Both Chattanooga Christian and Notre Dame struggled with possession in their crucial soccer game Friday night, but CCS mustered enough offense for a 1-0 Division II-A East District 2 win on the road.
"We knew it'd be kind of ugly," Chargers coach Jimmy Weekley said. "They're well organized and have a good keeper, but we were fortunate to get a goal and come out on top. I feel like this is the first time all season our guys really battled for a full 80 minutes."
The ball was batted back and forth a lot, but the Chargers were able to settle it more than the Irish and create some opportunities on offense, racking up 17 shots to Notre Dame's four.
Several other crosses could have been scoring chances had they found a teammate's feet.
"I think we did a good job creating dangerous opportunities, especially in the first half," Weekley said. "A better touch here or a better run there, and we could have had a goal then, too."
With CCS shots sailing wide and Notre Dame having a tough time building an attack, the first half went by scoreless. The scoring drought continued into the second half, and frustration started to set in.
"I just don't think we played well, especially there in the first half," Notre Dame coach Jim Schemerhorn said. "Overall, we didn't work hard for each other, and it took us out of our game. I wasn't pleased with how we played. It was frustrating."
It did not get any easier for the Irish, as CCS defenders continued to crowd them and knock the ball away before they could string passes together. The Chargers' back line kept any danger out of the box, and it was a defender who came through on offense.
With just under 18 minutes to play, Mac Erickson lined up a free kick from long distance, putting it high and on frame. Several players from both teams all looked to get a touch at the same time as the goalkeeper, and the ball sailed just through the goalie's fingertips and into the net.
The deficit put a heightened sense of urgency into the Notre Dame players, but the CCS defense didn't yield.
"Even playing better in the second half, we weren't able to get anything going," Schemerhorn said. "It's just the way the game went. We know playing CCS is going to be a close game and a tough game for both teams. We have to step up and play better."
CCS nearly doubled its lead to put the game away late in the half when Brett Bowman took aim from close range, but the left-footed strike went wide into the outside of the net.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.