The Ridgefield Tigers certainly had their work cut out for them in the second round of the Class LL boys state soccer tournament. The 18th-ranked Tigers (9-had to go up against the second-ranked Naugatuck Greyhounds, who were undefeated.

Naugatuck has a rich soccer tradition, having won 11 NVL titles in the last 15 years and two state championships.

Playing on the road at Veterans Field in Naugatuck, Tigers head coach Phil Bergen was concerned about the natural grass turf.

Ridgefield played the perfect game, limiting Naugatuck to just four shots on goal as the Tigers escaped with a 1-0 win.

Andrew Carlson scored the game-winner late in the second half with Joe DeVivo lending the assist.

Tigers goalkeeper Matt Knizeski made four saves in the net, and the defense out in front,  led by Nathan Boytos, James Suslavich and Sean Stockmoe,  was more than enough to hold off the Greyhounds (13-1-3).

"Naugatuck is ranked No. 2 in the state," Bergen said, "but we had it in us and played our best game of the season."

"We had our ups and downs this year," Bergen added. "Maybe a little more bad luck than most teams, but the guys hung in there and we are now playing our best soccer of the season."

Bad luck or not, the Tigers (11-6-1)  took it straight to Naugatuck, creating opportunities off an aggressive attack at midfield.

Connor Findlay, Simon Brossier and Matt Burdumy were getting their share of 50/50 balls and directing the attack into the Naugatuck end of the field.

Forwards Mike Peckham, DeVivo and Carlson went on the attack with Mike Syrotiak and Sean Avellini putting pressure down the sidelines.

At 27:12,  Ridgefield had its first opportunity in close when Findlay sent a low line drive off an indirect kick that was contained by a swarming Naugatuck defense.

It wasn't until 14:58 left in the first half that Naugatuck got its first shot on goal when Tiago Martins rushed into the box,  sending a blast to the far post that glanced out of bounds.

The Tigers continued to pressure the ball deep in Naugatuck territory, and with 12:02 remaining in the first half, Suslavich sent a blast that Naugatuck keeper Dan Bronko batted away.

The teams went into the break in a scoreless deadlock. But it seemed the Tigers had the upper hand as they held Naugatuck to just one shot on goal while Ridgefield got off five shots that could have easily turned around the game.

"It's all coming together for us," Bergen said. "We are starting to make the kind of plays you need to win big games like this."

Naugatuck came out in the second half with a sense of urgency, creating a few opportunities inside the box during the first five minutes of the half. But a relentless Tigers' defense turned away every attempt and began to put pressure on the Naugatuck end of the field.

At 22:52,  the Greyhounds' Richard Mitchell turned the corner and with a full head of steam,  took it into the box. An in-your-face blast from 10 yards out was stopped when Knizeski made a brave belly-stop, falling to the turf with the ball safely tucked away in his midsection.

That would be the last threat of the game made by the Greyhounds. It was clear that Naugatuck was having trouble penetrating the Tigers' defense, and the sense of urgency slowly built into a panic.

The Tigers were patient and waited for an opportunity to present itself. That came with 10 minutes to play when DeVivo broke into the corner,  playing a ball that glanced off a Naugatuck defender.

Carlson broke into the box behind the defense and settled a crossing pass from DeVivo. Carlson lined up the shot and sent a laser to the far post that beat Naugatuck goalie Dan Bronko to put the Tigers on top by a slim 1-0 margin.

That was all Ridgefield needed as the defense did the rest, and the Tigers advanced to the quarterfinal round on Saturday against Bridgeport Central at 2 p.m.

"Here is an opportunity of a lifetime for these kids," Bergen said. "They've worked hard all season and they deserve it."