Photo: Northpoint’s Maverick Ray is held off the ball as the Chattanooga Notre Dame goalkeeper gathers it in during Sunday’s contest at Northpoint Christian School. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Northpoint Christian boys’ soccer team played gallantly Sunday afternoon, but a late goal decided the contest and it was not in the Trojans’ favor. Chattanooga Notre Dame a goal with 16:41 remaining that decided the TSSAA Division II-A sub-state contest 1-0 and sent the Irish to the Spring Fling state finals in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The appearance in the sub-state round of the playoffs was a rarity for the Trojans’ program, coached by Ethan McClure, who said afterward it was tough for his team to get anything going against the Irish.
“We got a couple guys out today from injury and just couldn’t put it all together to get one,” McClure said. “There were a couple of big chances both ways but nobody really finished anything until the second half.”
McClure credited his senior group, which he called special, for helping the Trojans reach a level it has never reached before.
“This is an extremely special group, the first senior group to bring us all the way to the quarterfinals and hate to see them go but they’re a really good group,” McClure said.
Notre Dame, the number two team from East Tennessee, defeated the Webb School 2-1 to reach the sub-state round. Northpoint, the number two team from the West Region, had a bye into the sub-state round. Notre Dame joined University School of Nashville, Lausanne Collegiate, and Boyd Buchanan in the state’s Final Four.
