Lakewood – Winning a game does not always a happy coach make.
Not when your team abandons its possession game, scores on half-chances and gives up sloppy goals at the other end. And not when you’re Chatfield coach Paul Moline.
“Not an enthusiastic win. Holy cow,” Moline said Tuesday after the Chargers walked off Lakewood Memorial Field with a 3-2 Class 5A nonleague victory over Horizon.
The Chargers, who began the season ranked No. 4 in The Denver Post/9News poll, led 2-0 and 3-1 but had to endure a nervy finish as the Hawks began to swell with confidence as the game wore on.
Defender Josh Meyer, Dennis Shannon and freshman Zach Foxhoven scored for the Chargers (3-1), while the Hawks (0-3-1), who began the season ranked No. 8 and have endured a rugged nonleague schedule, got two goals from senior Chad Turgeon.
Scoring three goals was a positive for the Chargers, who were shut out last weekend against defending champion Fort Collins. But Chatfield grew impatient with Horizon’s trapping defense and tried to beat it with passes over the top rather than moving with the ball at its feet.
“We’ve got good talent and it seems like our practice sessions are at a really high level, and then the last couple games,” Moline said. “Until we figure out how to keep the ball, which we can do, and how we can dictate the tempo of the game, we’ll be OK.”
Horizon 0 2 – 2
Chatfield 1 2 – 3
Goals – C: Meyer (Bissau), 38th minute; Shannon (LaGreca), 50th; H: Turgeon (unassisted), 53rd; C: Foxhoven (unassisted), 57th; H: Turgeon (Stolz), 71st.
Shots on goal – Horizon 1-4 – 5; Chatfield 4-5 – 9. Saves – Horizon (Ortiz) 3-3 – 6; Chatfield (Maestas) 1-2 – 3. Offsides – Horizon 0-1 – 1; Chatfield 1-9 – 10. Corner kicks – Horizon 0-3 – 3; Chatfield 3-2 – 5. Fouls – Horizon 6-5 – 11; Chatfield 9-5 – 14. Yellow cards – Zachman, C, 45th minute; Bissau, C, 71st.
