April 19, 2024 – United Soccer League One (USL1)
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC News Release
The Chattanooga Red Wolves host Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC this Saturday, April 20th for the 2024 home opener at CHI Memorial Stadium. Chattanooga’s last outing against the Hailstorm was in Windsor for the 2023 season finale in which Colorado won 3-1 on October 14th. The two clubs drew the previous two meetings with Chattanooga forcing a 1-1 draw on July 8th and a 0-0 draw in the 2023 home opener.
This match will see former Northern Colorado favorites, Stefan Lukic and Leo Folla facing their former squad for the first time since signing with Chattanooga in the off season, with both having played the previous two seasons in Windsor and Folla having played previously in Chattanooga in 2019 and 2020.
The Red Wolves returned to League One play against Central Valley Fuego after securing two wins in the 2024 Lamar Hunt Open Cup tournament and picked up three points in a 4-2 victory on the road. Ropapa Mensah led the offensive charge for Chattanooga with a 14th minute breakaway goal to open up the scoring. He continued to apply offensive pressure and pushed a back heel pass to Lucas Coutinho who then buried a hard shot past the Fuego keeper for a 2-0 lead before the 20th minute. Fuego managed a 40th minute goal just before halftime to avoid the shutout for a 2-1 score at the end of the first 45 minutes.
Mensah grabbed his second goal of the match in the second half off a pass from Stefan Lukic to lengthen the Chattanooga lead to 3-1. Goalkeeper TJ Bush made several key saves as the action traded sides to maintain the Red Wolves’ advantage through the 80th minute until Fuego broke through once more to bring the match within one goal; however, a costly penalty in the box against Chevone Marsh would lead to a successful penalty kick from Mensah for his third of the night and the first hat trick of the 2024 season.
Northern Colorado is looking for their first win of the season following a 3-1 loss to Greenville Triumph SC on Saturday, April 6th. Greenville took a 1-0 lead into halftime with a goal from Lyam MacKinnon and would get their second and third goals in quick succession in the second half from Leo Castro and MacKinnon’s second of the match in the 56th. The Hailstorm collected their sole tally of the night, and the first of the season, in the 64th minute.
The Red Wolves are back in action at home the following week, April 27th, against One Knoxville SC for the first USL…