Hornets notch second conference win, besting Benton
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continue posting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
Photos by Rick Nation
BENTON — It got a little rugged but the Bryant Hornets soccer team forged a 3-1 win over the[more] Benton Panthers on Tuesday night with Bryce Denker accounting for two goals and an assist.
With Bryant leading 3-0, Benton scored on a penalty kick. The Panthers got another chance at a penalty kick after the Hornets’ keeper Slade Lewis had been injured in a collision in front of the net. Alex Denker came in off the bench and made a save to keep it 3-1.
The match was marred by numerous yellow cards and a red card all on Benton.
Bryce Denker’s first goal came at the 29:05 mark of the first half and held as the only goal of the first half. Austin Powell had the assist.
The second goal came on a penalty kick two minutes into the second half. At the 37-minute mark, Josh Lowery made it 3-0 with Bryce Denker getting the assist.
“I thought Benton played really hard,” said Hornets coach Jason Hay. “They were physical and, at times, they out-worked us, especially in the first half. We looked dead. They were playing really direct and we kind of fell into that instead of playing our game, possessing the ball, playing it on the ground and that’s not our style. That’s not what we do.
“I thought our kids did a good job of keeping calm heads and not running their mouths, being classy about it,” he added. “It was ugly, but it was a win.”
In the JV game, Bryant’s first goal came from Evan Caddy off an assist from Corey Laisure. Danny Vivar got the second off a feed from Bryan Oldham.
The Hornets, now 7-1-1 overall and 2-0 in the South Conference, return to league play at Pine Bluff on Thursday.
