by Rory Van Gorp

On March 29, the Mustang boys’ soccer team made their way over to Pella Christian High school for their first game of the season. The Mustangs put up a good fight, but it wasn’t enough. In the last three minutes of double overtime, the Eagles put one in the back of the net 2-1.

The game started off strong, with the Mustangs controlling the ball until the Eagles were able to find the goal, which put the Mustangs in a discouraged mood. The PCM boys were able to hold off the Eagles for the rest of the first half, but it’s the second half where the Mustangs really began to shine.

The Mustangs showed real heart and kept the Eagles on their heels the entire second half until senior and team captain, Misha Seebeck, was able to tie the game up. The pressure was on as the Mustangs continued to drive the ball down the field with multiple shots. When the time ran out, the Mustangs had the chance for a quick pep talk before the first ten minutes of overtime play.

The first overtime was a show of Mustang dominance and frustration from struggling to score the game winning goal. The game stayed tied as they moved into double overtime. However, it was in double overtime where both teams started to showed fatigue, and the Eagles had a chance to score and end the game. The Mustangs’ bench was quiet as the Eagles’ last shot went in the net. It was another loss to Pella Christian, although showing clear improvements from the 6-0 defeat of last year.

With obvious improvements from last year’s season, the boys are looking to get a  positive record this year. “I think we played a lot better than last year. We were able to maintain ball control, and by the end of the game, we were able to get a lot of good looks that just weren’t getting through,” senior and team captain Drew Johnson said following the game.

The Mustangs may have lost this one, but they get another chance to play the Eagles later on in the season at home. Until then, the next boys soccer game is Thursday, April 5 at Chariton at 7 p.m..