It's been a pretty good first half of the season for the Siloam Springs girls soccer team.
The Lady Panthers have rolled out to an 8-2 record overall and have outscored their opponents 42-8 in 10 games.
"Our girls have played pretty good ball," said head coach Brent Crenshaw. "As much as I've challenged them before the season, they've stepped up and are playing pretty well."
The three-time defending Class 6A champions have only been defeated twice to a pair of quality teams -- a 3-0 loss at Owasso, Okla., on March 3, and a 4-3 loss in penalty kicks (1-1 regulation) to Mount Saint Mary on March 10.
The rest of the games have been dominating wins for the most part for the Lady Panthers, aside from a PKs victory of their own against Class 6A Mountain Home, also on March 10.
Junior forward Audrey Maxwell has been on a scoring tear for the Lady Panthers with 16 goals already this season. She also has 10 assists.
Maxwell didn't move into the Lady Panthers' offensive attack until April of last year after spending much of the first part of the year at center midfield.
"Going into this season we knew she would be a forward," Crenshaw said. "It took me half a season last year to figure things out. Now we have an idea of what everybody can do and Audrey, she's a great kid."
Crenshaw said Maxwell has already verbally committed to play college soccer at Rogers State, a Division II school in Claremore, Okla.
Maxwell had a four-goal game in the season-opener against Van Buren on Feb. 28, two more against Van Buren on March 10 and three against Greenwood on march 16.
"She's only going to get better," Crenshaw said. "She works so hard and is extremely coachable."
Junior Megan Hutto is second on the team with 10 goals and tied with Maxwell for the team-lead with 10 assists. Hutto had a three-goal game against Bentonville West on March 7.
Sydney Bomstad, Laura Morales and Meghan Kennedy each have scored four goals, while Brooklyn Buckminster has scored three. Hadley Crenshaw has passed out five assists.
"Meghan Kennedy has played extremely well," Crenshaw said. "She's a different style of player. She's big and physical and covers so well, but she's so smart. She knows what's going to happen 15 seconds ahead, which is hard for kids at that age. She reads the game so well."
Crenshaw said Kennedy has also done a good job of training new center backs Hailey Dorsey and Brittany Pilcher.
Crenshaw said senior goalkeeper Anna Claire Lewis, a Harding signee, has provided solid senior leadership in the Lady Panthers' defense.
"I think AC has done a good job back there in goal communicating," he said. "She's taken that leadership role back there.
The Lady Panthers return to action on Monday at home against Muskogee, Okla. The varsity girls game is scheduled to start around 6 p.m.
The Lady Panthers will then head to Harrison to face the defending 5A champion Lady Goblins on Tuesday for a 5A/6A District 1 game and matchup of state championship teams from last year.
"It'll be my first time to coach against Harrison's girls," Crenshaw said. "I've heard it's tough to play there."
Sports on 03/26/2017