PARKERSBURG - Allie Roberts and Taylor Hunkele scored first-half goals, then Halie Hill got a key goal in the second half for Parkersburg High after Brooke had closed the deficit to 2-1 as the Big Red girls downed the visiting Bruins 3-1 Tuesday night in a Class AAA sectional soccer tournament semifinal at Stadium Field.
No. 2 seed PHS, now 12-5-2, will play in the sectional finals at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at No. 1 seed Wheeling Park, a shootout winner over Parkersburg South on Tuesday.
At PHS Tuesday, there were no real scoring threats through almost the first 10 minutes of play, and the Big Reds didn't have their first shot on goal until the 22:11 mark of the first half.
Article Photos
Parkersburg's Allie Roberts dribbles past Brooke's Mekenzie DeFranco during Tuesday's sectional tournament game at Stadium Field. (Photo by Jeff Baughan)
But Roberts lit up the scoreboard for PHS eight minutes later at 14:30, kicking the ball in from straight-away out front, off an assist from Abby Johnson, for a 1-0 lead.
Then at 5:21 of the first half, Connie Chefren got the ball ahead to Hunkele, coming in all alone on the left and she booted it into the far side of the net, upping the Big Reds' lead to 2-0 at halftime.
No. 3 seed Brooke, though, cut the score in half on a goal by Cheyenne Hudson at 33:50 of the second half before Hill responded with her clutch goal less than two minutes later.
Hill lofted a shot from between the 15 and 20-yard lines on the right side. Brooke (12-7-2) keeper Marena Cline jumped up to try and get to the looping shot, but the ball bounced off her hands, went up and over her head, and dropped down behind her into the goal with 32:16 to play.
''Halie's goal really changed the momentum back to us,'' said PHS head coach Kristen Schreiber. ''That goal was big. Anytime your season's on the line, a two-goal lead - as they say - is the worst in the game of soccer.''
Schreiber ''didn't feel like we came out really ready to play. We weren't passing the ball well. Our first touches were awful. But as the first half went on, we started doing things better. The second half, we came out pretty well and pulled out the win.''
Wheeling Park Wins Shootout Over Parkersburg South
WHEELING -Wheeling Park and Parkersburg South battled though regulation play and four overtimes without either team scoring a goal here Tuesday night, thus the outcome was decided by a shootout.
In the shootout, Park scored four times and South three, thus No. 1 seed Wheeling Park (10-5-2) was awarded the victory and will host No. 2 Parkersburg for the sectional title on Tuesday.
South goalkeeper Alexis Skinner was outstanding in the net, turning back 14 Wheeling Park shots.
