PARKERSBURG - Down two goals with 31:14 to play, Parkersburg South rallied for two goals - the second with just 2:08 left - to earn a 3-3 boys soccer tie with visiting Wheeling Park Tuesday evening at the Erickson All-Sports Facility.
South, now 2-1-1, scored first at 19:07 of the first half, but Park (0-2-2) notched the next three goals to go up 3-1.
Less than a minute later though, Dillon Dowler brought South, getting a kick off from a scrum about 20 yards in front of the goal into the right side of the net.
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Parkersburg South's Vincent Scalise runs jubliantly down the field after scoring the tying goal late in the game Tuesday against Wheeling Park.
The two keepers then swapped nice saves, Park's Stephan Schlegal on a point-blank shot on goal at the 19:03 mark of the second half and South's Lincoln Morgan picking off a line drive corner kick right in front of the goal with 10:08 remaining.
But with 2:08 to go, South's Vincent Scalise was in the right place at the right time to get the tying goal. Isaac Boles, who had South's first goal, banged a long shot from the right off the left-side goalpost that ricocheted back out to Scalise in perfect position to put the ball in the net.
''They never quit, that's what counts,'' said South head coach Ed Ayers of his players. ''Wheeling Park's always a good team. You've got to play them at your top. I'm proud of our boys; they played very well tonight.''
Even down 3-1, Ayers said he ''knew we'd get some more chances. If we kept moving the ball and bringing it in, it was going to happen sooner or later. So that's all we keep asking of them, not to give up.''
Boles got South on the board first on a throw-in from the left side from 10 yards out. The throw, that went all the way in to the front of the goal, deflected off the outstretched hands of leaping Park goalie Ryan Seidewitz up and over his head, falling behind him and rolling into the net.
Then came goals in succession for Park on Eric Bonar's penalty kick at 7:48, Ronnell Davis taking a lead pass and booting the ball home at 5:31 for a 2-1 halftime lead and Bonar again scoring, this time on a free kick from the 15 at 31:14 for the two-goal margin.
