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Big Reds, Patriots tie after each side makes a penalty kick

By Jay W. Bennett 6 min read

PARKERSBURG -- Following a scoreless first half during Thursday's Mountain State Athletic Conference rivalry matchup at Stadium Field, Parkersburg struck first with a penalty kick and then allowed one exactly 11 minutes later as Parkersburg South went back across the Little Kanawha River with a 1-1 draw.

PHS head coach Jarric Hoskins' program, which entertains Spring Valley at 11 a.m. Saturday, slipped to 6-2-2, while the Patriots are now 6-3-2 with a 6 p.m. match set for Tuesday at Warren.

"It's always going to be the heated rivalry and both teams are going to bring some intensity, and both teams did just that," said Patriot head man Ron Bucholtz. "I was pleased with our performance throughout with the intensity. First half, they applied some pressure and they forced us to turn the ball over a few times. Unfortunately, we've been doing that a few too many times all season. We've been having a bad habit of starting slow in our first halves.

"Some of that is the play and the pressure from the other team. Some of that, I don't know. We just don't seem to get the passes connected and the first touch gets away from us sometimes, but we didn't really change a whole lot for the second half. We just tried to shore up some things we were doing defensively and with our touches and the passing, and try to get some better, more aggressive runs across the field out of the wings."

The Big Reds had a pair of shots on goal from Hailey Warman in the first half along with one by Malaya Bowling, but South keeper Shelby Battin, who was filling in for Alivia Goff, saved all three.

However, following a foul in the box with 14 seconds left in the 55th minute it was Warman's chance once again to put the hosts on the scoreboard. The Big Red senior sent a high shot just to the left of the center of the goal to beat Battin for her 11th tally of the season.

PSHS, which had both of its corner kicks in the second half while the Big Reds had five in the first half, got its first in the 66th minute. Averee Cross sent the ball toward the goal, but Big Red keeper Addi Mosso managed to punch it out of harm's way.

Unfortunately for the Big Reds, they were called for a foul via a trip in the box and that gave Patriot senior Marie Silvis an opportunity to square it with 14 ticks remaining in the 66th. Silvis had previously made a run in the 61st minute and got the ball ahead to freshman younger sister Gwen, but Mosso was able to make a tough save. On the PK, though, Marie Silvis hit a low grounder that went inside the left post and just out of the reach of a diving Mosso save attempt for her sixth goal of the year.

"Similar to last year. It was 0-0. Actually, the last three years have been ties," admitted Hoskins. "I guess Ron and I are just too stubborn. I mean we had a lot of opportunities tonight. When we played calm we had control of the game. When we played rushed, frantic, we did not. Even after giving up the PK, we had a couple of really good looks at the goal. I think if we calm down a little bit we maybe put it on frame a little better, but we did well to draw the PK.

"I thought that was a true call there and did good to put it away. Even after that with some momentum we still had a couple good looks. We just at times needed to play a little more relaxed and it's hard with this game. It's hard to control the emotions and you got to credit both teams. Both teams played at a high level tonight. Both teams tried to fight with their own emotions, so you got to credit both teams. I would love to have this game back, but it is what it is."

Parkersburg's only other shot on goal in the second half came off the foot of Faithlyn Butcher, whose laser in the 74th minute was gobbled up by Byrd, who finished with a quartet of saves.

The Patriots also had a high floating shot by Averee Cross in the 74th minute, but Mosso was able to corral it for her fifth and final save.

PSHS had an opportunity in the 77th minute, but a Berkley Elschlager pass to Gwen Silvis resulted in a shot just wide and the visitors also couldn't convert in the same minute of a corner by Cate McLain.

With just seven seconds remaining, Marie Silvis had a shot to win it after a foul, but her free kick from 26 yards out sailed high. Just prior to that, Marie Silvis put a cross into the box, but Big Red Layla Hill was able to clear it.

"I was really pleased. The girls picked it up," Bucholtz added. "Maybe this field just slopes downhill toward the scoreboard. Obviously they had the better of the play in the first half and I think overall we probably had the better play in the second half. I was really pleased with our overall performance getting a positive result. We had a good chance at the end there with a free kick. We got to make sure we get those things on frame.

"If it's not on frame we have no chance. I mean Marie is a weapon with that cannon. We just got to fine-tune the sites on that thing, but very pleased. We still got to shore some things up, both on the defensive side and the offensive third because we can get the ball down the field on some teams, but we just kind of lose our way in the final third, but that's the hardest place because that's where the defense is thickest."

At Stadium Field

PHS 1, South 1

South (6-3-2) 0 1 – 1

PHS (6-2-2) 0 1 – 1

PHS: Hailey Warman, penalty kick, 55th minute

South: Marie Silvis, penalty kick, 66th minute

Team stats

Shots on goal: South 6, PHS 5; Corner kicks: South 2, PHS 5; Keeper saves: South 4 (Shelby Battin), PHS 5 (Addi Mosso)

Next matches: Parkersburg South at Warren, 6 p.m. Tuesday; Parkersburg at Spring Valley, 11 a.m. Saturday.

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