The Perryville Pirates got a pair of valuable lessons this week — one in what it takes to compete with one of the top teams in the district and another in what it takes to finish a game when things aren’t going their way.
The Pirates opened the week with a 5-1 loss to Cape Notre Dame on Tuesday before bouncing back Thursday with a dramatic 4-3 victory over DeSoto, scoring the winning goal in the final minute at The Bank of Missouri Soccer Complex in Perryville.
The split left the Pirates with a 2-1 record.
For head coach Dwayne Hadler, the two games provided a good snapshot of where his young team is early in the season.
Against Notre Dame, the Pirates simply couldn’t match the Bulldogs’ intensity.
Notre Dame scored three goals in the first half and added two more after halftime to hand Perryville its first loss of the season. Perryville’s lone goal came from senior Dezmen Hampson.
Hadler said Notre Dame is one of the teams to beat in the district, and Perryville knew it would be facing a difficult test.
“They pressure it hard and they did well,” Hadler said.
The Pirates struggled to respond to that pressure.
“We did not have the intensity that they had,” Hadler said. “We could not match it.”
Hadler believes Perryville is capable of playing at that level but said the team’s youth may have played a role in the early-season matchup.
Perryville’s roster includes just three seniors — Hampson, Lane Yamnitz and Justen Geile.
The Pirates had a chance to show a different side of themselves Thursday against DeSoto.
Perryville fell behind at times, struggled to maintain the intensity Hadler wanted and missed several quality scoring opportunities, but the Pirates continued to fight.
“It was a roller coaster,” Hadler said. “We had moments where we played extremely well and we had moments where we didn’t play so well.”
Perryville eventually found the response it needed.
The Pirates entered the final portion of the game with a renewed sense of urgency, particularly after the second hydration break. Sophomore Oliver Tucker became a major factor, helping Perryville increase its pressure and create scoring opportunities.
Perryville had several chances to break a 3-3 tie but couldn’t find the right angle. Then, with the clock winding down, the Pirates finally broke through.
Tristen Dobbelare sent the ball in from the right side, Michael Borden got a touch on it and Tucker finished the play for the game-winning goal.
Tucker finished with 2 goals and an assist for 5 points, while Hampson and freshman Roman Koenig each added a goal. Borden recorded 2 assists and Yamnitz added an assist.
Hadler said the biggest positive wasn’t necessarily the final score. It was the way the Pirates responded when the game was in doubt.
“In the last 10-15 minutes we put it together as a team,” Hadler said. “Everyone was fighting for one another. They were covering for one another if there was a mistake.”
That fighting mentality is something Hadler has been looking for from the young Pirates.
Perryville’s high-pressure style requires players to constantly work and rotate in fresh bodies, something Hadler said has been difficult to maintain.
But Thursday’s finish gave him a glimpse of what the Pirates can become.
“I know what our abilities are,” Hadler said. “I see it. We do it in training every day.”
