SPRINGDALE -- Tolliver Davis put the final touch on an undefeated conference championship for Bentonville on Tuesday.
Davis scored with 5:56 left to give Bentonville a 1-0 victory over Springdale Har-Ber in a makeup game at the Har-Ber track and soccer stadium. Davis' first attempt was blocked by Har-Ber goalie Ben O'Brien, but Davis got the rebound and stuck the ball into the net from about five feet away.
Prep Soccer
Boys
Bentonville 1, Springdale Har-Ber 0
Bentonville^0^1—^1
Springdale Har-Ber^0^0^—^0
Second Half
Bentonville — Davis, 5:53
"(Tolliver) competed with the goal-keeper, then he was quick enough to react and score," Bentonville coach Mike Devaney said. "It was a decent goal, well-finished on his part."
Bentonville (13-0-1, 7-0) completed an unbeaten conference season against a Har-Ber team that went 7-0 and won the league title last season. But the makeup game was anti-climatic after Bentonville clinched the conference championship with a win over Fayetteville and Har-Ber lost to rival Springdale. The Tigers and Wildcats both advance to the Class 7A State Tournament at Fayetteville.
"Certainly, it means a lot to go through this league undefeated," Devaney said. "There's some awfully good teams in this league and this is a feat we're proud of. But it's one step in the process. We've got some bigger goals ahead of us."
Har-Ber coach Nelson Medina was pleased with the way his team competed against Bentonville, especially after losing to rival Springdale last Friday. The Tigers finished with eight shots on goals to four for the Wildcats (10-8-1, 3-4).
"I thought we played well against arguably the best team in the state," Medina said. "We made a mistake and they were able to take advantage with a goal."
Neither team was able to score in the first half.
Bentonville had five of the six shots on goal in the first half, but Har-Ber was not without its chances. Miguel Gomez' diagonal shot from the left side went over the net minutes after Nick Perez missed from the right side late in the first half.
Har-Ber also failed to convert on a penalty kick after Bennett Moehring received a yellow card for grabbing Raul Umana.
O'Brien turned away five shots in the first half, including one at point-blank range after a lapse by the Wildcats' back line.
Sports on 05/14/2014