By Zach Hayes
UCA sportswriting
The quest for a perfect season remains for the Conway soccer Lady Cats after a tough 1-0 victory against Bryant at home Tuesday.
CHS improved to 16-0 overall, 11-0 in the 7A-Central conference. The last time these two met earlier this season at Bryant, the game ended in a PK shootout. The same effort from both teams was evident again during this game.
“It was a really hard fought game," CHS coach Whitney Allison said. "Every time we play them it’s a game filled with emotion and a lot of heart.”
Neither team was able to score in the first half. The strong performance by the Lady Cats in previous weeks has been slowed somewhat the previous two games.
“It took us a while to really execute our style of play and do what we wanted again today,” Allison said.
Allison also did something she’s never done during a halftime break. After a brief rundown, she left it to her girls to talk among themselves as a team and figure out the best way to finish the game. The trust in her players worked.
With 20 minutes left in the game, the Lady Cats were on a corner kick. Caitlyn Carroll played it wide and sent it back toward the goal where Julia Pettit was waiting to score the eventual game-winning goal.
It was a play that took a lot of composure, according to Allison.
“It was a great job by both girls,” she said.
Defense was also key in keeping the Lady Hornets out of the goal. Kyndal Leffert was instrumental in stealing the ball and starting the Lady Cat offensive attacks.
The stress of the season hasn’t affected CHS so far but Allison and her team are staying prepared and taking it one game at time.
“This was a very physical game," she said. "I’m glad it’s over.”
The Lady Cats play again Thursday at Van Buren.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
CCS moves to district baseball final
By Chelsea Stockdale
UCA sportswriting
CONWAY — The Conway Christian baseball Eagles defeated the Abundant Life Owls, 6-2, at Poyen on Saturday in the semifinals of the at the 2A 5-North District Tournament.
The Eagles were the top seed based on their play during the regular season, thus their bye to the district tournament semis. The victory over the Owls advanced them to the final, which was scheduled for Monday but because of rain has been postponed to a later date. The rainy weather has pushed the finals game to possibly Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. However, if the Poyen field is too wet to play, the officials may have to decide the winner by the seedings to advance teams to the 2A East Regional tournament, scheduled to begin Friday .
“The star of the game was definitely pitcher Lance Nail,” CCS coach Shane Davis said.
The Owls managed just one hit off Nail as he struck out nine and walked five for the win.
Nail minimized the Owls from scoring by “striking out hitters with runners on base,” Davis said.
Abundant Life scored two unearned runs on an error by one of the Eagle outfielders in the fourth inning. The Eagles' offense fired back, scoring four runs in the same inning.
The middle of the lineup for the Eagles dominated at bat, with senior Ezra Wiley recording two hits and two walks. Senior Kolby Powell had four hits and junior Jake Fitts had three.
“The middle of our lineup really produced for us and did what they were supposed to do,” Davis said.
UCA sportswriting
CONWAY — The Conway Christian baseball Eagles defeated the Abundant Life Owls, 6-2, at Poyen on Saturday in the semifinals of the at the 2A 5-North District Tournament.
The Eagles were the top seed based on their play during the regular season, thus their bye to the district tournament semis. The victory over the Owls advanced them to the final, which was scheduled for Monday but because of rain has been postponed to a later date. The rainy weather has pushed the finals game to possibly Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. However, if the Poyen field is too wet to play, the officials may have to decide the winner by the seedings to advance teams to the 2A East Regional tournament, scheduled to begin Friday .
“The star of the game was definitely pitcher Lance Nail,” CCS coach Shane Davis said.
The Owls managed just one hit off Nail as he struck out nine and walked five for the win.
Nail minimized the Owls from scoring by “striking out hitters with runners on base,” Davis said.
Abundant Life scored two unearned runs on an error by one of the Eagle outfielders in the fourth inning. The Eagles' offense fired back, scoring four runs in the same inning.
The middle of the lineup for the Eagles dominated at bat, with senior Ezra Wiley recording two hits and two walks. Senior Kolby Powell had four hits and junior Jake Fitts had three.
“The middle of our lineup really produced for us and did what they were supposed to do,” Davis said.
Bulldog soccer shuts out Westside
By Ben Keller and Clark Johnson
UCA sportswriting
The St. Joseph Bulldog soccer team shut out the Westside Consolidated Warriors, 4-0, in Conway at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex on Friday in a first half that the Bulldogs dominated.
