Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (8-8-9) fell to Lansing Ignite FC (12-5-9) 4-3 at Cooley Law School Stadium Saturday night. In a high-scoring match, Lansing’s goal in the 90th minute would prove to be decisive in the defeat.
The Red Wolves opened scoring in the 3rd minute with Vangjel Zguro striking an in-swinging corner kick that went untouched into the upper left corner of the net, giving the visiting side a 0-1 lead. The goal marked Zguro’s first of the season.
Five minutes later, the home side answered after Rafael Mentzingen picked up a Red Wolves clearance 30 yards from goal, dribbling forward and sending a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Alex Mangels to equalize.
Chattanooga reclaimed the lead in the 17th minute after Red Wolves Captain Steven Beattie sent a ball in to Greg Hurst inside Lansing’s box. Hurst brought the ball down and put a shot on frame, beating Lansing’s Stefan Cleveland at the far post to score his first goal of the season.
Just one minute later, Lansing was able to equalize for the second time after forward Pato Botello-Faz played a through ball into the path of Tumi Moshobane who fired a left-footed shot past Mangels. 12 minutes later, Lansing’s Nick Moon would find the net, giving his side its first lead. The 3-2 score would stick going into halftime.
Hurst completed his brace in the 54th minute to pull Chattanooga back level with Lansing. Defender Timmy Mehl knocked a ball back into the box towards Conor Doyle who then touched a ball through to an unmarked Hurst. Hurst hit a first-time shot that beat Cleveland to tie the match at 3-3.
After a scuffle at midfield, Zguro was shown a red card and sent off in the 60th minute, leaving the Red Wolves to play with 10 men for the remainder of the competition.
Lansing would seal the match in the 90th minute after Moshobane scored his second goal of the night, giving the home side a final 4-3 lead.
Goalkeeper Alex Mangels finished with four saves and two crosses claimed. Defender Tony Walls recorded four tackles, two clearances and one block. Forward Greg Hurst notched his first and second goals of the season and finished with two tackles and an 80% passing accuracy.
The loss keeps the Red Wolves in sixth place on the USL League One table with 33 points, just three points shy of playoff position. The team will close the 2019 season with three consecutive home games against the bottom three teams in the league, beginning next week.
After a month-long road stand, Chattanooga returns home to host Orlando City B at David Stanton Field on Saturday, Sept. 14. Fans can kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with the Red Wolves, as the club honors Hispanic culture through food, community and soccer. Gates open at 6 p.m. ET. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. For tickets, visit chattredwolves.com/tickets.