After several games were rained out last week, Cleveland and Ooltewah matched up in District 5-AAA soccer Tuesday night. After patiently attacking and applying pressure, Cleveland broke through in the second half to hand the Owls a 1-0 home loss.
Both teams had unblemished district records heading into the match.
The Blue Raiders controlled the pace early, creating a plethora of chances in the first half, although most sailed wide of the goal. The Owls created two dangerous chances of their own, with crosses that trickled across the face of the goal before being cleared.
“Frustrating,” Owls coach Rick Adolph said of the loss. “We created the chances we needed, but that’s the cruelty of the game. I think we came out a little slow and didn’t really connect in the first half.”
Cleveland fired away four shots on goal before the break, but Joey Sealor did not let anything through. Sealor’s diving effort with under two minutes to go preserved the 0-0 tie going into halftime.