Girls Soccer: Pirates rebound from rivalry loss with back-to-back mercy wins

By Siri Olsen  

A big rivalry matchup took place Tuesday, April 21, at the Hudson soccer field, as No.  1-ranked Hudson hosted No. 4 Denver. The Cyclones handed the Pirates their only three  losses last season, setting the stage for another competitive battle.  

The game started fast and physical between the two top-ranked teams. Denver struck  early with a goal in the first half to take a 1-0 lead. Hudson’s defense settled in and held the  Cyclones for the remainder of the half, but the Pirates were unable to find the back of the net.  The score remained 1-0 at halftime.  

Hudson created several strong scoring opportunities in the second half but could not  convert. Denver added an insurance goal off a corner kick later in the half to extend its lead to  2-0. The Pirates continued to push, but the deficit held as Hudson suffered its first loss of the  season, falling 2-0 and moving to 5-1.  

The Pirates bounced back Thursday, April 23, hosting an undefeated Iowa City Regina  team. The match started evenly before Hudson broke through midway through the first half.  From there, the Pirates took control.  

Hudson scored six goals before halftime and never slowed down, adding four more in  the second half to secure a 10-0 win and trigger the mercy rule. The victory improved Hudson’s  record to 6-1.  

Hudson stayed on the road the following day, traveling to New Hampton to face the  Chickasaws. The Pirates got off to a quick start, scoring twice early before New Hampton  responded to make it 2-1. Hudson answered with three more goals before halftime to take a  5-1 lead.  

The Pirates continued their offensive surge in the second half, scoring six more goals to  earn an 11-1 win and their second straight mercy-rule victory. Hudson improved to 7-1 on the  season.  

“So far this season has been very successful,” senior Callie Stickfort said. “I have really