After big win, Hornets fall in tourney final
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).
The Bryant Hornets notched a landmark victory over the Hot Springs Lakeside Rams in the first round of the Bryant Invitational Soccer Tournament but, then, they were prevented from winning the championship by the Sylvan Hills Bears.
Bryant defeated Lakeside, 2-0 before falling to Sylvan Hills 2-0.
As a result, the Hornets took a 4-3 record into Tuesday’s conference battle at home against Lakeside.
Bryant placed three players on the all-tournament team: defender Mike Conedy, midfielder Nick Harbert and forward Josh Ault.
Harbert accounted for both goals in the win over the Rams.
“The first was a great volley from the left side over the Lakeside keeper and into the upper corner of the goal,” head coach Bob Williams recounted. “The second was on a penalty kick after Peter Lehmann was tripped in the penalty area.”
The match was controlled by the Hornets with solid defensive work by Dustin McCauley and Josh Williams, mentioned the coach.
“Josh Toopes took over the left defender’s role for us due to players being out,” he noted, “and he did a great job too.”
It was a sweet win for the Hornets.
“It was great for two reasons,” said Williams. “It put us into the tournament championship and it broke the 3-0 victory spell that Lakeside had on us. Lakeside was our only conference loss during the 1998 conference championship season.”
The title game was a frustrating contest for Bryant.
“We had the opportunities to score,” Williams mentioned, “but just could not get the ball in the net.”
Sylvan Hills broke on top midway through the first half when McCauley, the Hornets sweeper, slipped down in the mud. Sylvan Hills took control of the ball and got a fine shot past goalie Matt Thornton.
“Their second and final goal came late in the first half off a great through pass on the left side,” Williams said. “They got it to a forward who made a well-timed run and scored with a shot to the far past.
“In spite of Sylvan Hills having a very solid defense, we had several shots that just missed the mark. We had more shot on goal than they did, but we must convert those shots into goals, especially against a strong defense.”
The Hornets were set to host Lakeside in a conference game on Tuesday.
