Win a momentum boost for Tigers

The Lady Tigers picked up a big win against the No. 1 team in the 6A-West, beating Rogers, 3-2, last Friday. The win gave the Mounties their first conference loss of the season and evened up the series between the two teams after Bentonville lost to Rogers in a shootout earlier in the year. Bentonville coach Kris Henry knew her team wanted the chance to redeem themselves against Rogers after they played anxious the first time around, she said. "Nobody likes to lose in penalty kicks ever, so it was important for them to get the result that they did," Henry said. Megan Gotwalt scored the first goal for Bentonville to even up the score at one in the first half, and Abby Stolt scored the go-ahead goal with six minutes left in the match. Lauren Parker added another goal with three minutes later, which proved to be the most crucial goal for the team after Rogers scored in the final minute to cut into Bentonville's lead. Parker's goal capped off a strong performance from the freshman, who played in her first match back after missing time with a concussion. "That was big for her," Henry said. "She knew she would have to come in and make a difference. She did a great job of stepping up and stepping in and getting right back in it." The team had to play without two starters in Ginger Olson, who rolled her ankle against Fayetteville a match before, and the team's leading scorer, Angelina Diaz, who was out of town for a family commitment. Henry was a bit a concerned with her team's depth going into the match, but Parker played better than Henry had anticipated, she said. Bentonville still remains the No. 2 team in the conference, despite splitting the season series with Rogers, because the Tigers had to forfeit its first win against Springdale Har-Ber, a match that ended 5-0, for having an ineligible player. The forfeit could come back to haunt Bentonville, depending on how the week plays out, as it could be the difference between the Tigers finishing first or second in the 6A-West. Henry would have rather been the No. 1 seed so the team could avoid playing the top team from the 6A-Central, but she's already preparing for the state tournament and the possible matchups her team might have, she said. Bentonville will play Springdale at 5:30 p.m. today with the boys' match coming after that. The Lady Tigers will then travel to Centerton to face crosstown rival Bentonville West at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The boys will play before the girls.

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Arkansas Online | 4/30/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Bentonville Athletics