FAYETTEVILLE — Bryant girls soccer coach Julie Long thought her East All-Stars might be the underdog if their lack of intensity from last Monday’s practice carried into Tuesday’s game It didn’t.

The East girls dominated the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game, outshooting the West 23-3 on the way to a 4-0 victory at Razorback Field.

“I told them they’d have to come out and fight,” Long said. “I don’t feel like there was a minute when one of them let down. They pushed and pushed and pushed and took care of business.”

The West never threatened offensively, getting off a harmless shot in the opening minutes and didn’t have another shot until late in the game.

“The kids worked hard,” West and Fayetteville coach Gena McGee said. “Really that’s all you can ask outof a bunch of kids who are thrown together from across the state. It’s difficult to do that.

“The East team was very talented. I think that helped them out a little bit.”

The East had several scoring chances in the first half, and Kendra Hendrix of Little Rock Central - the game’s Most Valuable Player - finally opened the scoring.

Hendrix took a pass from Cabot’s Callie Anderson and side-stepped Siloam Springs goalie LydnseyCzapansky before tapping home the goal in the 30th minute. Hendrix also had an assist, finding Searcy’s McKenzie Clark with a crossing pass.

She also spent part of the game stopping a couple West drives on defense.

“She’s a phenomenal player,” Long said. “That’s what a great player will do, find ways to make it work and help the team.”

Ashley Barksdale of Mount Saint Mary and Andrea Hasik of Paragould also scored for the East.

Sports, Pages 10 on 06/30/2010