Notre Dame High School’s Blair Barker, right, scores the go-ahead goal past diving Madison goalkeeper Michaela Connors on Wednesday in the first round of the TSSAA state soccer tournament at Chattanooga Christian School. Notre Dame won 2-0 in overtime.In a season filled with one-goal matches and shootouts, Notre Dame soccer coach Jim Schermerhorn and assistants David Weikel and Emily Cornett have learned to accept that nothing comes easily for a defending state champion.
So it was no surprise that the Lady Irish’s A/AA state quarterfinal went into overtime, yet a relief due to the final outcome.
Blair Barker and Sophie Mullin had goals in the extra time frames Wednesday, and the third-ranked Lady Irish advanced to today’s state semifinal with a 2-0 victory over Madison at Chattanooga Christian.
Class A/AA State QuarterfinalNOTRE DAME 2, MADISON 0 (OT)Halftime score: 0-0. Goals: Blair Barker, Sophie Mullin. Assists: Gaby Gurrola, Lacey Mahoney. Shots on goal: Notre Dame, 8-4. Saves: Michaela Connors 6 (M); Grace Courter 4 (ND). Records: Notre Dame 8-11-2; Madison 17-4.
Notre Dame (8-11-2) will face Christ Presbyterian Academy, which beat Gatlinburg-Pittman 4-2, at 4:30.