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C3D1 Soccer: Notre Dame uses massive second half to beat Cape Central for district championship
The Notre Dame Bulldogs buried six second-half goals to claim the Class 3 District 1 championship in a 6-0 win over Cape Central on Thursday night at Cape Central High School.
Senior Cole Bruenderman scored two goals in less than four minutes to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. Bruenderman added another goal late to pick up a hat trick.
“Every play we just kept attacking and scoring,” Bruenderman said. “It feels amazing.”
Fellow senior Will Dodson added a pair of goals, including a bicycle kick goal to make it 6-0.
“I’ve been around the game for a long time and I’ve seen some of the greats score those goals on Youtube and TV,” Dodson said. “The ball was coming in and I just went for it. When you try things, sometimes good things happen.”
Bulldogs coach Matt Vollink had high praise for the duo of Bruenderman and Dodson.
“Their connection has come on more and more the last two years,” Vollink said. “They’re friends off the field so it makes it easier for them to get on the same page as well. They’re one of the best duos I’ve ever seen.”
With the game sitting at 2-0, Dodson knew the Bulldogs couldn’t get comfortable.
“Growing up I was always told a two-goal lead is the worst lead in sports,” Dodson said. “If you score one more the other team is done but if you let one in they have all the energy and then you’re in a dangerous spot.”
Following Bruenderman’s quick two goals, Dodson buried a goal to make it 3-0 and soon after junior Bryce Sides scored to give Notre Dame a 4-0 lead.
“Our forwards were way too far up the field (in the first half),” Vollink said. “Once we got our forwards back and started getting balls to the feet then the game opened up quite a bit. Good things happen when you do that.”
Lost in the six-goal burst from the Bulldogs was the shutout posted by junior goalkeeper Thomas Southard.
“After the game I pulled him aside and told him he has no idea how some of his saves changed the mentality of the game,” Vollink said. “Whenever we score a goal and then he turns around and makes an amazing save it builds confidence.”
With a 4-0 lead in hand, Bruederman’s hat trick goal made it 5-0 and Dodson’s aforementioned bicycle goal made it 6-0.
Both Dodson and Bruenderman talked about the respect they have for the Tigers.
“These are guys we’ve played with and against since we were five and six-years old,” Dodson said. “It’s hard seeing your brothers and friends like that but at the same time you obviously want to win.”
Notre Dame (17-6-1) moves on to the Class 3 state quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 12 when the Bulldogs take on Webster Groves (18-3-3).
Cape Central’s season ends with a 19-4-1 record. The Tigers will lose seven seniors — Joel Ceja, Erik Ceja-Torres, Sam Cairs, Elijah Peters, Tim Kirby, Kent Elder and Tad Couch — to graduation.