BENTONVILLE -- Penalty-kick sessions are nothing new for Bentonville's boys soccer team since it played three in a row earlier this season.
The situation was a little different, however, for Davis Hogue. The sophomore's first varsity start at goalkeeper came during the completion of a suspended game, and he made a pair of critical saves on penalty kicks as the Tigers edged Rogers High, 6-5, after the two teams played to a 1-1 tie at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
"What we told Davis to do is get one," said Bentonville coach Mike Devaney, whose team is now 4-0 in penalty-kick situations this season. "That's what we tell our goalkeepers: just relax and get one. He got one in the regulation, then he got another one. So that's a double bonus for that.
"I wanted to give Davis a run at it. He's deserved it. He's been fabulous in practice, and I wanted to give him a reward for it. He's certainly proved to be capable of being a starting goalkeeper in this league."
Hogue's shining moment came when Rogers (13-6, 8-6) had a chance to win with its fifth penalty kick. Hogue, however, correctly chose to go to his right and blocked Jarrod Eisma's kick, causing additional penalty kicks to take place.
Both teams connected on their sixth kick, then Tyler Roberts went to his right and connected to give Bentonville (13-5-1, 9-5) the lead. Juan Sanchez could have tied it for Rogers, but Hogue made the save to end the match.
"It was an interesting game," Hogue said. "I'll remember it for a long time. It's the most interesting one there was.
"I know the kid who took the fifth PK. I knew where he was going, and it was a good read. I was right there. That last one was the hardest because I thought he was going right to I dove right. It was coming back across, and when he went for the middle I was right there."
The game -- which had started April 29 but was called because of storms -- resumed with 18 minutes, 58 seconds left in the first half and Rogers owning a 1-0 lead. Bentonville, however, tied the score on Chase Hunter's short kick from the left side with 15:27 before halftime.
The score remained that way as both teams missed on several occasions during the second half. The closest came with about 30 seconds remaining, when Bentonville sophomore George Schultz went wide right on a kick.
The win gives Bentonville a No. 3 seed in the Class 7A state tournament, and the Tigers will play North Little Rock in a first-round game at 10 a.m. Thursday in Springdale. Rogers falls to the fifth seed and will play Cabot at noon Thursday.
Girls
Bentonville 9, Rogers High 0
Alyssa Carlson had a hat trick, and Lauren Hargus added two goals as Bentonville cruised to a victory to close out the regular season.
Hargus, Carlson and Anna Passmore scored goals to give the Lady Tigers (16-5, 13-1) a 3-0 halftime lead. Carlson then added two goals in the second half, while Anslea Haikey, Hargus and Calia Hanus added a goal apiece.
Bentonville clinches a share of the 7A-West title but will take the league's No. 2 seed into the Class 7A state tournament, which begins Thursday at Springdale Har-Ber. The Lady Tigers will play at noon Friday in a quarterfinal game.
Sports on 05/10/2016