Hot Springs' boys soccer team went 0-2 this week against a pair of two-time defending state champions.
Following Monday's 3-1 loss at 5A-South rival De Queen, the Trojans had their senior night spoiled Thursday with a 5-0 loss to 6A Russellville at Reese Memorial Stadium.
"Regardless of scoreline tonight, I think that was the best we've moved the ball in weeks," Hot Springs coach Cory Sturdivant said. "I didn't track the possession tonight, but I'd be willing to say we were a little bit ahead or even at the least. We moved the ball tremendously, and if we will take that good thing and channel it into (Tuesday's) game at Hope, I feel like this game would be great preparation for state."
Thursday's game basically came down to one team making its chances and the other not. The Cyclones (14-5-2) tallied in the 15th minute when a through ball from Chris Alvareng set free Nate Turner.
Not long after the initial goal, Hot Springs striker Erick Guadron, the state's top scorer, got free on a break but pushed his shot wide left. The Trojans (11-5) had 12 shots but only two were on target, and all five in the first half were off the mark.
Russellville then made three plays that seemingly put the game out of reach. The first came in the final minute of the first half when Cristian Martinez hit a ball over the top to Turner, who scored to make it 2-0 at halftime.
"It was just one of those nights where the floodgates opened," Russellville coach Jared Fuller said. "Some of those nights, you have all those opportunities and you don't make any of them. That's why you work on finishing them all the time. That was a huge confidence booster for them going into two big conference games to end the season. We go to Greenwood and Siloam (Springs). That's our 6A competition right there."
In the 50th minute, Hot Springs received a penalty kick for a hand ball in the box, but Guadron, who missed high in a shootout April 19 against Lakeside, had his shot saved by goalkeeper Caleb Ball. The Cyclones then scrambled to make sure Guadron couldn't put in the rebound.
"You'd think he'd have banked that one in, especially after his miss over at Lakeside," Sturdivant said. "But they have a good keeper, and he played it to a spot where the keeper could get his hands on it. Not only did he get his hands on it, he didn't give us a chance at a rebound. It definitely took a little wind out of our sails, but I feel like a few minutes after that, we got our hustle and our step back."
In the 59th minute, Russellville made the Trojans pay for not putting away their chances, Alvareng springing Blaine Meyers for a breakaway and 3-0.
The Cyclones gave Hot Springs a glimmer of hope when Cole Skelton argued with the referee enough for two yellow cards, equaling a red, in the 61st minute, but they simply locked down on defense the rest of the way. They also got two goals from Jonathan Meyers while playing a man down, scoring from younger brother Blaine Meyers in the 67th and from Angel Perez in the 69th.
"It was about responding all night, not just after the red card," Fuller said. "We got beat by Van Buren, who we beat earlier as a conference match. That kind of made us take a look at ourselves and think we can't be getting worse heading into the playoffs. It was a gut check. We talked about how much running we were going to do if we lost this one. I think it was great that we not only won but didn't allow a goal."
Sports on 04/30/2016