The Pirates' got off to a hot start on a very windy and chilly night at Varsity field. After letting a goal in early to the Flying Dutch, the Pirates went on a three-goal run in the first quarter, dominating the time of possession and scoring with ease in the settled 7v7. Natasha Perez-Krause scored two goals in the first, helping the Pirates to take a 4-2 lead by the end of the quarter.
The Pirates extended their lead in the second quarter; two back-to-back goals by Emma Pertuit and Sierra Rupp made it 6-2 after only two minutes. A goal from the Flying Dutch would bring it to 6-3, but then the flood gates opened. Four more unanswered goals for the Pirates would put them up 10-3 by the end of the half, and the game looked all but over against what seemed to be a competitive Hope squad. Emma Pertuit hammered the Flying Dutch with three goals and two assists while Liana Collins distributed the ball very well for the Pirates, having four assists.
After halftime, the game turned 180 degrees, and everything began going the Flying Dutchs' way. A contest that the Pirates seemed they were going to run away with quickly turned into survival. With a lack of draw controls and a stagnant Pirate offense after the loss of Deanna Hames earlier in the game due to injury, The Flying Dutch scored five unanswered goals in the third quarter. Jr. goaltender Tessa Lewis had a fantastic first half with 13 saves. She even had five saves in the third quarter, but lucky bounces and wide-open shots saw the Pirate lead dwindle to only 10-8 at the end of the third.
The Pirates only allowed one goal in the fourth quarter, and a timely goal by Raven Garcia helped extend their lead to 11-8. The Flying Dutch went as far as locking off Emma Pertuit on offense to ensure she didn't score the rest of the game, however excellent defense from the Pirates and with help from a fresh goaltender, Jr. Sofia Valdespino, helped maintain their lead from earlier in the game and ride out the Flying Dutch storm.
The Pirates have a quick turnaround as they play again on Thursday, March 24th, against the Birmingham-Southern Panthers at 6:00 PM.