CONWAY — In a bid for their 11th consecutive win, the Bryant Lady Hornets ran into a fired up Lady Cats team on Senior Night at Conway Friday. A goal with 16:19 left in the first half proved to be the only one of the night as Conway pulled the upset against Bryant, which absorbed just its second loss in 19 matches this season.
“We lost against a tough Conway team,” said Lady Hornets coach Julie Long. “They came out with something to prove. They were fired up and we didn’t.
“I hate losing more than almost anything,” she added. “But I do know that some of the hardest lessons and best learning experiences come from being defeated and learning how to rise back up.
“If we are going to have one of these games, I would much rather it happen now than in two weeks,” the coach stated, referring to the Class 7A State Tournament, which will be hosted by the Lady Hornets May 14-16. “We just figured out a lot of things we need to work on and get straightened out before State.”
Bryant took 15 shots on goal.
“After (the goal), Conway played very defensively and made it impossible for us to score,” Long said. “We had plenty of opportunities but couldn’t find the back of the net.”
Keeper Maddie Hawkins had two saves along the way. Other than their goal, the Lady Cats attempted just three other shots in the contest.
Earlier in the season, the Lady Hornets had defeated Conway 4-1.
The setback was the first in 7A/6A-Central Conference play for Bryant, now 17-2 overall, 6-1 against the conference as a whole and 4-1 against 7A teams. They host Van Buren on Tuesday, May 5.
