Tigers Maintain Composure, Salvage 2-2 Soccer Tie

— Things got downright testy during the second half of Prairie Grove’s boys soccer match versus Dardanelle on Tuesday, March 30, with one coach ejected and another thankful for officials maintaining order.

“I’m not sure what was happening, but I think the referees kept everything in line tonight and I appreciate that,” said Prairie Grove coach Kristen Walker. “The referees did an amazing job of just keeping it all contained on both sides. It got a little heated, but they all got back in their mode and they played hard.”

The match ended in a 2-2 tie, but the outcome played out like a moral victory for Prairie Grove, thanks to a late goal by Eric Rojos-Hernandez with 2:22 remaining in the second half.

“It’s a huge achievement because I feel like our guys came out and possessed and passed and kept their shape,” Kristen Walker said. “And they really talked. It’s the most that they’ve done this and this is what they want to play. They said, ‘This is the way we want to play the rest of the season,’ so I think it was a victory just the way they were playing, and then to come back and to not have that loss and to have that tie, they were all very happy.”

On the opposite sideline, Dardanelle, which played well on the field, couldn’t seem to shake a heightened sensitivity that led to their coaches and fans vigorously questioning several rulings aloud.

Earlier Dardanelle coach Bryan Hardaway vocalized a perception echoed by fans seated behind the Sandlizard bench alleging officials were misinterpreting game action, hurting his team’s chances to compete. When he persisted, he was given a yellow card warning, then a red card ejecting him from the sideline and Prairie Grove’s Tiger Den Stadium with 21:56 remaining in the second half.

There was delay while Hardaway took his time leaving the stadium and 24 seconds after action resumed, Isias Rivera, a Dardanelle junior forward, got whistled for a hard foul in the form of a hockey body check. Players from both teams kept their composure beyond that, but Dardanelle fans worked themselves into a frenzy.

Eight minutes prior to Hardaway’s ejection, junior forward Erik Romero’s goal gave the Sandlizards a 2-1 lead at the 30:13 mark. The Sandlizards stymied the Tigers for 37:38 of the second half, successfully defending shots on goal at several intervals, long penalty kicks and at least two Prairie Grove corner kicks.

Yet, the Tigers persisted, keeping the pressure on, and Dardanelle felt the heat.

Kennan Davis’ boot went high over the goal with 17:31 on the clock.

Nick Shrum missed from 10 yards away at the 14: 13 mark.

Rojos-Hernandez got off a shot that went wide left from about 15 yards out with 7:46 showing and the Sandlizards’ goalkeeper made a save following a corner kick with 5:46 to go.

Dardanelle fans erupted when the Sandlizards were called for offsides with 3:19 left — rendering their players on the field vulnerable through expressing negative energy and Prairie Grove capitalized.

Rojos-Hernandez found an opening in the congested box and punched the ball into the goal — barely. The Sandlizards were quick to kick it back out and tried to carry on a charade while Prairie Grove players celebrated.

The Sandlizards immediately cleared the ball, keeping it in motion, and tried to pretend the goal didn’t happen.

“They were yelling, then the sideline ref finally called it. He raised the flag and called it that it went past the line,” said senior Kade Walker, son of coach Kristen Walker. “It was clear that it went past the line so it was awesome.”

Fans got confused momentarily as a few seconds elapsed before the sideline official indicated the goal.

“Well, they called the goal late. As soon as it went in everyone just raises their hands and just screams. It was the best feeling,” said Kade Walker.

The match was tied 1-1 at halftime. Prairie Grove scored off a corner kick at the 20:17 mark and Dardanelle answered with Rivera, a big body, using his size advantage in the box to even the score with 10:25 to play in the first half.