Chattanooga FC beat Carolina Core 5-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Alex Krehl on Saturday evening at Finley Stadium.
Krehl gave CFC an early lead, prodding in a shot after Tate Robertson cushioned a ball perfectly in his path.
The Boys in Blue led 1-0 at the half, and it was a goal-fest in the second half.
Krehl scored two more times—with his third the exclamation point as he finished off a breakaway—to cap off a memorable night in the Scenic City.
"I'm over the moon right now," said Krehl in his post-match press conference. "I've been playing men's football for five or six years now and this is the first hat-trick I've ever scored. It's a really big accomplishment for me, but I'm more happy that we walk away with three points to put us in a better position in the league."
Isaiah Jones and Tate Robertson both scored in the second half to put the result beyond any doubt as The Boys in Blue inch closer to securing a playoff spot.
"It's a very good result coming off the back of last week," said Chattanooga FC Head Coach Richard Dixon in his post-match press conference. "To see the team turn around and respond in this fashion is good to see.
"For Alex Krehl, this is a reward for all the hard work he's put in for the entire season. You don't see that in No9s, especially in this day and age, that will run themselves into the ground for the team in and out of possession. The fact that he's willing and able and now he's getting rewarded with three goals tonight is a fantastic occasion for him. I'm very happy and proud of him for continuing to put the ball into the back of the net."
Stat attack
- 49 goals scored is a club record in its MLS NEXT Pro era (45 was previous record)
- Alex Krehl scored the first hat-trick for CFC in an MLSNP match since April 13, 2024 (Jalen James in 6-2 win over Inter Miami CF II)
- With 17 goals on the season Krehl is now one goal off the top of the league's Golden Boot race (Arif Kovac - 18)
- Krehl has scored five goals in three matches against the Core (he has scored in all three encounters that he has faced them), the most of any player in the Battle of the Independents
- Five is the most goals CFC has scored against Core in one match
- Tate Robertson is now joint-second in the league in assists this season (9)
- Alexis Arrúa recorded his first assist of his MLS NEXT Pro career
Next up
Chattanooga FC will drive two hours west on Wednesday, September 9 to face Southeast Division rivals Huntsville City FC before returning to Fort Finley for the club's final home match of the 2026 regular season on Sunday, September 13 against Atlanta United 2 at 3:00 p.m. for a CFC Homecoming celebration presented by Erlanger. Tickets are available now at CFCTIX.com.