Tigers down Bulldogs, Bulldogs top Barnstormers
DECATUR — It was an epic battle between two top teams in the 3A West when the Green Forest Tigers rolled into Decatur to take on the Bulldogs in the April 12 match at Bulldog Stadium. When the dust settled 80 minutes later, the Tigers retained their winning streak but not before the Bulldogs gave them a run for their money.
The first 18 minutes of the first half saw both teams going on the attack, with both the Green Forest and Decatur goalies making several remarkable saves. But the Tigers managed to slip the ball past Decatur goalie Ben Watkins at the halfway mark of the first half for the first goal of the contest.
Soon after, one of the Tigers shoved a Decatur player, giving the Bulldogs a penalty kick. Green Forest formed a four abreast line a few yards in front of the goal. Then one of Decatur’s leading shooters, Steven Lucero, stepped up to the PK line to take the shot. Lucero launched the ball over the top of the Tiger line and past the goalie for the Bulldogs’ first point of the match and tying the score at one each.
A few minutes later, Green Forest scored once again to retake the lead, 2-1. At the 7:09 mark in the first half, the Tigers slipped yet another ball past Watkins and suddenly the Bulldogs found themselves trailing by two. The half ended with the Tigers leading, 3-1.
The Tigers managed two more goals in the second half, extending their lead by four. With less than 30 seconds left in the contest, the Bulldogs went on the attack and a real battle ensued. Somehow a Bulldog player managed to get the ball into the net as time ran out for a goal.
It wasn’t enough and the Green Forest Tigers retained their winning streak, 5-2, over the Decatur Bulldogs.
Decatur returned to Bulldog Stadium Thursday night for yet another conference contest, this time with the Bentonvillebased Thaden Barnstormers.
The first 40-minute half ended with no score going into the halftime break.
With less than two minutes off of the clock in the second half, the Barnstormers mounted an attack on the Decatur-defended goal, firing the ball past goalkeeper Ben Watkins for the first goal of the afternoon and a Thaden lead. Six minutes later, Bulldog forward Steven Lucero fired one into the net for Decatur’s first goal and a tie.
By the halfway mark of the second half, both teams had managed another goal to tie the match at two-all.
With five minutes left to play, the Decatur Bulldogs scored the final goal of the match, claiming the win, 3-2, over the Thaden Barnstormers.