When East Ridge soccer coach Jeremy McIntyre asks his players what wins championships, they don’t have to think twice. The answer is defense.
It has defined the Pioneers, who already have a district title in hand, as they continue a thrilling ride through the postseason with sights now set on a Region 3-A/AA championship after ousting Loudon with a 3-2 win Tuesday at Camp Jordan Park.
Though the visiting Redskins were dominant on the field, the scoreboard showed a different result.
“They’re just so skillful, we told our guys to play patient defense,” McIntyre said. “We said we don’t need any heroes out there, just keep shape. We weren’t supposed to win this game, but it just shows you what can happen when you play defense. Our guys take pride in playing great defense.”
The Pioneers’ strategy was apparent early, as they held big numbers in the back to protect the goal and let Adam Adem handle most of the offensive duties up front.
Loudon was in control for most of the first half, but Adem was able to take advantage of a defensive mishap to give East Ridge a surprising lead. Rijad Kazic played a ball up, and after a failed clear, Adem fought off defenders to take it in for the score.
“We did a great job when we sent the ball forward, and how about the job Adam did up front?” McIntyre said.
Adem did not make it easier on Loudon, as another run late in the half led to a foul in the box and a straight red card. Hunter Schobert calmly stroked in the penalty to send the Pioneers into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
The Redskins totaled eight shots in the half, but most of them were from outside the box, and Tony Acuff was able to take care of the rest.
“He’s an athlete,” McIntyre said. “He had some great saves – jumping saves, diving saves. He did really well.”
Loudon fought through being a man down and was able to make a comeback. Jesus Medina cut the lead in half on a low, direct free kick that caught the keeper on his heels and bounced up and in. Several minutes later, Medina’s throw-in was flicked beautifully to Fransisco Aguilera, who headed it in to equalize.
Loudon’s players and fans felt the momentum had finally made its way back to their side, but East Ridge’s lone offensive man again made an appearance. Coy Vandergriff made a nice defensive play to win the ball and sent it down the sideline to Adem, who got by a falling defender and fired the game-winning shot from outside the box just as the keeper raced out to meet him.
“We didn’t take advantage of our opportunities early on,” Redskins coach Yoni Espinoza said. “East Ridge stuck to their game plan and it worked. We will play in the same game next year, and our guys will have the experience and know how this feels.”
East Ridge will host the first region title match in program history, facing another talented local program in Boyd-Buchanan.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfree press.com