Pirates just miss out on upset

Last night's game was a nail-biter, going literally right to the final whistle. After going down 2-0 to Whitby Legion in the first half, the Pirates rallied to lead the game 4-3 in the final minute.

What kept the team going through the first half was excellent goalkeeping: Nick M. was the reason the Pirates were still able to mount any threat in the second half. He had a series of excellent saves and was critical to keeping the score in range.

Scoring in the second half opened for the Pirates with Anthony C., and then Kory A. put in the equalizer. The Pirates and Legion traded goals, with Nick M. scoring for the Pirates. The go-ahead goal was a lovely long-range strike from Brad H., from outside the 18-yard box. The last ten minutes of the game gave neither team a clean scoring chance, until just before the final whistle, when Legion were just able to punch in the tying goal. Pirates keeper Sean L. hadn't even pulled the ball out of the netting when the referee blew the final whistle. Legion players were celebrating as though they'd won a championship, and the Pirates were upset at missing out on the full three points.

The game was perhaps the toughest challenge the Pirates have faced this season, as the injury bug was out on the field. We started with a full team plus two substitutes, and ended the game with only nine healthy players: two players were hurt enough that they could not continue, and two others had to spend time on the bench recovering (Brad H. actually came off the bench after his own injury to replace another injured player, and was still able to score).