The Bulldogs improved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Friday’s game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, but because of heavy rain in Conway, the Centennial Bank Soccer Complex was mostly under water. The game was set for Thursday but the fields were still not playable, but the teams were able to face each other on UCA’s soccer field.
St. Joseph coach Kevin Rittman said the rain did not affect the team’s performance even though the Bulldogs had not played a game in a week.
“We were out for seven days and it didn’t affect us at all, surprisingly,” he said. “We came out Wednesday and had our first practice in a week. Everyone came out for it and played smart, played hard and had a good practice on Wednesday. The rain hasn’t affected us yet.”
The Bulldogs wasted no time as they scored in the first minute of play. Junior forward Harrison Hambuchen blew past Westside defenders in a solo effort that resulted in a shot bouncing off the left side goalpost past the Wildcat goalkeeper, lifting the Bulldogs to a 1-0 lead. Two minutes later, Hambuchen assisted in St. Joseph’s second goal of the match. Senior Jake Thielke received Hambuchen’s through pass that split defenders and sent a shot directly to the Westside keeper. After saving the initial shot, the ball bounced back to Thielke’s feet as Thielke sent his second attempt to the back of the net to make the score 2-0.
In the 14th minute, the Wildcats saw one of their best chances of the match go soaring over the St. Joseph crossbar when a shot from distance sailed out of play. In the 23rd minute, Hambuchen claimed his second goal of the match. Receiving a pass from midfield, Hambuchen’s pace saw him get a chance one-on-one with the Westside keeper, sending the ball passed outstretched fingertips on the left side of the goal.
Thielke matched Hambuchen’s total in the 28th minute. A long ball pass from the backfield sent unaware Westside defenders chasing a streaking Thielke, but Thielke’s booming shot sailed into the right corner of the net to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead going into halftime.
The Bulldogs held possession of the ball for the majority of the second half and did not give the Warriors many chances to even take a shot at the goal.
Rittman said it was great to see his team come out from the start and put goals on the board.
“It’s great to get points early because it gives our team confidence and keeps them playing hard,” he said.
UCA sportswriting
The St. Joseph Bulldog soccer team shut out the Westside Consolidated Warriors, 4-0, in Conway at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex on Friday in a first half that the Bulldogs dominated.
The Bulldogs improved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Friday’s game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, but because of heavy rain in Conway, the Centennial Bank Soccer Complex was mostly under water. The game was set for Thursday but the fields were still not playable, but the teams were able to face each other on UCA’s soccer field.
St. Joseph coach Kevin Rittman said the rain did not affect the team’s performance even though the Bulldogs had not played a game in a week.
“We were out for seven days and it didn’t affect us at all, surprisingly,” he said. “We came out Wednesday and had our first practice in a week. Everyone came out for it and played smart, played hard and had a good practice on Wednesday. The rain hasn’t affected us yet.”
The Bulldogs wasted no time as they scored in the first minute of play. Junior forward Harrison Hambuchen blew past Westside defenders in a solo effort that resulted in a shot bouncing off the left side goalpost past the Wildcat goalkeeper, lifting the Bulldogs to a 1-0 lead. Two minutes later, Hambuchen assisted in St. Joseph’s second goal of the match. Senior Jake Thielke received Hambuchen’s through pass that split defenders and sent a shot directly to the Westside keeper. After saving the initial shot, the ball bounced back to Thielke’s feet as Thielke sent his second attempt to the back of the net to make the score 2-0.
In the 14th minute, the Wildcats saw one of their best chances of the match go soaring over the St. Joseph crossbar when a shot from distance sailed out of play. In the 23rd minute, Hambuchen claimed his second goal of the match. Receiving a pass from midfield, Hambuchen’s pace saw him get a chance one-on-one with the Westside keeper, sending the ball passed outstretched fingertips on the left side of the goal.
Thielke matched Hambuchen’s total in the 28th minute. A long ball pass from the backfield sent unaware Westside defenders chasing a streaking Thielke, but Thielke’s booming shot sailed into the right corner of the net to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead going into halftime.
The Bulldogs held possession of the ball for the majority of the second half and did not give the Warriors many chances to even take a shot at the goal.
Rittman said it was great to see his team come out from the start and put goals on the board.
“It’s great to get points early because it gives our team confidence and keeps them playing hard,” he said.
Lady Bulldogs impress soccer coach
By Ben Keller and Clark Johnson
UCA sportswriting
The St. Joseph Lady Bulldogs soccer team won, 4-0, and controlled the whole game against the Westside Consolidated Lady Warriors on Friday at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex in Conway.
