Springdale shuts down league-leading Fayetteville

BOYS SOCCER SPRINGDALE 2, FAYETTEVILLE 0

FAYETTEVILLE — Springdale’s boys appear to be peaking with postseason approaching, which is bad news for any team intent on dethroning the defending state champions.

Seniors Edwin Lara and Mike Solis scored goals in each half as Springdale defeated Fayetteville 2-0 Friday in 6A-West Conference action at Harmon Field. Fayetteville (9-2-1) still leads the 6A-West Conference standings, but Springdale (7-2-3) has closed the gap while losing only once in its past six games.

“We’re more of a secondhalf team, the second time around, as we like to call it,” Solis said of the Red Bulldogs, who lost 2-1 to Fayetteville in an earlier conference match. “Everybody’s feeling more confident and we’re connecting more as a team.”

The chemistry will have to continue on Tuesday when Springdale faces Bentonville at home.

Springdale took a 1-0 lead over Fayetteville on a goal by Lara with 23 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first half. Johnny Rodriguez assisted on the play and Lara directed the ball into the net with his shoulder to put Springdale ahead after 40 minutes.

Springdale increased its lead to 2-0 on an outstanding play by Solis about six minutes into the second half. Fayetteville goalkeeper Edgar Torres stopped a long through kick, but Solis pounced on the loose ball and drilled a kick past Torres from about 20 yards away.

Solis and his teammates rushed to midfield and pointed toward a vocal group of fans, who made the trip from Springdale to support their team. The group counted down the final seconds and shouted “Springdale, Springdale” at the conclusion of the match.

“It was an intense game the first time we played (Fayetteville) and it could have gone any way,” Springdale coach DJ Beeler said of the first meeting where the referees cleared out fans from the bleachers in the second half of the game. “We wanted to come down here and put our best foot forward and see what happens. I’m really proud of the effort the guys put in.”

Both teams missed scoring chances early Friday, including Chrispe Mumbre, who missed from point-blank range in front of the Springdale net for Fayetteville. Springdale had a couple of chances during one sequence in the second half in front of the Fayetteville goal but Torres finally smothered the ball to end the play.