North Side soccer overcomes 1st loss to advance to state

LEXINGTON - Taking the first loss of the season in the postseason can send a team into a tailspin, but not the North Side soccer team.

The Indians took their first loss of the season on Thursday - ending a 16-match unbeaten streak - but they bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Lexington to advance to the Class A-AA state tournament.

"We were aware of the possible letdown," North Side coach John McCurrach said. "The unbeaten record is nice, but that is not what soccer is about. To be honest, I didn't have a problem re-motivating them. I thought I might because it is always hard to lose to Jackson Christian, but we bounced back.

"This was probably our most comprehensive team performance of the season. After it was 1-1, I thought it was going our way, but Lexington is so good at set pieces."

Lexington's Tristan Lowery scored the opening goal of the match, but North Side's Rodrigo Atilano scored the next two goals for the 2-1 halftime lead.

Diego Atilano converted a penalty kick in the second half for the final goal.

This is North Side's first trip to the state tournament since 2014 and third trip in school history.

Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.