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Special season in the making

PARKERSBURG – For those as yet unacquainted with this year’s Parkersburg South girls’ soccer team, it appears something special may be brewing at Erickson Field. Coach Ron Bucholtz’ young squad is developing defensive solidity and a thoughtful, constructive attacking style which bodes very well for the future on South Side.

Last Tuesday’s impressive win over a very good Wheeling Park team, ranked third in the state in Class AAA, was indicative of the achievements which may be to come. In an exciting match between two creative, accomplished sides, the Lady Patriots conjured up a pair of late Aiyana Lauderman goals to win 2-0. Since then, they have recorded emphatic 7-1 and 8-0 victories over Weir and Brooke to improve their mark to 7-1-1 on the season.

Lauderman has been the headline player thus far. The junior striker has scored 16 goals in nine games this season; a superb strike rate. Her speed, solid control, and ability to make things happen in tight spaces around the box make it likely that this will continue.

Sophomore right-winger Audrie Leasure has been a revelation in attack. Her exemplary off-the-ball running, eye for space and keen vision have opened up the flanks against every defense she has faced, leading to the accumulation thus far of four goals and eight assists. She also has a silky touch in possession and an impressive range of passing, from playing precise short passes into space while running at high speed, to lofted 40-yard balls out of defense which land on a dime to pick out forward-racing runners. Her cultured right foot also provides a constant danger on set pieces, delivering well-struck corners and free kicks.

Down the left side, hard-working sophomore winger Riley Pigott has caused defenses trouble with her determined runs into the box, and fellow sophomore left-back Charley Taylor is a rapidly improving player who produced a very assured defensive display against Wheeling Park.

Yet another sophomore, defender Jordan Huffman, has surely put her name in the early all-state running, getting forward to collect five goals and four assists from right-back while serving as a member of a back-four which has conceded only seven goals in nine games.

The stingy defending begins with the solid center-back pairing of senior Kaileigh Husk and sophomore Kathryn Bowers, who look to be developing a very good partnership. Both have been tight in thwarting opposition breakaway attempts, and have provided tough shot-blocks and clearances in their own box. Bowers is also showing a talent for knowing the right times to charge forward and join the attack.

On the rare occasions of the defense’s being breached, keeper Sophia Miller has made a habit of fine saves. Miller has kept five clean sheets in nine opportunities, and some sharp second half stops which kept the fluent Wheeling Park attack off the scoresheet a week ago were indicative of her abilities.

The emergence of Bowers at center-back has allowed Bucholtz the enviable option of moving senior Cassie Whitlatch, a WV player-of-the-year candidate last year, into central midfield, and she is forming a partnership with Audrie’s twin sister Callie Leasure which makes the Lady Patriots difficult to play through in the middle of the park. Both display their prior experience as defenders in breaking up play, and both have gotten forward well to aid in the team’s fluid attacking movement; Whitlatch co-leads the team with Audrie Leasure with eight assists.

It is this movement which provides the soccer purist with great pleasure. Building patiently from the back, the Lady Patriots have averaged over four and 1/2 goals-per-game, and they have the capacity to score beautiful team goals. Four of the five they put past a well-organized Ripley defense were examples of precise passing and incisive movement which would draw applause from connoisseurs at grounds worldwide.

The team is also blessed with versatile players, whose comfort in different positions allows Bucholtz to vary the personnel in his orthodox 4-4-2 formation into an array of different looks. Whitlatch and Callie Leasure can drop back into defense, Huffman sometimes moves forward to center-midfield, and Audrie Leasure can swap wings to the left, and is occasionally deployed in a striker’s position.

With the team’s combination of youth, skill, flexibility and soccer intelligence, it would appear South has the makings of an era of high achievement at hand. For all committed fans of the beautiful game, watching their progress is highly recommended by your “football-mad” correspondent. (I try not to speak British too often…)

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