With a 1-0 win over Searcy on Saturday in the Class 6A state championship game, the Siloam Springs Lady Panthers successfully defended their state championship.
"We have no one to thank but God for that one," said sophomore forward Maycee Lance, who scored the game's only goal. "He's blessed us with the talent and the team and wonderful girls."
The Lady Panthers finished the season with a 14-4 record and won nine of their final 10 matches of the season, including their final three matches of the season. The only blemish in that span was a 2-0 loss to 7A power Mount St. Mary on May 8 in a nonconference match.
The 14 wins matches last season's win total for the Lady Panthers.
Hutto MVP
Freshman forward Megan Hutto was named the state tournament's most valuable player after scoring five goals in the state tournament in Searcy and recording an assist on Lance's goal in the state finals.
"It's really exciting," Hutto said Saturday just moments after being presented her MVP plaque. "I just try to do my best out there ... 110 percent."
Hutto began the season on the defensive side of the ball for the Lady Panthers, but she moved into the attack after Khenli Harp went down with a knee injury in mid-April.
"Wherever they tell me to go, I'll go," Hutto said. "I'm pretty versatile. If they put me on defense, I think I could change pretty good."
Season of streaks
For nearly the whole month of April, the Siloam Springs boys soccer team could not be beat.
After tying Harrison on April 1, the Panthers reeled off eight wins in a row after an 0-3-1 start.
Siloam Springs lost at Greenwood 3-2 on May 1 to break the streak and then fell 3-2 to Russellville on May 5 before losing 8-0 to Little Rock Catholic at home on May 8.
The Panthers seemed to find their second wind in the state tournament, defeating Mountain Home 3-1 and Jonesboro 6-2 before falling Saturday 2-1 against Russellville in the Class 6A state finals.
"I think we didn't lose a game for 30 days and then we kind of wore down a bit," said Siloam Springs soccer coach Chuck Jones. "When we wore down, we had a three-game stretch where we didn't play our best soccer. But we regrouped in practice and got ourselves refocused. We had a great run in the state tournament and came up just short."
Jones said the Panthers (10-7-1) left everything on the field.
"The boys believed we could win," he said. "Every game they played with their heart this season. They just laid it all on the line out there. Again, I can't ask for anything more than that."
Sports on 05/27/2015