MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Throughout the 2014 soccer season, Signal Mountain had used a combination of heart, skill, determination and a little chaos to produce an unbeaten record and the program’s first-ever trip to the Class A/AA state tournament.
Tuesday evening didn’t yield the result the Eagles had hoped for, but it wasn’t because they didn’t go out playing their own particular “style.”
Two-time defending champion and second-ranked Christian Academy of Knoxville manufactured the go-ahead goal in the 46th minute, and the Warriors held off a furious late rally to win 2-1 over the classification’s top team in the quarterfinals at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex.
The Warriors (19-2-2) will face Hume-Fogg in today’s semifinals.
Signal was able to get on the board first, on a goal by Conner Apthorp less than a minute into the match, but that was equaled late in the half on an unassisted goal by CAK’s Dallas Dunn. The Eagles (17-1-2) had trouble with CAK’s ability to possess the ball, as well as the big field — one that Signal had seen on only a couple of occasions all season long.