BULLDOGS CALL ON 'A' GAME LATE FOR 'W' OVER TIGERS

Notre Dame saved its "A" game for the second half, but still managed a 3-2 win over Cape Girardeau Central Tuesday at the old Notre Dame soccer field.

Zach Miller and Chris Dirnberger scored in the second half to propel the Bulldogs (3-1) past the Tigers (1-4).

"They were just beating us to the ball. They had the momentum," said Dirnberger, a junior striker who recorded his first goal of the season. "That just shows that on a day that's not our best day, we can win."

Central took the lead in the game's opening minutes on a goal by Justin McMullen. After the Bulldogs failed to clear a corner kick from the goal crease, McMullen popped the ball into an open net from six yards.

Each team generated an excellent opportunity within the next 10 minutes.

First, Notre Dame's Adam Obermiller missed an open net from about 10 feet out. Then, Central's Brett McNabb headed a ball into the box, retrieved it after a scramble, but shot the bouncing ball over the crossbar.

Shortly afterward, in the game's 26th minute, the Bulldogs tied the game 1-1 on a goal by Jason Garner off a direct free kick. Garner's low shot beat diving Central keeper Matt Brandt to his right.

The tie lasted until the game's 40th minute, when Central's Robbie Winschel threaded a pass through the Bulldogs' defense to the top of the box. Brad Bollwerk took the pass and hammered a low shot for a 2-1 Tigers lead.

"We were making a lot of good passes," Bollwerk said. "(Winschel) crossed it, and I was just in the right place at the right time."

At halftime, Central led 2-1.

"I like the way our kids came out intense and played hard," Central coach Tom Doyle said. "We knew Notre Dame has a very good team. And they don't get shook."

Notre Dame came out with added intensity in the second half, and Miller tied it on a penalty kick low and to the right of Brandt in the game's 43rd minute.

Dirnberger added the winner a few minutes later, one-timing a hard, left-footed volley off a pretty pass from Wesley Steele.

"It hit the ground the same time my foot hit it," Dirnberger said. "We were running a fast break and I went wide and just lost my man. It was a perfect pass."

With the win, Notre Dame bounced back from its 2-1 loss to Carbondale in the final of the Notre Dame Soccerfest on Saturday.

"We're a lucky 3-1 today, because Central played harder than we did," Notre Dame coach Brad Wittenborn said. "Nathan Essner gave us a big lift off the bench with his enthusiasm. He put a lot of pressure on the ball and kind of got it started for us."

Central, which suffered a rare losing season last year, is still learning to win the close ones.

"We came in as the underdogs," McMullin said. "But I think we let them know we're not going to be easy to beat this year."

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Notre Dame's junior varsity soccer team also notched a victory Tuesday, beating the Central junior varsity 1-0.

Timmy Wencewicz scored the game's only goal with 14 minutes left in the second half. Adam Ralls recorded the shutout for the Bulldogs (1-0).

Central dropped to 1-1.