The Crookston Pirate Girls Soccer team picked up their second win of the season over the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves, 1-0 in a windy Monday afternoon match.
FIRST HALF –
With winds over 25 miles per hour to start the game, both teams dealt with the challenges of moving the ball early. Crookston was kicking into the wind while the Wolves had it to their backs. Crookston would get one of their few scoring chances late in the second minute, but the wind slowed down the shot from Kinsley Wangen in front of the net and allowed Wolves goalkeeper Angelique White to come out for the save. The Wolves would get a few offensive chances as well in the early part of the first, but stifling defense kept many shots from being fired. “We played good team defense and we were able to play smart, keeping the ball out of the middle and out of the danger zone,” said Pirates head coach Sarah Reese. Other open shots were carried away from the net by the wind. Naomi Johnson saw few challenges in the net, making four saves in the first half. The Pirate offense got into scoring position once again in the 25th minute, but a centering kick from Brooklyn Waldal was slowed by the wind well before it made its way to the net.
Nobody was able to score the rest of the half and the teams went into halftime scoreless.
SECOND HALF –
The Pirate defense did its job in the first half, holding against a Wolves offense that had wind on their side scoreless through the first forty minutes. Reese wanted her team to take advantage of the conditions in the second half, with the wind aiding some of their shots. “We had to change our gameplan because of the strong wind,” Reese commented, “We saw a lot of shots and the wind carried them all over the place.” Crookston was dominant on the offensive side, playing much of the half in their offensive third. The Pirates fired off several shots, but White held strong in the net for Walker-Hackensack-Akeley. The first corner kick of the game for either team came from Crookston in the 65th minute. Maddie Harbott took the kick from the far side and hooked it into the net, giving Crookston a 1-0 lead. Brooklyn Waldal shielded the keeper in the center of the net to keep her from making a save. “Brooklyn does a good job of being in the goalkeeper’s space,” explained Reese, “and Maddie was able to land that ball in there. Those are the best kind of goals.” Crookston’s offense continued to turn up the heat, firing off a few more shots over the next few minutes. The Wolves offense was able to break away in the final three minutes for their final chances, but strong wind and tight defense from the Pirates kept shot attempts to a minimum. In the final seconds, the Pirate midfielders kept the Wolves offense in the middle third and did not allow them to attempt a tying shot.
Crookston improves to 2-8 on the season, while Walker-Hackensack-Akeley drops to 2-7-2.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| W.H.A. | 0 | o | 0 |
| Crookston | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Scoring –
65:56 – Crookston – Maddie Harbott (unassisted)
| SAVES | 1 | 2 | Final |
| Naomi Johnson – Crox | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Angelique White – WHA | 4 | 5 | 9 |
