SPRINGDALE -- Bentonville will play for another state championship in Class 7A after beating the team that eliminated it last year.
Bentonville defeated Bryant 5-4 on penalty kicks in the semifinals Saturday after the teams went scoreless in regulation and in two overtime sessions. Bentonville goalie Gabby Miller decided the marathon match in the seventh round when she stopped a kick by Kayla Dreher of Bryant.
Miller rushed from the goal area and celebrated with her teammates while Bryant players dropped to the turf in disappointment. Bentonville (19-4-1) will face Cabot, a 4-3 winner over Fayetteville, in the championship game at 10 a.m. Friday at Razorback Field in Fayetteville.
The loss ended an unbeaten season for Bryant (20-1-1), which won the state championship last year after eliminating Bentonville in the semifinals.
"I told the girls 'I hate PKs,' " said Bryant Coach Julie Long, whose team allowed only three goals in regulation this season. "It doesn't determine the better team, but that's the way it is. Our girls left it all out there, and Bentonville played a good game, too."
Both teams missed chances to win in the second overtime after few scoring opportunities in regulation. Lauren Hargus had a clear shot in front of the Bryant goal but missed high with her kick. Mary Catherine Selig directed a header just feet in the Bentonville goal, but it was stopped by Miller.
Miller also denied Anna Lowery, who got behind the Bentonville player for a breakaway midway through the second half. But Miller rushed out and knocked the ball away before Lowery could get off a clean attempt at the goal.
"[Miller] came up with two great saves [in regulation], and they were game-changers," Bentonville Coach Kris Henry said. "It was nice composure on her part then, with the penalty kicks, she did her job. She saved the ones she should've saved."
CABOT 4, FAYETTEVILLE 3
Gracen Turner scored with four minutes, 26 seconds left in the second overtime to beat Fayetteville.
The freshman scored with her left foot in front of the Fayetteville goal, where there was plenty of traffic.
"She has ice water in her veins and put it in with her off foot," Cabot Coach Kerry Castillo said. "She just doesn't get rattled."
Fayetteville (16-4-1) didn't get rattled after falling behind 2-0 with 17:21 left in the first half. The Lady Bulldogs scored three consecutive goals by Macy Watson, Myra Tubb and Hannah Davis to take the lead with 7:11 left in the second half.
"We haven't had a start like that all year long," Fayetteville Coach Joe Thoma said. "I don't know what happened. Give Cabot credit. They came out fired up and determined to get that first goal. But credit to us for answering.
"All four of these teams in the semifinals were capable of making to the finals. You could tell by how even our stats were and how even the matches were. It just didn't go our way."
Cabot (20-4) tied the game and forced overtime when Tristyn Edgar scored her second goal with 4:09 left in regulation. Edgar also scored in the first half following a goal by Hadley Dickerson.
"Tristyn had been kind of quiet since her first goal, but that second one was a great individual effort," Castillo said.
CLASS 6A
SILOAM SPRINGS 6,
EL DORADO 0
EL DORADO -- Two-time defending state champion Siloam Springs earned its opportunity to defend its Class 6A girls soccer titles in dominant fashion.
The Lady Panthers scored a pair of first half goals and then scored four more in the second half Saturday morning in the Class 6A state girls soccer tournament.
The Lady Panthers (12-8-1) won their second consecutive match after entering the state tournament, having won only two of their last seven matches.
"I think that is what turned our game around completely because during this whole season we were playing individually, and I think that's what hurt us," said junior captain Maycee Lance, who scored six goals in two games, including one goal in Saturday's victory against El Dorado. "We just came together, and we got our stuff together. We're ready."
Siloam Springs will face 7A/6A-Central Conference foe Russellville in the state finals, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Razorback Field in Fayetteville.
The Lady Panthers and Lady Cyclones split a pair of games during the regular season with Siloam Springs winning 4-1 at Panther Stadium on April 12. Russellville upset the Lady Panthers 3-2 on May 3 in Russellville.
The Lady Panthers had several early opportunities to score, but didn't until Audrey Maxwell's goal with 17:24 left in the first half on a Megan Hutto assist.
Paige Thompson made it 2-0 with 4:43 in the first half after a Hutto throw-in made its way to Maxwell, who crossed to Thompson for the score.
Lance used her body to score off a Hutto assist just 3:33 into the second half for a 3-0 lead.
Maxwell scored her second goal of the game with 27:52 left in the game for a 4-0 advantage, and just 45 seconds later Hadley Crenshaw made it 5-0 off a Laura Morales assist.
Averie Headrick played a ball to herself and scored with 16:18 left in the game for a mercy-rule 6-0 score. The remaining time was cut in half, and the Lady Panthers were able to empty their bench to get playing time for all available players.
GENTRY 5, HEBER SPRINGS 0
The Lady Pioneers notched their second shutout of the state tournament, and Ana Linch had a hat trick en route to the semifinal win Saturday.
Gentry (14-3), the defending state champions, will take on Central Arkansas Christian in a rematch of last year’s finals.
The Lady Pioneers jumped to a 2-0 halftime lead and added three more in the second half. Linch had three goals, while Amber Ellis dished out four assists. Haley Hays and Madison Ward also had one goal each. Gentry outscored its three state tournament opponents by a combined score of 18-1.
Information for this article was contributed by Graham Thomas.
Sports on 05/15/2016