The Marshall County Tigerettes soccer team entered the playoffs on a positive note after defeating the Middle Tennessee Crusaders 3-1 at home on Tuesday afternoon in their regular season finale.

Middle Tennessee had defeated MCHS 4-0 in their previous encounter on Sept. 25, but the Tigerettes (8-7-1) played with a greater sense of urgency on Tuesday and held a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half before outscoring the Crusaders 2-1 in the second stanza to claim the two-goal victory.

Winning mark

Thanks to Tuesday's triumph, Marshall County finished the regular season with a winning record for the first time since 2009.

"I'm so proud of our team," said MCHS coach Mark Redferrin. "They've worked so hard and it's my job to put them in the right places. It's exciting to see them succeed and have positive results."

Both teams fired eight shots on goal, but the Tigerettes did a better job of creating close range scoring opportunities. Sophomore midfielder Abbey Redferrin had a hand in all three Marshall County goals, as she scored once while dishing out two assists. Emily Spence and Abbey Cross each tallied a goal for the MCHS as well.

"We didn't know this team the first time we played them. After getting a chance to see them, we changed some things offensively and the girls responded really well," said Mark Redferrin.

Solid game

Tigerette goaltender Alexis Ford turned in a solid performance and finished with seven saves overall.

Addison Foriest scored the Crusaders lone goal of the contest, while goalie Caleigh Castorena had five saves.

Abbey Redferrin staked Marshall County to a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when she won a loose ball in the middle of the field before rifling a shot into the upper right hand corner of the net from the top of the goalie box.

Middle Tennessee had a couple of chances to tie the game midway through the first half, but Ford stopped a close range shot by Aiden Foriest during a scramble in front of the net in the 22nd minute prior to making a diving save on a 20-yard shot by Emma Jane Farmer in the 25th minute.

Staying ahead

The Tigerettes then opened up a 2-0 advantage early in the second stanza when Spence took a pass from Abbey Redferrin on the right side of the net and fired a low, skidding shot inside the far post from 12 yards out in the 49th minute.

Middle Tennessee narrowed the gap to 2-1 in the 59th minute with the help of a lucky break. After Marshall County was called for a foul near midfield, Addison Foriest launched a 43-yard direct kick towards the MCHS goal that hit the ground directly in front of Ford and bounced over her head and into the back of the net.

Cross, however, would put the game away for the Tigerettes in the 72nd minute by running down a long pass from Abbey Redferrin on the right side of the field before blasting a 10-yard shot into the upper left hand corner of the net for the 3-1 final.

Marshall County returns to action on Monday when they host Spring Hill in the first round of the District 12-A-AA tournament at 5:30 p.m.