Bryant, Searcy battle to 1-1 tie
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Photos by Rick Nation
Bryant Hornets soccer coach Brett Haugh got just what he wanted from this team’s match against the Searcy Lions on Thursday night: A challenge against one of the top programs in the state.
Hornets keeper Slade Lewis grabs the ball in traffic on a shot by Searcy. (Photo by Rick Nation)
Searcy did not disappoint as the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie. (Since it was a non-conference game, there was no shootout with penalty kicks to determine a winner.)
“This was a very good game for us to play with the State Tournament approaching rapidly,” Haugh acknowledged, referencing the Class 7A tourney to be played May 15-17 in Fayetteville. “Searcy is a good soccer team and showed us the competition that we needed and haven’t seen for most of the season. We were able to see some things that we need to work on over the next couple of weeks.”
The Hornets scored first. Midway through the first half, Bryce Denker drilled a penalty kick and it stayed 1-0 until halftime and much of the second half.
Searcy got a free kick near the midpoint of the second half.
“The ball hit Slade Lewis, our keeper, in the hands but he just couldn’t hold on to it and a Searcy player followed up and knocked it in,” recounted Haugh.
“I feel that we controlled most of the game and had several opportunities to score but couldn’t find the back of the net,” the coach added. “Overall, I was very proud of the boys and how we executed the entire night.”
The Hornets finish the regular season with three South Conference matches starting tonight at Texarkana. They host Lake Hamilton for Senior Night on Tuesday, May 6, before wrapping things up at El Dorado on Friday, May 9.