The Lady Bulldogs now have an overall record of 8-2-1 and a conference record of 5-1-1. The game against the Lady Warriors was originally scheduled for April 26. It was set to be played on Thursday, but because of the huge amount of rain in Conway, the Centennial Bank Soccer Complex was still under water. The teams were allowed to play on UCA’s soccer field to make up the conference game.
St. Joe coach Kevin Rittman said the game was one of the best he has seen his team play this season.
“This was probably the best possession play we’ve had in a game all year,” he said. “We focused on finding the open person and keeping possession of the ball.”
St. Joseph (8-2-1, 5-1-1) claimed an early lead to establish pace during the match. In the seventh minute, junior forward Jennifer Hegeman tucked the ball in the right side of the night after a slide shot to give the Lady Bulldog’s their first goal of the match. After over 25 minutes of dominating possession, Hegeman doubled her total in the 33rd. Streaking off a fast break, Hegeman charged towards goal, drawing the Westside goalkeeper from the goal box, again tucking the ball in the bottom right corner of the net. Senior forward Heather Dail added another goal to St. Joseph’s tally to send her team into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
Rittman said he was impressed that his team was able to go into halftime with a 3-0 lead. He said the team’s plan was to keep the game constantly moving.
“We played wide and spread everyone out to make sure they were constantly running,” he said.
In the second half, the Lady Wildcat’s saw no chances come their way. St. Joseph took 12 shots on goal in the half, but only one found its way to the net. In the 44th minute, senior Brandi Elsinger sent a past Westside defenders to senior forward Rebecca Moix. Moix played the ball and sent St. Joseph’s fourth goal of the match flying past the left side of the Westside keeper. The Lady Wildcats could only defend as they were shut out to give St. Joseph its first win since its draw against Episcopal Collegiate.
UCA sportswriting
The St. Joseph Lady Bulldogs soccer team won, 4-0, and controlled the whole game against the Westside Consolidated Lady Warriors on Friday at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex in Conway.
The Lady Bulldogs now have an overall record of 8-2-1 and a conference record of 5-1-1. The game against the Lady Warriors was originally scheduled for April 26. It was set to be played on Thursday, but because of the huge amount of rain in Conway, the Centennial Bank Soccer Complex was still under water. The teams were allowed to play on UCA’s soccer field to make up the conference game.
St. Joe coach Kevin Rittman said the game was one of the best he has seen his team play this season.
“This was probably the best possession play we’ve had in a game all year,” he said. “We focused on finding the open person and keeping possession of the ball.”
St. Joseph (8-2-1, 5-1-1) claimed an early lead to establish pace during the match. In the seventh minute, junior forward Jennifer Hegeman tucked the ball in the right side of the night after a slide shot to give the Lady Bulldog’s their first goal of the match. After over 25 minutes of dominating possession, Hegeman doubled her total in the 33rd. Streaking off a fast break, Hegeman charged towards goal, drawing the Westside goalkeeper from the goal box, again tucking the ball in the bottom right corner of the net. Senior forward Heather Dail added another goal to St. Joseph’s tally to send her team into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
Rittman said he was impressed that his team was able to go into halftime with a 3-0 lead. He said the team’s plan was to keep the game constantly moving.
“We played wide and spread everyone out to make sure they were constantly running,” he said.
In the second half, the Lady Wildcat’s saw no chances come their way. St. Joseph took 12 shots on goal in the half, but only one found its way to the net. In the 44th minute, senior Brandi Elsinger sent a past Westside defenders to senior forward Rebecca Moix. Moix played the ball and sent St. Joseph’s fourth goal of the match flying past the left side of the Westside keeper. The Lady Wildcats could only defend as they were shut out to give St. Joseph its first win since its draw against Episcopal Collegiate.
Lady Cats move to 15-0
By Zach Hayes
UCA sportswriting
The Conway High soccer Lady Cats extended their undefeated streak last Thursday at Little Rock Central, winning, 5-2.
The victory puts the Lady Cats at 15-0 on the season and 10-0 in the 7A-Central conference. No Lady Cat soccer team has finished the entire year undefeated, making this start one of the best in school history on their quest for a first state championship.
“It’s nice to say that we’re making history but at the same time we’ve got the target on our back," Conway coach Whitney Allison said. "Everybody is looking to bring their A-game because they want to knock us off. We can’t get wrapped up in it.”
