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Though they were outplayed statistically for the entire match, a resilient Pella girls soccer team stayed right with Class 2-A No. 11-ranked Dowling Catholic for over 90 minutes, before falling 2-1 last night in the second overtime period.

The Maroons controlled the possession battle for much of the night, but a well-placed pass and beautiful header by Morgan Elzinga put the Lady Dutch on the board first, as the held a 1-0 lead at intermission.

Dowling’s aggressiveness put the pressure on the Pella defense in the second half, and after multiple attempts, the Maroons got one past keeper Kelsey Fynaardt. The Pella defense held strong for the remainder of regulation and for the first overtime, before a loose ball put-back secured the win for Dowling.

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The statistics certainly didn’t depict a close game, as Pella was outshot 29 to 2 by Dowling, who also led in corner kicks 11-2. Fyaardt recorded eight saves and faced 11 shots on goal. The Pella girls are now 7-6 overall and are back on the pitch Monday night at Nevada.