The Crookston Pirate Girls Soccer team held the lead for nearly 75 minutes but a goal in the final minutes tied things up, ending the game at a 1-1 tie with the Pelican Rapids Vikings on a rainy afternoon this past Saturday.
FIRST HALF –
The game could not have started much better for the Pirates. Four minutes in, Jennika Reese made a great pass to Hallie Perry, who struck the ball top left to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. This turned into one of the better halves that Crookston has played throughout the year; they led in shots on goal at the end of the half by an 8-1 scale, meaning Kambree Wangan only had to make one save in the entire half, highlighting the defense. Pirate head coach Sarah Reese spoke about how she had to make changes to the lineup. “We were missing Aubrey, Kira, Andrea and Callianna from today’s game, so we had to use a different lineup,” said Reese. The lineup her and the rest of the coaches ran out definitely worked, though, as the Pirates took a 1-0 lead into the second half.
SECOND HALF –
The second half continued to be a defensive masterclass by the Pirates, as they continued to stop any attack the Vikings could come up with. The Pirates outshot the Vikings 5-3 in the second half up until the final two minutes, where the game really changed. Ellie Carlson was driving towards the net, and Kambree Wangan made the save. Unfortunately for Crookston, the referee called a penalty on Wangan, forcing a penalty kick. Wangan saved it, but Carlson scored on the rebound, tying the game at one. Though Crookston outshot the Vikings 12-6, the late goal allowed the game to end in a 1-1 tie, the first non-defeat for the Pirates this year.
Pirate head coach Sarah Reese felt all the emotions during the final minutes. “It was so wild! I had to do some deep breathing to say the least,” said Reese, “We were able to produce more offensive opportunities through lots of standing water.”
Crookston is now 0-9-1 on the season, while Pelican Rapids is now 1-5-1
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Crookston | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pelican Rapids | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Scoring –
4′ – Crox – Hallie Perry (Jennika Reese)
78′ – PR – Ellie Carlson
| SAVES | 1 | 2 | Final |
| Kambree Wangan – Crox | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Danica Perez Sanchez- Pelican Rapids | 7 | 5 | 12 |
