C4D1: Notre Dame comes up short against Oakville

After upsetting No. 3 Lindbergh on Saturday, the No. 6 seeded Notre Dame Bulldogs saw their season come to an end with a 3-0 loss to the No. 2 seeded Oakville Tigers on Tuesday in Jackson.

Oakville controlled much of the attack from the start and they were rewarded with a goal from Grace Kestler just four minutes in.

“Oakville is a very good team,” Bulldogs coach Ryan Schweain said. “We tried our best.”

Notre Dame would have its fair share of chances as the half went on, but they weren’t able to convert.

“I felt like in the first half we got settled in,” Schweain said. “We started nervous and then we were able to settle and connect some passes. We got a few chances, we just couldn’t capitalize.”

Oakville’s Avery Bangert would stretch the Tiger lead to 2-0 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

Oakville would enter halftime with a 2-0 lead.

Bangert would strike again early in the second half to push the lead to 3-0 Oakville, which would hold up as the final.

With the loss, Notre Dame finishes the season 14-7-2 and the Bulldogs will graduate five seniors in Kristin Anderson, Anna Garner, Karly Kasten, Grace Young and Emma Steimle.

“(I’ll remember) their commitment,” Schweain said. “They led by example and they were vocal leaders. They were committed to the program and they were committed to what we were trying to do and they gave it their all every single game.”

For the group as a whole, Schweain said he will remember the way they battled all season long.

“They really went through a lot of adversity this season,” Schweain said. “There were lots of injuries and people having to play positions they’ve never played before. They took it all in stride and I really couldn’t be more proud of this team.”

Oakville advances to the Class 4 District 1 championship game where the Tigers will take on the No. 1 seeded Jackson Indians at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 in Jackson.