PHS girls fall to top-seeded GW in state semis
Parkersburg’s Layla Hill (9) passes the ball as George Washington’s Reagan Wolfinbarger (18) defends during Wednesday’s Class AAAA state semifinal match in Beckley. (Photo Provided by WVSSAC)
Captains for Parkersburg and George Washington meet with officials prior to Wednesday’s Class AAAA state semifinal match in Beckley. (Photo Provided by WVSSAC)
Parkersburg’s Layla Hill (9) passes the ball as George Washington’s Reagan Wolfinbarger (18) defends during Wednesday’s Class AAAA state semifinal match in Beckley. (Photo Provided by WVSSAC)
Captains for Parkersburg and George Washington meet with officials prior to Wednesday’s Class AAAA state semifinal match in Beckley. (Photo Provided by WVSSAC)
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BECKLEY - The George Washington girls soccer team came out aggressive and did not let up in getting by Parkersburg 4-0 in a Class AAAA semifinal contest at the WVSSAC State Soccer Tournament played at the Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex in Beckley on Wednesday morning.
The Patriots came out of the gate forcing the action and never let up the pressure the entire first half. Midway through the half that pressure paid off as Lexi Blanchard dribbled down the right side and at the 28:24 mark angled a shot into the side of the net for a 1-0 Patriot lead.
Three minutes later freshman Greta Trethewey would angle a shot from 15 yards away into the net from the opposite side to give the Patriots some cushion on the lead. From that point on, George Washington controlled the action. Trethewey and senior Ellie Pray would score again in the second half to build an insurmountable lead for the Big Reds.
"We've practiced that momentum. We've been successful doing the same rhythm, same strategy through the entire season and it worked for us again today," said Patriots coach Ali Sadeghian.
The Patriots (19-1-3) outshot the Big Reds 8-1 for the game. "I feel like our teamwork with everybody in our combinations and our communications helped," said Tretheway. "It's just altogether teamwork."
The teams had met only three weeks ago in the Mountain State Athletic Conference Championship match with GW taking a 1-0 win at Steve Edwards Sr. Field in Charleston. The Patriots came into the tourney having given up only one goal in its last 8 matches.
It seemed as if GW was playing defense on the entire pitch as Parkersburg struggled to get the ball in front of the goal.
"I think realistically a little bit of the moment just got to us in the first half," said Big Reds coach Jarric Hoskins.
On playing the state tournament, Hoskins added "We just had a couple of lapses. I think it’s hard to emulate these moments in practices."
The second half was much the same as the first half. Pray's goal was a penalty shot from inside the box that was set up by the dominance and controlling of the ball by Blanchard in the middle of the pitch. "We all wanted it so bad after what happened last year," said Blanchard. "It was so disappointing. And this year we are going to give it everything we have."
Parkersburg finished the season with a 14-6-3 record that included two wins over last year's state champion Oak Hill.
George Washington, state runner-up two years running, will play the winner of the Washington vs. Wheeling Park match in the Class AAAA championship match on Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex as well.