NDCL tops Lake

A work day at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin typically runs from 7:55 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Good luck trying to convince the Lions’ girls soccer side that’s the case after its Division II district semifinal Oct. 21 against rival Lake Catholic.

The Lions had to put in a shift in the defensive third — technically given the hour, second shift. But when their work day was done, they had earned their keep — not to mention another district final berth.

Marina Hess had a second-half strike, Allie Martin made eight saves to record her eighth clean sheet of the year and NDCL was gutsy in the back to see out a 1-0 win over the Cougars.

The Lions (10-7-1), who also defeated Lake, 5-2, on Sept. 14, will take on West Geauga, a 4-1 winner over Hawken, in the D-II Mentor District final at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at South.

Lake (9-4-4) generated seven shots on target and six corners in the second half, but NDCL held firm to see out the result, much to the delight of their home faithful in Munson Township.

“I couldn’t have asked for more effort,” NDCL coach Matt Tainer said. “They were fantastic the whole time. We had a plan. They stuck to it. We changed our formation up as well.

“Everybody from the bench to the girls that started, their workrate the whole time was second to none. And it paid off in the end big time. I’m really proud of them.”

Locked in a 0-0 stalemate past the hour mark, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick in the 64th minute after a collision on a high bounce in the box on the endline.

Hess stepped to the spot. The standout senior striker was turned away by Cougars goalkeeper Sophia Pecjak and pounced on the rebound, but was stymied valiantly a second time on a reaction save by Pecjak.

The third time was the charm, though, as she slotted a right-footed effort. The immediate reaction from Hess on her 17th, and most pivotal, goal of the fall wasn’t so much excitement as it was relief.

“Definitely. I was so scared for my life,” Hess said.

“Well, either I make it clearly or I miss it clearly. So for me to go twice, then make it, it was very surprising. But by the looks of it, (Pecjak) wasn’t going to save (the third attempt).”

Lake was not lacking in opportunity to open its account, especially on set pieces but early in the natural flow of attack as well. In the ninth minute, Shelby Nagy sprung Gianna Carcelli with chip service. Carcelli carried in and crossed for Andrea Babic, who played a touch to Ali Morgan. But the senior’s strike went wide.

Martin made a great save on Babic in the 48th minute, and Lake’s Ella Hadley had a free kick clang off the bar from distance in the 50th. Hadley also forced a Martin save in the 75th.

Between early quality in the natural flow of attack and set-piece volume, Cougars coach Chris Hastings lamented his side couldn’t generate a breakthrough to advance.

“Anybody who has watched or played soccer, they understand,” Hastings said. “Not to take away from NDCL, but sometimes, the better team just doesn’t win. You do what you can, and they were getting into us through free kicks — we were fouling in the first half. Other than that, they weren’t super dangerous. I wasn’t uncomfortable at any point in the game through the run of play.

“We had plenty of chances, and the name of the game is finishing them, and we just didn’t finish tonight.”

After a district final exit in D-I last fall in extra time to Madison, the side’s fifth district-final defeat since 2001, the Lions are eager to make an elusive regional breakthrough.

Even if it means, like it did on this occasion, working second shift.

“I am so proud of us,” Hess said. “It’s very hard to beat a team twice, so to beat a team twice that’s our rivals means a lot to everyone.

“This is very big for us. We want redemption. We want to finally win district. We know, as seniors, we’ve never won district. We’ve always made it to finals. We really need to pull this out for us.”