Chattanooga Red Wolves defender Tony Walls, with ball, played a pivotal role in the soccer club's undefeated June. Chattanooga will host Lansing at David Stanton Field at 7 p.m. Saturday in a USL League One matchup.As a new group of soccer players has become more acclimated with each other, success has come to the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Weathering the storm in the early part of the season, the team has looked unified and sharp in outscoring its opposition 9-4 over its past five matches. It has not lost since May 18.
"Our guys have developed a partnership, and in the beginning you have none of that with a brand-new team," Red Wolves coach Tim Hankinson said. "You don't just walk up to someone and shake their hand and trust them with your career. It takes time to build a team bond and spirt where there truly is trust in each other."
From Steven Beattie and Tony Walls forming solid timing on the right side of the field to Ualefi and Conor Doyle controlling possession in the midfield and goalkeeper Alex Mangels working well with his back line of defense, chemistry is starting to show across all levels of the field.
The Chattanooga Red Wolves' Jonathan Caparelli, right, and Josue Soto defend their home turf at David Stanton Field, where they are undefeated. The Red Wolves seek to stay in the thick of the playoff race in Saturday night's home match against Lansing at 7.Ami Pineda and Sito Seoane have also been key forces in Chattanooga's three-game winning streak, as they have sparked four goals in that span, including the difference maker in a 1-0 win against Richmond last week.
"You want every position to have partnership and understanding," Hankinson said. "Our guys have been through enough battles together now and trust one another. They would all have each other's backs in a fight, and sometimes the game feels that way."
So far this season no visitor has cracked the code at David Stanton Field. The Red Wolves have not lost on their temporary home turf in seven matches, with five wins and two draws.
The Irish duo of Eamon Zayed and Beattie have produced 10 goals on Chattanooga Christian's high school football field, which will be the site of a playoff-like battle at 7 p.m. Saturday.
With the top four teams at the end of the regular season earning a trip to the USL League One playoffs, the league's highlighted match of the week pits current No. 3 Chattanooga (6-4-3) against No. 4 Lansing Ignite (5-5-5).
"At some point it's inevitable: You are probably going to lose a home match," said Hankinson, whose team has a 13-8 goal differential at CCS. "But it won't be this Saturday. That's our mentality toward it. That mindset brings us to a very determined stance on what we have to get done."
With 17 goals allowed and 17 conceded this season, the Red Wolves will aim for their sixth clean sheet and try to build a positive goal differential over the final 15 games of the regular season. They will attempt to pace themselves yet carry strong energy throughout the full 90 minutes.
"We used to try to make plays from the opening whistle," Hankinson said. "When we did that we gave the ball away more and put pressure on our defense. Our fuel was lower in the second half. Now we start the games worrying about building a foundation and possession. When we keep it relaxed and let things build, we have seen a much better result."
Hankinson believes another key to victory will be how his team handles Lansing's 3-4-3 formation in which its wingers drop inside and underneath the forward.
"They play a system like no other team in the league," Hankinson said. "Our defenders will have to communicate well and know who's on each of the wingers. We have worked hard and not slacked off any this week. This match is very important."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.