A tense, back-and-forth game against Duluth FC on McEneaney Field ended in disappointment for the Thunder in the last minutes on Saturday evening. The action was reserved for the second 45. In the warm June heat, Duluth pressed the Thunder but was never able to capitalize, and the Sioux Falls counterattacks didn't pan out either.
Just one minute after the halftime break, the first goal fell for Duluth. After knocking around the ball, a full-throttle attack saw numbers in the Thunder box, and a through ball to Duluth's Peter Oyetunji ended up in the net. The shock of that goal wore off and the Thunder dug in. A foul on the sideline ten minutes later gave the Thunder an opportunity on goal. The set piece saw James Bolger muscle his way to a thunderous header, tying the game at 1-1.
Yet the effort of this push for a goal would cost the Thunder. Once again, Duluth would strike soon after the restart. Despite the Thunder packed in on defense, Duluth's Kostyantyn Domaratskyy would strike a lucky shot that sailed into the upper corner. But the Thunder were not done. With the clock ticking down in the remaining few minutes, a long throw into the box surprised the Duluth defense. A flicked ball set up Ethan Glissendorf in front of the goal, who mimicked Bolger's finish and equalized yet again.
Unfortunately, Duluth would pull ahead minutes later with a rebounded shot giving them an easy tap in. "I thought we chased the game early and couldn't find momentum, but we did have a couple of chances to score," said head coach Ryan Beier after the game. "We settled in better in the second half, but gave up that late goal. Duluth is a top team, but we had chances to win."
The Thunder will have a week's break before their next home game against La Crosse Aris on Saturday, June 18th at 7:00 pm.
Special thanks to Travis Gallipo Photography.
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