After a messy early tune-up, the Greenwood Lady Bulldogs’ soccer team seems to have found their footing. The GHS girls dropped a benefit match to Maumelle, 7-0, on February 24th while missing some key pieces of their lineup and playing without a true goalkeeper, but the results that count were much different. They began regular season play this week with a pair of victories, a 7-0 home win over Cossatot River on Monday and a 5-2 road triumph at Mena on Tuesday to open 2-0 in official play.

Head coach Andrew Post says the biggest early takeaway isn’t the scorelines – it’s the comfort level. According to Post, his team is breaking in new faces in new roles, especially through the midfield and along a reworked back line, but the Lady Bulldogs are already showing results on offense. The squad is anchored by the proven senior trio of Mariah Bartok and Farrah Crossno driving the attack, and Trinity Spicer returning in goal for her final season.

That senior backbone matters even more with conference play arriving quickly with their first league contest next Tuesday at Van Buren then at Harrison next Friday. Greenwood will again compete in what Coach Post calls a “gauntlet” in league play – a schedule where every week carries playoff weight. The Lady Bulldogs finished 6-8-2 last season and placed sixth, falling short of a playoff berth. The GHS girls last reached the postseason three years ago.

The early scoring has come from familiar names and some emerging ones. In Monday’s 7-0 victory over Cossatot River at Smith-Robinson Stadium, Greenwood’s goals were divided between Mariah Bartok, Farah Crossno, Caroline Hardy, Hannah Simpson, and Chelsea Wells. In their 5-2 win against Mena the GHS goals were netted by the trio of Crossno, Bartok, and Simpson.

Post noted that Bartok and Crossno have been “putting goals in the back of the net early,” while younger players are starting to score as well, particularly sophomore Hannah Simpson and freshman Chelsea Wells, two attacking midfield options Coach Post expects to keep growing as the pace of varsity play becomes more normal to them.

Freshman Chelsea Wells and sophomore Hannah Simpson have already stepped into attacking midfield roles and made immediate contributions. Wells brings strong technical ability from club soccer, while Simpson’s physical style and strong shot have helped spark the early offense. “Chelsea is really good with the ball,” Post said.

“She’s learning to play faster at the varsity level, but she’s adjusting well.” Simpson has been equally impressive. “She’s got a powerful leg and plays really physical,” Post said. “She protects the ball well and she’s already scored more goals in two games than she had all last season.” Another freshman making an early impact is Caroline Hardy, who has started the first three matches of the season and shown versatility playing both forward and midfield. “She’s really surprised me,” Post said. “She’s transitioned very easily into varsity minutes.”

But Greenwood’s growth area is clear as well. The team’s defense is learning on the job after graduating key pieces from last season. Juniors Kiera Johnson and Laylah Kappler are taking on more responsibilities and sophomore Ayrie De La Rosa is adapting to an aggressive right back role that adds another attacker in possession.

Kappler has moved into a central defensive role and brings a physical style to the back line. She is joined by Kiera Johnson, who is also adapting to a new role at center back. On the outside, De La Rosa has impressed at right back, providing defensive coverage while pushing forward to help create offensive opportunities. “She likes to get forward on that right side,” Post said. “That gives us another attacker.”

While the unit is still developing much-needed chemistry, the head coach believes the group will continue improving as the season progresses. “We lost some solid players on defense last year,” acknowledged Post. “These girls are learning new roles, but they’re getting better with every game.”

So, if Greenwood is going to enter the postseason conversation, the formula is straightforward: keep stacking points against the “must-win” portion of the schedule, then steal results against the league’s top tier teams. Post knows exactly what that requires – toughness, discipline, and a team identity that travels. Early returns suggest Greenwood has the pieces, and the urgency, to build that identity quickly.

Offensive leaders Mariah Bartok, Farrah Crossno, and goalkeeper Trinity Spicer comprises the entire senior class for Greenwood, a small but impactful trio. The junior group brings much of the roster’s two-way depth, including Haley Curran, Halle Fox, Kaylee Greer, Kenzie Hitchcock, Mazee Hurt, Kiera Johnson, and Laylah Kappler. The sophomore class is where a lot of the season’s “new roles” live, including Ayrie De La Rosa, Bella Farmer, Lillyan Foster, Lylla Gatesman, Michelle Gonzalez, Rylin Hendrickson, Addibelle Holloway, Lyla Lorera, Emma Moore, Hannah Simpson, Anna Spicer, and Presley Zimmerman. Finally, the freshmen group includes Alainah Alldredge, Caroline Hardy, Lorelai Parker, Paisley Pogue, and Chelsea Wells – with Wells and Hardy already highlighted by Post as early contributors.

Greenwood’s early victories provide momentum, but the true challenge lies ahead. The Lady Bulldogs compete in what Post considers one of the toughest conferences in Class 5A, featuring perennial contenders such as Russellville, Siloam Springs and Shiloh Christian. “We’re dealing with some of the best players in all of 5A every week,” said Post. Besides those three teams and Greenwood, other league members include Farmington, Van Buren, Harrison, Alma, and Mountain Home.

That means Greenwood’s path to the postseason will likely come down to consistency. “We’ve got to beat the teams we should beat and then find a way to get a win against one of the top teams,” suggested the coach. “Every week becomes important.” The Lady Bulldogs hope their combination of senior leadership and emerging young talent can keep them competitive in conference play and push them back into the postseason picture for the first time since 2023.