The Crookston Pirate Boys Soccer team battled through some rain, but could not find the back of the net as Fergus Falls Hillcrest Academy would go on to win 6-0 in a game played at the Crookston High School soccer field.
FIRST HALF –
For the second straight game, Crookston had a tough start and their opponent made them pay. Fergus Falls Hillcrest controlled play early on and scored six minutes into the game to take a quick 1-0 lead from a Emil Bol shot that would beat Pirate goaltender Blake Melsa. Less than 10 minutes later, Hillcrest added two goals over two minutes apart from Abram Ness and Nathan Aanes as it started to rain and all of a sudden they led 3-0 halfway through the half. Crookston would gain some momentum, pressuring Hillcrest late in the first half. “We settled in a little bit and we had an open look from Carter Trudeau, but unfortunately we couldn’t get past their goalie,” said Pirate Coach Lon Boike. There wasn’t any scored for the next 20 minutes and it looked like the score was going to be 3-0 going into halftime, but with 70 seconds left, Hillcrest transitioned with a through ball that beat the Pirate defenders. It sprung Abram Ness who dribbled past Melsa who came out to defend, and put a soft shot on goal. Crookston was almost able to get back to stop it from crossing the goal line, but they were just too late, and the Comets take a 4-0 lead into halftime.
SECOND HALF –
The second half started with some momentum with Crookston getting some low danger shots on net. The first twenty minutes of the second half was pretty even, with both teams trading off having sustained pressure. About halfway through the half, Crookston was pinned in their zone, and there was a foul called in the penalty box which resulting in a penalty kick. Abram Ness would take the shot, and tuck it in the low left corner past a diving Melsa to make it 5-0. The game would go back to a back-and-forth affair, with both teams getting through balls and shots on net. The Comets would have more success getting the ball through defenders to the net than the Pirates, who just were not able to execute and get solid shots on net. “We only had six, seven shots on net today,” said Coach Boike. “and for the most part this year, we’ve been getting getting at least twelve, fifteen shots on net and scoring goals.” The game looked like it was going to finish 5-0, with Melsa making some big saves. But the Comets were not finished, as Drew Fischer would get a shot from the left side that would make it 6-0 with just over two minutes to play, and that would be the final score. It was a tough game for the Pirates, but there were some positives to take from the performance. “I thought we matched their energy pretty well, we played hard and we played physical, and we didn’t back down from them, which I really like that in our team,” said Coach Boike.
The Pirates drop to 1-5 on the season, and will travel to Pelican Rapids next Tuesday. Fergus Falls Hillcrest Academy improves to 2-1.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| FF Hillcrest Academy | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| CROOKSTON | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring
6:19 – FFHC – Emil Boe
15:11 – FFHC – Abram Ness
17:55 – FFHC – Nathan Aanes
38:50 – FFHC – Abram Ness
56:04 – FFHC – Abram Ness
77:35 – FFHC – Drew Fischer
| SAVES | 1 | 2 | Final |
| Blake Melsa – Crox | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| Cole Peterson – FFHC | 3 | 2 | 5 |
