Comets Answer Every Challenge in Thrilling 3-2 Win Over Pelican Rapids

With the game tied, the clock shrinking, and Pelican Rapids threatening to steal back the momentum, Hillcrest needed someone to create a moment. Maggie Mark stepped in front of a Viking pass at midfield, carried the ball through traffic, and unleashed a right-footed strike from outside the 18. The shot curled toward the upper corner and into the net, delivering the decisive goal in a dramatic 3-2 Hillcrest victory at Danielsen Field.

It was Mark’s first goal of the season. It was also the final expression of what defined the Comets throughout the match: resilience. Hillcrest fell behind, and came back only to surrender a tying goal late, but they answered again. And when the game demanded one more play, the Comets dug deep and found it.

The win pushes the Comets to 5-2 on the season and gave Head Coach Jeremy Forrester’s squad another example of its growing ability to respond when a match becomes difficult. Pelican Rapids struck first, slipping a goal past keeper and captain Mckinlee Ballweg. Instead of allowing the early deficit to disrupt the Comets, Ballweg immediately went to work organizing the players in front of her.

Defenders Maggie Mark, Avery Uselmen, Claire Venberg, and captain Paisley Garvin began making it increasingly difficult for the Vikings to sustain possessions. Their pressure created turnovers, and those turnovers allowed Hillcrest’s midfield of Grace Carpenter, Lauren Markovetz, and captain Alexa Ewan to begin pushing the game back toward the Pelican Rapids goal.

Hillcrest eventually found its breakthrough midway through the first half. Sophie Walkup stepped forward to take a Comet throw-in and found Ewan. The senior captain drove toward goal and fired. Her first attempt was stopped, but Ewan stayed with the play, collected the rebound, and buried the second opportunity. The Comets leveled the score by bouncing back defensively and returning to offense quickly. The score was 1-1.

The goal was Ewan’s sixth of the season, continuing an impressive scoring campaign while also demonstrating something larger about Hillcrest’s approach. Persistence became the story of the afternoon.

Hillcrest entered the second half determined to dictate the pace. Forwards Kaia Fiskness, Cecelia Wachlarowicz, and Isla Frobish pressed the Viking defense, forcing hurried decisions while looking for a seam that could put the Comets in front. The breakthrough came midway through the half.

Garvin stepped aggressively toward a loose ball and sent it forward into the attacking area. The Pelican Rapids goalkeeper was unable to control it cleanly, and Dakota Campbell immediately recognized the opportunity. Campbell recovered the loose ball and drove a shot through the Viking defenders and goalkeeper. The Comets hard work earned a 2-1 lead off Campbell’s third goal of the season, and once again the difference came from the Comets being ready for the second opportunity.

But Pelican Rapids refused to disappear. The Vikings responded with another goal of their own, leveling the match at 2-2 and putting the pressure back on Hillcrest. The Comets had to create pressure and force another opportunity. That is when Mark changed the game by reading the Vikings’ buildup from the back. She intercepted a pass and immediately drove forward. Rather than simply clearing the danger, the defender attacked. Mark carried the ball through Pelican Rapids players, worked herself into shooting position outside the penalty area, and struck with her right foot.

Hillcrest scored three goals in three very different ways. Ewan followed her own shot and finished the rebound, Campbell capitalized when pressure created a mistake, and Mark produced an individual moment of anticipation, courage, and skill from distance. The Comets’ ability to create in tight spaces and absorb adversity without losing shape or confidence helped turn a back-and-forth battle into Hillcrest’s fifth win in seven matches.

The program’s depth was evident Thursday afternoon as well, in the junior varsity match. The JV Comets earned their own 3-2 victory, with goals from Grace Carpenter, Ari Tysdal, and Kayetana Lopez-Moen. The win moved the JV squad to 2-2 on the season.

Hillcrest, now 5-2, returns to Danielsen Field to face the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves on Saturday, September 19, at noon.