By Mark Humphrey
ENTERPRISE-LEADER
PRAIRIE GROVE -- The Lady Tiger soccer team lost a first-round State 4A girls soccer tournament game, 6-0, to Central Arkansas Christian ending the Prairie Grove season at 16-6-1 Thursday.
Qualifying Crunch
On Friday, April 3, Prairie Grove traveled to Gentry (5-9-1) for a girls soccer match with a state tournament berth on the line, and won a tough match, 2-1.
Gentry fought hard for 80 minutes. Not only did Prairie Grove have to overcome the Lady Pioneers' home field advantage, but faced emotion the Gentry girls exhibited as seniors playing for the last time on their home field. Gentry sophomore Katie Ellis scored a goal while athletic senior Chastery Fuamatu stopped 11 Lady Tiger shots on goal.
Megan Thompson scored both goals for Prairie Grove, each coming off an assist by Jackie Jenkins.
Goalie Jaylia Halbert recorded 8 saves. Prairie Grove coach Stephanie Mitchell likes her assertiveness, saying, "She's very confident inside the goal."
Scoreless Tie
Earlier in the season, the schools played to a 0-0 tie at Prairie Grove on March 12.
Both teams had corner kicks in the first half, but neither could score a goal off the play. At the 4:46 mark Prairie Grove missed a shot-on-goal. Gentry tried to mount an offense as the half wore down, but couldn't get a shot off before time expired. Neither team scored in the second half although Gentry coach Jordan Parton felt the Lady Pioneers played up to Prairie Grove's level.
"In the second half we came out and matched their level of intensity," Parton said. "We had a few opportunities we couldn't quite capitalize on. We played hard and we played with discipline."
Halbert stopped several Gentry shots in the second half and played an instrumental role in preserving the shut out.
According to Mitchell none of the second half shots were very difficult for Halbert to make a stop, just routine catches regularly made in practice.
Sports on 05/16/2018