Mehlville clips Notre Dame 2-1 for district title

Cape Notre Dame defender Drew Vandeven slide tackles the ball away from Mehlville midfielder Cade Harper. Cape Notre Dame played Mehlville in the Class 3 District 1 soccer final on Thursday November 4, 2021 at Mehlville High School in Mehlville, MO.

Tim Vizer ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

MEHLVILLE — It's appropriate that a coin flip decided the No. 1 and No. 2 district tournament seeds between Mehlvlle and Notre Dame.

Predicting an outcome between the two Class 3 boys soccer powers is similar.

Mehlville, ranked No. 1 for much of the season, got the best of Notre Dame in Thursday's district championship tilt, a 2-1 decision at the St. Louis-area school.

The Bulldogs, Class 3 runners-up a season ago, finished the season with a 20-4 record.

Mehlville (18-2-1) scored on an 18-yard strike and a penalty kick to jump out to a 2-0 halftime lead, and Notre Dame couldn't overcome the deficit.

"We created some good opportunities, but they had the better first half," Notre Dame coach Matt Vollink said. "If we played each other 10 times, we would each win five games."

Notre Dame junior Will Dodson scored 10 minutes into the second half to the Mehlville's lead in half, but the senior-heavy Bulldogs wouldn't get any closer.

The SEMO Conference champions lose seven starters to graduation.