Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Class 3A girls soccer
Harding Academy players celebrate with the trophy after their 6-2 victory over Green Forest in the Class 3A girls soccer state championship game Saturday in Benton.
CLASS 3A GIRLS SOCCER HARDING ACADEMY 6, GREEN FOREST 2
BENTON — The Harding Academy players stormed the field when the clock hit zero Saturday, the final whistle cementing the Lady Wildcats as the Class 3A state girls soccer champions after a 6-2 victory over Green Forest at the Benton Athletic Complex.
While the celebration ensued around her, Harding Academy Coach Angie Harlow stood in her place beaming at the scene in front of her. Shortly thereafter, the firstyear coach was soaked from a water jug shower courtesy of her players and holding back tears of joy as the 3-year-old program celebrated its first state title.
“I’m just so proud of the light that this group shines out there,” Harlow said. “They bought into everything I brought in as a new coach this year. I think some of them were a little skeptical, and now we’re just one big family. That’s where the emotion comes from.”
Harding Academy — the 2019 Class 3A runners-up — claimed the crown this time with four second-half goals. Kloey Fullerton’s goal with 4:59 remaining in the first half sent the Lady Wildcats (11-3) into the break up 2-1. Fullerton and teammate Anna Snow each scored twice, and they were joined by Calle Citty and Jama Akpanudo with a goal apiece.
Fullerton added two assists and was named MVP.
“This is a group that bonded really, really well together in a short amount of time,” Fullerton said. “It was special getting to share this with all of them.”
Green Forest (14-2-0) entered missing Michelle Lopez due to a red card in her previous match, and four Lady Tigers exited with injuries over the course of the afternoon. Myndy Zamora tied the game 1-1 in the first half with a free kick from 24 yards out for Green Forest, and Emily Lozano added a goal with 24 seconds remaining in the game.
Green Forest goalkeeper Evelyn Lopez made 12 saves.
“We were dealt a tough hand in a lot of ways,” Green Forest Coach Ashley Wilson said. “This group has what it takes. They have the heart and the talent. Next year, they’re going to come back here.”
Citty opened the scoring in the 10th minute, heading home a corner kick from Fullerton for her second tally of the postseason. Abby White appeared to double the advantage 1:05 later on a goal that was ruled offsides, and Lopez stopped Akpanudo at the 22:07 mark as the Lady Wildcats peppered the Green Forest keeper with eight firsthalf shots on goal.
The score sat at 1-0 when Zamora curved her towering free kick from distance over the head of Harding Academy keeper Carley Swenson with 15:40 left in the half. Zamora’s equalizer stood for nearly 10 minutes before Fullerton dribbled through the Lady Tigers’ defense and drilled her first goal of the game past Lopez to give the Lady Wildcats a 2-1 halftime lead.
“Getting the first goal was something that we really wanted to do,” Fullerton said. “So once they tied it up, we didn’t let up. We never let up. It was good to be up at the half.”
Playing with the lead sent Harding Academy into the second half on the front foot, and the Lady Wildcats put 10 shots on goal in the half. Snow crossed in her first goal nine minutes into the half, assisted by Fullerton.
Little more than 10 minutes later, Fullerton netted her second goal and was followed 42 seconds later by Akpanudo’s strike. Snow put the final touch on the victory when she poked in the Lady Wildcats’ sixth goal with 6:07 remaining.
“We were able to be more aggressive and attack more and put pressure on after Kloey’s goal before halftime,” Harlow said. “When you’re up a goal, you can control and be a bit more aggressive than you would in a tied game and that’s what we did.”
Lozano scored Green Forest’s second goal in the closing moments.