SPRINGDALE -- Springdale High senior Chela Razo scored twice and Jessica Paez added a goal late in the second half to lift coach Donald Beeler's club to a 3-1 win against Shiloh Christian on Tuesday at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium.
Razo's first goal came just 99 seconds into the match and set the tone for the night. Springdale controlled the pace a majority of the match, coming away with a win in its official home opener.
"We were happy to start the game quickly," Beeler said. "We got a player in behind their back four, and she did a really good job of finishing. That was really nice."
Springdale took the 1-0 lead into halftime, but Razo added her second goal of the night midway through the second half to play to put the Lady Red'Dogs up 2-0 and into the driver's seat.
Razo is a player Beeler is hoping can continue her strong play once 7A-West play begins next week against Rogers Heritage. It's only a matter of putting all of the pieces together at the right time, he said.
Jessica Paez tacked on Springdale's final goal of the night with 12 minutes to play, giving the Lady Red'Dogs a 3-0 advantage. Shiloh Christian's Lia Enos then added the Saints' lone goal of the night with under 10 minutes to go.
Springdale's attack was a strong point Tuesday, much to Beeler's liking. The offense was sparked by energetic play in the midfield, he said.
"We transitioned quickly before they were able to get their defense in shape, so that left a lot of channels to play through and allowed us to use some pace up top get some balls in and apply some pressure," Beeler said. "That really kick-started what we wanted to do going forward."
Beeler has tinkered with and adjusted his lineups in all three Springdale matches this season, and he said he is beginning to see different players strive in various roles.
"We've changed it a bit each time to look at something new," he said. "I think there are still some things that will develop over the course of the season, but I think we've defined some roles for some players, and with that I think we can have some success."
Tuesday was a good test for Shiloh Christian, coach David McGee said. The Saints have now faced Vilonia and Springdale and will play Grove, Okla., on Thursday in preparation for conference play. McGee was impressed with Enos' play.
"She's a very good athlete, and she's got some good soccer experience," he said.
Sports on 03/08/2017