the pressure and less than a minute later Lily Cairns got a pass to Piiper Burns about 25 yards out in front of the net and she kicked a perfect kick that sailed over the head of the Pirate goal keeper to give the Wolves a 2-0 lead with less than seven minutes left in the half. Crookston tried to get some momentum back, but each time they were countered by the Wolves with more offensive pressure and the half ended with the Wolves leading 2-0.

SECOND HALF –
WHA continued their offensive pressure to start the second half and it only took a little over three minutes to get back on the board when they had a corner kick. The kick went in front of the net and the ball was knocked around and somehow found a way into the net to give the Wolves a 3-0 lead.
WHA struck again seven minutes later when Delainey Collins was able to get the ball on a centering pass after it was missed by the Pirate defense and fired a kick into the net for a 4-0 Wolves lead. The Wolves added another goal when Piper Burns punched the ball up the field over 40 yards and Zoe Cox was able to win the footrace to the ball and kicked the ball into the net for a 5-0 lead.
Crookston looked like they had a goal halfway through the second half, but the Pirates were offsides and the goal was called off. Less than 30 seconds later, Crookston had a free kick and put it on the net, but the Wolves goalie made the save.
In the last 15 minutes of the game, Crookston continud to play hard and had several scoring opportunities, including a penalty kick with four seconds remaining and Madelyn Knutson’s shot went off the crossbar and WHA won the game 5-0.

Crookston drops to 1-6 on the year and will be at Pelican Rapids on Thursday. WHA improves to 4-4 on the year.

Postgame comments from Pirate head coach Sarah Reese are above..

	1st	2nd	Final
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley	2	3	5
Crookston	0	0	0

Scoring –
32:13 – WHA – Elizabeth Cairns (Piper Burns)
33:21 – WHA – Piper Burns (Lily Cairns)
42:52 – WHA – Lily Cairns (Elizabeth Cairns)
49:31 – WHA – Delaney Collins (Zoe Cox)
55:42 – WHA – Zoe Cox (Piper Burns)