The Lady Tigers are second to CHS in conference standings. Allison said she had expected a tough game from the Lady Tigers, and that’s what she got.
Central scored the first goal before the Lady Cats fought back to take a 2-1 lead at half. In the second half they put another goal in the back of the net and the Lady Tigers responded to make it 3-2. That’s as close as they would get as CHS put two more in to put the game away.
“That’s the first time we’ve had two goals scored on us in one game in a long time," Allison said. "They’re very well coached and we couldn’t seem to figure out how to move the ball early against their 4-3-3 lineup.”
Brooke Ballard and Ashley Johnson each netted two of those goals for CHS, and Julia Pettit contributed the single.
“Where we are is fun, but it’s dangerous," Allison said. "We’re taking plenty from this game to work on.”
The Lady Cats look to continue their streak Tuesday at home against Bryant.
UCA sportswriting
The Conway High soccer Lady Cats extended their undefeated streak last Thursday at Little Rock Central, winning, 5-2.
The victory puts the Lady Cats at 15-0 on the season and 10-0 in the 7A-Central conference. No Lady Cat soccer team has finished the entire year undefeated, making this start one of the best in school history on their quest for a first state championship.
“It’s nice to say that we’re making history but at the same time we’ve got the target on our back," Conway coach Whitney Allison said. "Everybody is looking to bring their A-game because they want to knock us off. We can’t get wrapped up in it.”
The Lady Tigers are second to CHS in conference standings. Allison said she had expected a tough game from the Lady Tigers, and that’s what she got.
Central scored the first goal before the Lady Cats fought back to take a 2-1 lead at half. In the second half they put another goal in the back of the net and the Lady Tigers responded to make it 3-2. That’s as close as they would get as CHS put two more in to put the game away.
“That’s the first time we’ve had two goals scored on us in one game in a long time," Allison said. "They’re very well coached and we couldn’t seem to figure out how to move the ball early against their 4-3-3 lineup.”
Brooke Ballard and Ashley Johnson each netted two of those goals for CHS, and Julia Pettit contributed the single.
“Where we are is fun, but it’s dangerous," Allison said. "We’re taking plenty from this game to work on.”
The Lady Cats look to continue their streak Tuesday at home against Bryant.
Wampus Cat soccer team wins 4th straight
By Zach Hayes
UCA sportswriting
The Conway Wampus Cats won their fourth straight soccer game Thursday at Little Rock Central, edging the Tigers, 1-0.
The first half was a defensive battle as both teams tried to net a goal. CHS goal keeper Cody Brooks came up huge for the Wampus Cats several times with saves including one impressive diving effort.
Conway came out very aggressive against the Tiger defense in the second half and finally broke through in the 76th minute. Central lined up for a corner kick that was deflected out and cleared to midfield where Garrett Todd was waiting to outrun the defender and take a one-on-one shot with goalie netting it through.
The Wampus Cats held on the last four minutes for the win, continuing to help turn their season around. They’ve improved to 5-4 in the 7A-Central conference and 6-9 overall.
“I thought we played well enough to win, but maybe not as well as we’ve played in the previous games” CHS coach Robert Irons said. “I think that says a lot about our team overall.”
He was also pleased with the way sophomore James Keith filled in at midfielder.
“He was a key player," Irons said. "It was significant for us.”
CHS will play host to Bryant on Tuesday.
UCA sportswriting
The Conway Wampus Cats won their fourth straight soccer game Thursday at Little Rock Central, edging the Tigers, 1-0.
The first half was a defensive battle as both teams tried to net a goal. CHS goal keeper Cody Brooks came up huge for the Wampus Cats several times with saves including one impressive diving effort.
Conway came out very aggressive against the Tiger defense in the second half and finally broke through in the 76th minute. Central lined up for a corner kick that was deflected out and cleared to midfield where Garrett Todd was waiting to outrun the defender and take a one-on-one shot with goalie netting it through.
The Wampus Cats held on the last four minutes for the win, continuing to help turn their season around. They’ve improved to 5-4 in the 7A-Central conference and 6-9 overall.
“I thought we played well enough to win, but maybe not as well as we’ve played in the previous games” CHS coach Robert Irons said. “I think that says a lot about our team overall.”
He was also pleased with the way sophomore James Keith filled in at midfielder.
“He was a key player," Irons said. "It was significant for us.”
CHS will play host to Bryant on Tuesday.
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