MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — If soccer were scored on percentages, McCallie would have fared well against top-ranked Christian Brothers in the semifinals of the Division II state tournament.

The Blue Tornado scored one goal in one attempt, while the Purple Wave needed 18 shots to score. Their four goals averaged out to 22.2 percent, but the result was a 4-1 victory, advancing them to the state final.

“I feel that we weathered the storm for the first 20 minutes,” McCallie coach Tony Meyers said. “We had a bad clear, and as a result they put the ball in the net.”

Christian Brothers (18-3-1) controlled the ball for most of the first half but led only 1-0 as Paul Banks scored nine minutes into the game. Five minutes into the second half, Matt Roberts made it 2-0 , but six minutes later McCallie’s Arturo Rocha had a free kick and nailed a perfect pass to Garrett Hicks, who outjumped Christian Brothers keeper Joey Labetti to make it 2-1.

Hicks and Labetti collided on the play, and the McCallie sophomore had to leave with a thigh contusion.

“When we scored, we felt the energy of the goal, but at the same time Garrett was down,” Meyers said. “You can replace him in some ways, but how do you replace an athlete?”

The Purple Wave’s Tony Diaz scored with 22 minutes left to play, and Corey Acosta scored on a Spencer Bran assist at the 2:57 mark.

“Christian Brothers is a sound team,” Meyers said. “They have collective team speed that’s hard to simulate in practice. When we got down, it changed our strategy, so we put three people up, because either 5-0 or 2-0, we lose. It exposed us in the back some.”

McCallie keeper Travis Grody had some outstanding saves.

“The part is, if you beat him from 18 feet and out, it’s a good shot,” Meyers said. “He came out and cut the angles. Goalkeepers are either going to be the hero or the goat. That’s not the case for us: We win as a team, we lose as a team. Christian Brothers is just a good team that is well-coached.”

The Blue Tornado (12-4-3) lost 10 seniors from 2008, so advancing to the state semifinals was a feat, he added.

“We lost eight starters, so I didn’t know how we were going to be,” Meyers said. “The seniors led this squad and I’m proud of them. Those guys wore their heart on their sleeve.”

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