Pollard propels Siloam to final
BOYS SILOAM SPRINGS 4,
GREENBRIER 0
A freshman was the difference for defending champion Siloam Springs on Saturday.
James Pollard scored two goals and had one assist as Siloam Springs advanced to the Class 5A boys state soccer final by beating Greenbrier 4-0 on Saturday at Burns Park in North Little Rock.
“[Pollard] brings a lot of energy,” Siloam Springs Coach Jason Bowen said. “He was phenomenal finishing in front of goal and chasing after loose balls.”
Siloam Springs (15-7-1) asserted itself quickly when Will Easley scored into the left side of the net in the third minute. Pollard then crossed a ball into the 18-yard box that was headed into the net by Mike Vasquez in the fifth minute for a 2-0 lead.
“I thought we came out really hot,” Bowen said. “I wasn’t so happy with the last 20 minutes of the first half. ... I thought we got anxious.”
Greenbrier (13-10) got a chance to cut into the lead in the eighth minute when Seth Mallett sent a shot on goal, but Siloam Springs keeper Raul Leyva made a diving save to punch the ball out of bounds.
“I told my boys the first seven minutes were crucial, and it was,” Greenbrier Coach Matt Page said.
Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Page said his team had to go away from the defensive style they prefer to play.
“It changed our whole game plan when they got two like that,” Page said of the early goals and the key save by Leyva. “When you don’t get one in the first half ... you have to push the envelope a little bit.”
However, that strategy only gave Pollard more space to run and dribble past defenders in the left wing.
Pollard scored his first goal by finishing a ball in the left side of the box in the 62nd minute and ended the scoring with a goal from the right side of the box in the 80th minute. He nearly added a third goal in stoppage time, but it was stopped by the Greenbrier keeper.
“Good, hard-fought game,” Page said. “They deserved to win.”
Siloam Springs finished with 22 shots, while Greenbrier keeper Austin Fischer had 10 saves. Greenbrier had 18 shots, and Leyva finished with nine saves.
Siloam Springs will face Hot Springs Lakeside in the state championship game next Saturday in Fayetteville. Lakeside defeated Harrison 1-0 in overtime in Saturday’s other semifinal.