The Palisade varsity girls soccer team secured a 2-0 victory over the Grand Junction Tigers on visiting turf on Thursday, April 24th. Tigers’ claws were drawn but that wasn’t enough to beat the Bulldogs’ tenacity.
Families packed the sidelines of Canyon View, eager to watch the ferocious faceoff. Lights brightened the field, acting as the spotlight for each team’s incredible talent. It was the Tigers’ senior night, instilling hope within the Grand Junction squad. However, this hope was quickly squashed in the first half by Palisade’s first goal.
The Bulldogs harnessed solid momentum and countered strong defense against the Tigers. Junior Kate Fricke comments, “We were all trying to keep them from going to the goal. We took as many chances as we could.” The Bulldogs pressured the Tigers the majority of the first half. Entering the second half, both teams embodied determination and strength. However, Palisade’s energy was too much for Junction to handle. The intense resonation of victory rang in the ears of the pack and the supportive audience. Fricke closes, “We were all really proud to have pulled out the win. We wanted to finish the game strong by pushing each other and making sure we played until the last whistle.”
This year, Palisade lost a crucial facet of their team, graduated student Mia De Villegas Decker. However, a swarm of talented underclassmen has rebuilt the team’s strength. Freshman Darcy Imer reflects, “We came out there, we really wanted to beat Junction because they’re our cross town rivals. There was more build up for our team.”
Imer admits, “I’ve played soccer with that group of girls for a long time previously. They have all been older than me my whole life so it was really cool to go out there and show them I’m not just a little kid.” Imer has contributed immense momentum and skill as a new yet crucial aspect of Palisade’s team. “I proved that I am capable of winning and taking my team to success,” says Imer.
Coach Raul De Villegas Decker emphasized his main goal for this brawl against the Tigers; “urgency and intensity.” It is quite obvious the Bulldogs demonstrated just that with their wicked win.