The Patriots lost 3-1 in their final regular season game to the home team Greely Rangers. This game was a tale of two halves. In the first half the Rangers outplayed the Patriots, while in the second half it was all Patriots. Unfortunately for the Patriots, all the goals came in the first half of the game.
The Rangers quickly had the Patriots pinned back after the first whistle. The Patriots looked a little unprepared for the intensity that the Rangers brought to the game. Just under fourteen minutes into the game the Rangers scored the first goal. They earned a free kick on the right side of the field, just outside of the penalty box. Katie Bennet sent a great ball towards the back post of the goal, out of Ivy Abrams’ reach, where Katherine Clancy ran onto the ball and volleyed it into the net.
This goal lit a fire under the Patriots. Their energy changed,becoming more aggressive. They found an equalizer four minutes later. West Duffy sent a great ball in from a corner kick that found Jordan Grant in the center of the box, who headed the ball into the back of the net for her tenth goal of the season.
The Rangers’ next two goals came from miscommunication by the Patriots. The first was scored by Chelsea Gravier after the ball got past the defense and keeper for her to shoot on an open net. The second came with just over six minutes left in the half. Katie Bennet capitalized on a miscommunication, stole the ball and managed to sneak the shot near post past Ivy in a one on one situation.
The second half was a very different game. The Patriots showed they were the better team. They dominated possession, had several opportunities, and just did what was expected of them from the start. Despite all the opportunities, luck was not on their side. They had shots that missed by mere inches, hitting the crossbar and the post several times. Despite all this effort, the damage was already done. The 3-1 scoreline in the first half was how the game would end.
With this loss the Patriots end the regular season with a 7-7 record and the Rangers end 6-7-1. The Patriots finished in the 10 seed for the playoffs and will be traveling to York for a rematch with the 7 seed Wildcats. The Patriots will be looking for some revenge after the 5-1 loss from early in the season.