Greenwood Head Coach Andrew Post and his two soccer teams have split their last two home matches, the first one before spring break and the second one last week. The opponents were Little Rock Catholic/Mount St. Mary and Russellville. All were conference matches.
Just before spring break, both GHS teams hosted Little Rock Catholic and Mount Saint Mary on March 19th. The Lady Bulldogs dominated the opening match from the first whistle on their way to a 1-0 victory. After a scoreless first half, Greenwood sophomore Courtney Meyers scored the only goal of the game in the second half.
“The girls came out very physical and were able to control the pace of the game,” said Coach Post. “We created many chances to score while limiting their chances. It’s the best the girls have played all season long,” added the coach. “The score really doesn’t reflect how well the girls played. This was a great win for the [Lady Bulldogs] that lost the last two meetings against Mount Saint Mary.”
In the second half of the soccer doubleheader, the Little Rock Catholic Rockets defeated the Bulldogs 2-0, though the game was closer than the score indicates. “The guys had a rough first 15 minutes and gave up two goals,” said Post, “but they settled down in the second part of the first half and played much better, earning a pair of scoring chances before the half.”
The Bulldogs continued their improved play in the second half as well. “We possessed the ball and put it in dangerous areas of the field,” said Post. “We had two great chances to score, forcing the Catholic goalkeeper to make good saves. It looked like our guys were the better team in the second half, but the mistakes in the first half really beat us in the end. Overall I was pleased on how the guys reacted in the second half.”
GHS vs. Russellville
On Tuesday, March 31st, the GHS girls and boys hosted Russellville at Smith-Robinson Stadium. The Lady Bulldogs lost game one, 1-0, as both teams played well defensively.
“This was a tough loss for the girls,” said Coach Post. “ We beat [Russellville] both times last season, and I believe we were [still] the better team this game. We outplayed them most of the game and had numerous chances, but couldn’t convert one into a goal. Russellville’s goalkeeper made some great saves and really played a huge part in the outcome of the game,” said the coach.
“We had one mental lapse on defense and they converted the scoring chance,” added Post. “Their team is solid and it will be a battle when we play them again later this month.”
Despite the narrow loss, the coach remains optimistic regarding his Lady Bulldogs. “Our girls are very talented this year and we are in the process of putting all that talent into good use at one time. I’m still very high on this team and expect great things this season. We do a lot of things right and it shows on the field. We are close to having all the ducks in a row and things will start clicking. We are a very tough team to score on, and when we start putting goals in the net, it will be very difficult to beat us.”
In the second game, the GHS boys defeated the Cyclones, 3-2, in a rematch of the 2014 6A state final in which Greenwood lost to Russellville 1-0 in overtime.
“The boys were really motivated,” said the GHS coach. “We came out a little rusty and conceded a penalty kick in the first 20 minutes that put Russellville up 1-0. But the guys had a great reaction and scored within the next 10 minutes to tie the game on a shot by junior Deon Alvarez.”
About 10 minutes before the half, Greenwood’s Santi Morato scored from about 12 yards out to make the score 2-1 at the half, with an assist by Alvarez. “The guys played a good first half in terms of possession and scoring chances. We really possessed the ball well, which led to the goals we scored.”
In the second half the Cyclones seemed to get their second wind and scored midway through the half to even the score at 2-2. Russellville then had several chances to retake the lead, but the GHS defense and goalkeeper Andrew McGill did a great job of denying them any further goals.
With a minute left in the match, Deon Alvarez played an almost perfect through ball over the top of the defense, and Giovanni Germana chipped it over the head of the Russellville goalkeeper and into the net to put the Bulldogs up 3-2 with 50 seconds remaining. The score held, giving the GHS boys their first conference win of the season.
“This was a hard fought game and Russellville is one of the best 6A teams in the state,” said Coach Post. “They played like the defending 6A champions and it was an incredible win for the [Bulldogs]. As a coach you look to see how your team reacts to situations and events in the course of a game.
“We went down 1-0 early, and reacted exactly how a team should in those situations by scoring not just once but twice. Offensively we played our best game of the season. Defensively we had some breakdowns, but I think we have a hard-nosed defense that’s difficult to score on, and we will only get better.”
This Week
This week the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will be on the road at Siloam Springs (Tuesday) and at Conway on Friday. Their next home matches will be on April 17th against Van Buren.