FHS girls have goals unfulfilled
There are just two girls soccer teams statewide that enter the regular season’s final week without a loss on their resume.
One is Pulaski Academy (12-0-2), which tested its mettle against a brutal nonconference slate but has since capitalized on relatively light 4A-East competition.
The other is Fayetteville, and the Lady Bulldogs haven’t had an easy road to 13-0-3. They’ve drawn 6A-Central side Conway, beaten three-loss Siloam Springs and gone 11-0-2 against a brutally tough 6A-West schedule.
But if Fayetteville wants to cap its stellar campaign with a conference title, the Lady Bulldogs will have to keep their unbeaten season alive when they host Bentonville tonight. The visiting Lady Tigers drew Fayetteville 2-2 at the start of April, meaning a win — which would pull them level with the Lady Bulldogs at 35 points — would vault them into the No. 1 spot on headto-head goal differential.
Fortunately for Fayetteville and Coach Joe Thoma, the Lady Bulldogs have locked up a first-round bye — something that will be critical come state playoffs next week, as a No. 3-6 seed has never won four games in a row to capture a title, let alone win three consecutive to make the final.
That’s not enough, though, for a team looking to win its first championship since 2010.
“I told the girls back in August or September, ‘Let’s embrace this,’” Thoma said. “Let’s go for it. Let’s not beat around the bush [and say] we hope we get there. We want to be state champs. We want to be right there. So we’ve talked about it all year.”
Of all the things that are impressive about this veteran-heavy group, the Lady Bulldogs’ plus-52 goal differential stands out.
They’ve shut out seven opponents in 13 conference games thus far and won 9 of their 16 games by three or more goals.
Thoma emphasized the strength of his entire defense, but it’s hard to argue that senior goalkeeper Haley Woodward hasn’t been the single most vital player for Fayetteville.
Woodward, a Houston signee who has previously been a varsity athlete in basketball, bowling and volleyball, gives the Lady Bulldogs a steady presence in the back. Although Thoma has often rotated his team, especially in a condensed season, they’ve always had their veteran netminder between the posts in the biggest of games.
And consistently, Woodward has shown why Thoma — a former keeper himself — calls her one of the best goalies he’s ever coached.
“If a defender makes a mistake or a girl makes a good move … we know Haley’s got our backs back there,” Thoma said. “We don’t have to do anything crazy, so we’re not jumping in and giving away fouls or anything like that.”