The Veterans Memorial Patriots traveled to Memorial Stadium on January 8 to kick off the Harlandale Tournament. Facing the tournament hosts, the Harlandale Indians, our Patriots delivered a high-effort performance characterized by aggressive offensive play and a refusal to back down under pressure. The Patriots opened the match with confidence, dictating the pace and forcing Harlandale into a defensive posture early on. By consistently pressing the Indians' back line, the Patriots created several promising opportunities. However, Harlandale proved dangerous on the counter-attack, capitalizing on a defensive error to take an early lead. Despite a flurry of offensive attempts in the final third, the Patriots headed into halftime trailing 1-0. The second half was a true test of the team's character. The Patriots showed immense grit as they successfully fended off a series of intense Harlandale attacks. As the game progressed, the Indians were able to find the net twice more to extend their lead. Even in the face of a 3-0 deficit, the Patriots never conceded. They continued to fight for every 50/50 ball and pushed the Harlandale defense until the final whistle, though they were unable to break through for a score. The Patriots had a quick turnaround as they continued pool play later today against Sam Houston.