Gallery • 4 Photos

Used with permission from Jason Klein

The defensive skills of (L to R) Paige Millstone, Mia Ramirez, and Angelina Lopez shine as they protect the ball from the Mustangs.

The Pirates tied on their eighth game of the season, this time against the Rolling Meadows Mustangs.

The sunny evening of April 11,2022. The Pirates hosted the Rolling Meadows Mustangs, in an expected game that promised to be exciting. 

“I really think we were working our butts off,” Palatine High School senior Madi Stark said. “It wasn’t the lack of effort, it was the lack of being able to finish. Everyone had the effort there, we had the possession for most of the game. It was just the final ending part of putting the ball in the back of the net. But other than that, I feel like we played our game”.

As the game started, the first part started aggressively for both sides. The Pirates were dominating the game with a clear possession of the ball and opportunities, but struggling to finish. The first goal of the evening came after a long shot from the Mustangs that ended up on the top of the net. The Pirates didn’t give up and kept trying, but unfortunately the Pirates couldn’t score as the first part ended. 

The second part started, and the Mustangs struggled in the defense as the Pirates created a few chances of goal that ended up on nothing. As the game progressed, the intensity of the game was rising, and The Pirates were putting the effort to score. The first one for the Pirates came from a direct free kick, and the score was 1-1. In the same way, both sides were desperately looking for the goal that could lead to the victory. At the end, the scoreboard didn’t change, and the game was sentenced to extra time.

As extra time began, the Pirates were dominating the Mustangs in every aspect of the game, but the goal was missing. The lack of finishing was the main trouble for the Pirates. At the end, the Pirates had a clear chance of scoring with less than a minute remaining on the clock, but they missed it. 

A disappointing result for the Pirates who deserved the victory, but had to settle for the tie in a well defended game and imposing performance by the girls that unfortunately was not paid off on the scoreboard due to the lack of finishing that could distinctly change the story of the game. Although, the girls demonstrated to have spirit and passion to go forward and look for victory, and certainly have been improving over the past few games.