Chagrin struggles in loss to Shaker

Chagrin Falls has likely had more enjoyable afternoons in Shaker Heights, never getting untracked in a forgettable 3-0 loss to the Red Raiders on Oct. 5.

The Tigers (8-5-1), ranked No. 2 in this past week’s News-Herald Top of the Crop, generated just one shot on target in the second half and four for the match.

“We didn’t have that combination play, and at times we were getting good passing in the first half,” Chagrin coach Brian McKenna said. “At halftime, we said, ‘Hey, let’s calm it down. Let’s not try to just take it over the top. They have two great center backs. So let’s work the passes to the outside. And we get into the second half, and, well, we rushed it again.

“Then we had an injury or two — certainly didn’t help us, but certainly props to Shaker and how they were playing us with tremendous speed, but as well, playing us with nice diagonal passing up top, which really exposed us and they took advantage.”

Carter Belk opened the account for Shaker (8-5-1) in the 11th minute, pouncing on a backward deflection in an unusual defensive-third sequence.

The Red Raiders blew

the match open with strikes a little less than 2 ½ minutes apart bridging the hour mark from Wilder Geier in the 58th and Akseli Silvola to cap a fine afternoon from the senior in the 61st.

Shaker is now 5-1-2 against Chagrin since 2010.

“Very happy,” Shaker coach Alan Naigeon said. “If anything, I think this is our most complete game of the whole season. We were missing a lot of guys, and now everyone is coming back fit, so it gets us excited about the postseason.

“I do think, with our record right now, a lot of people are thinking it’s a different Shaker team than the last three or four years, but from a coaching standpoint, I actually think it’s a team that could surprise a lot of people and actually go further. It’s not putting more pressure on my guys. It’s actually trying to stay positive about what we’re trying to do. We have the players to be successful.”