CONWAY — The Conway Wampus Cats were awarded a penalty kick with 30 seconds left in[more] their 7A/6A-Central Conference soccer match against the Bryant Hornets Friday night. And they got the kick in the net to snap a 2-2 tie the upended the Hornets, 3-2.
The play that drew the PK was vehemently protested by head coach Jason Hay but to no avail. The result leaves the Hornets and Wampus Cats tied in the league standings at 2-3.
“That’s part of it,” Hay said later. “You can’t do anything about the refs. We shouldn’t have been in that spot to begin with.”
The Hornets had taken a 1-0 lead early in the contest.
“Chase Stuart took one in and just poked it in and got us up 1-0,” Hay related.
The Wampus Cats tied it on a long shot from about 25 yards out then Bryant’s second goal came off a free kick.
“Bryce Denker took it. They left Petey (Alverio) uncovered on the wing. Denker slotted out to the wing then he crossed in and Alex Rowlan headed it in for the goal,” Hay described.
That made it 2-1 at the half.
Conway tied it back up about midway through the second half and as time ran down it looked like the two rivals were headed to a shootout. But the disputed penalty kick won it in regulation.
“The first half, we played pretty good,” Hay commented. “The second half, we didn’t play as good. We started playing kickball, not playing the ball on the ground and it cost us.
“Conway’s a good team and they got us,” he allowed. “They’ve still got to come to our place so we’ll get another shot at them.”
In the JV game, the two teams battled to a scoreless tie.
The Bryant varsity is now 7-3 overall this season. They return to action Tuesday, April 10, at home against Cabot.
