When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Maddie Julian is as tough as they come.

Julian never backs down, she never gives in, she never wavers in her resolve. As a captain on the Palmyra girls’ soccer squad, Julian’s fighting spirit has a way of trickling down to teammates and seeping into the rest of the team.

On a rainy Monday night at Daniel Boone High School, Julian and the Cougars’ tenacity was on full display during a 5-4 loss to the Blazers, in the opening round of the District Three Class AAA playoffs. Trailing 5-1 midway through the second half, Palmyra fought back valiantly and nearly pulled off an incredible comeback triumph.

Julian netted three goals on the night, and was instrumental in the Cougars’ rally. The hat trick gave her ten goals for the season.

With 13:58 remaining, Julian followed up on the rebound of her own saved penalty kick to pull Palmyra to within 5-2 of Daniel Boone. Then minutes later, the senior forward struck again off a successful penalty kick.

Julian had given the Cougars a 1-0 edge 18:25 into the match when she used her right foot to convert a pass from teammate Maddie Grinstead, 20 yards away.

The loss ended tenth-seeded Palmyra’s season at 9-8-1. But when the Cougars look back on the 2021 campaign, not only will they remember the positives, they’ll also remember how they went out.

• Jeff Falk