Lady Bulldogs secure third-seed spot

EUREKA SPRINGS — The old saying that the “third time is a charm” rang true on May 9 as the Decatur Lady Bulldogs traveled to Eureka Springs for the final regular-season match against the Lady Highlanders. What was at stake for Decatur was a seed in the 3A state girls soccer tournament in Harrison on May 12.

In late April, both the Decatur soccer teams made the 90-minute trip to Eureka Springs to play this conference match with the Highlander girls’ and boys’ teams. When the 5 p.m. start time rolled around and both teams were ready to start the contest, there was a no-show by the officiating team, and there would not be one available. There was a mix-up in the scheduling and no one contacted either team. So both coaching staffs got together and rescheduled the match for May 4.

Then the rains came and canceled the contest one more time. But the weather was near perfect on May 9 and the contest finally got underway.

Seven minutes into the first half, Lady Bulldog Heaven McGarrah made a successful run on the goal for the first point of the night. With only 90 seconds left in the half, Decatur’s Jazmine Herrera slipped the ball past the Lady Highlander goalie for the second point of the contest. The Lady Bulldogs went into the halftime break up by two points over the Lady Highlanders.

Not long after the start of the second half, McGarrah made another successful run on the net, giving Decatur a 3-0 lead. Nine minutes later, McGarrah hit her third goal of the night and now the Lady Bulldogs were up by four.

Soon after, the Lady Highlanders managed to slip the ball past the Lady Bulldog goalie for their first point of the night and deny Decatur the shutout victory.

Jackie Mendoza capped off the Decatur offensive drive with the final goal of the game at the six-minute mark to put the Lady Bulldogs up by four.

The Decatur Lady Bulldogs went on to claim the conference win, 5-1, over the Eureka Springs Lady Highlanders. With this win, the Lady Bulldogs finished the conference regular season in third place and a third seed in the 3A girls’ soccer tournament.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Lorelai Tuinstra drives the ball toward the Lady Highlander goal during the second half of the Eureka Springs-Decatur soccer match in Eureka Springs on May 9. The Bulldogs took the conference win, 5-0.