Ramos provides lone goal in win

SPRINGDALE 1, SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 0

SPRINGDALE — Springdale Har-Ber coach Gena McGee concluded a post-game meeting with her team by leaning over and giving senior Diana Ramos a hug. With good reason. Ramos scored the only goal of the match to give Har-Ber a 1-0 win over rival Springdale on Tuesday in 6A-West Conference action at Wildcat Stadium. Har-Ber dominated play but the match was still scoreless until Ramos scored on a corner kick with 16:25 left to play.

“Diana came in very determined this year not only in keeping her starting spot, but also with sustaining a lot of minutes,” Har-Ber coach Gena McGee said. “She wants to play all 80 [minutes] if she can.”

The win was the first in 6A-West Conference play for Har-Ber (2-2-1, 1-1-1), which had managed a tie previously against Rogers Heritage.

“This year, especially, we have a lot of seniors who want to be successful,” McGee said. “But it’s hard because each team is getting better and better in our conference. With an essential win like this against Springdale, the girls know they are meeting their mark of reaching that goal in making it to state.”

Har- Ber would’ve been well ahead after the first 40 minutes if not for the play of Springdale goalie Alexis Chavez. Chavez stopped at least six shots on goal, including three attempts by Natalie Hathorn. The match appeared headed toward another tie before Ramos finally provided Har-Ber well into the second half with the only goal it needed.

“It was finally a relief to score,” said Ramos, who came close to scoring again late in the game on a shot that was saved by Chavez. “We kept going and never gave up. We just kept pressing them and pressing them and I was finally able to score off the corner kick.”

Har-Ber had a good chance in the first half on a play started by a pass from Kylie Fawcett, but Chavez blocked Natalie Hathorn’s kick in front of the Springdale goal. Chavez stopped another attempt by Hathorn with under 5 minutes to play in the first half and Fawcett hit outside the net near the Springdale goal post on another failed attempt by the Lady Wildcats.

Springdale had few opportunities in the first half but Nicole Calderon did get a good foot on the ball that was saved by Har-Ber goalie Keirnan Jones.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler) Springdale’s Damaris Rua (left) and Springdale Har-Ber’s Marina Gonzalez battle for possession of the ball Tuesday night in the teams’ 6A-West Conference match in Springdale.