PHS soccer teams advance to regional finals Thursday

By MATT LOCKE. Sports Writer

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

PARKERSBURG — The Parkersburg High School boys and girls soccer teams will be joining each other in the regional finals for the second year in a row after claiming shutout victories in rain-soaked semifinals at Stadium Field on Tuesday.

The Big Red girls team (19-1-2) defeated Cabell Midland (10-8-2) by scoring four second-half goals while the boys (19-2-2) scored one goal per half against Huntington (12-8).

Parkersburg 2,

Huntington 0

After Huntington defeated top-ranked Huntington St. Joseph in the sectional final, the Big Reds weren’t allowing thoughts from their early season 7-1 victory over the Highlanders to create illusions of a repeat blowout.

Knocking off top-ranked St. Joe is one thing, but knocking off the defending two-time state champion Big Reds on their home turf proved to be a tough task on Tuesday evening.

As each team adjusted to the wet ball, the first half took a while to get moving. Parkersburg began attacking the net eight minutes in, testing Huntington goalie Chris Owens’ ability to handle a slippery ball.

When Michael Pitrolo fired a shot at the right post and slid through the hands of Willis, the Big Reds saw the light. Though Pitrolo’s shot resulted in a corner kick, the game’s first goal was eerily similar to Pitrolo’s shot.

After 14 minutes of play, Cody Brown placed the ball in a prime location for the right foot of Ryan Grant. Grant’s shot slid through Willis’ hands and tumbled into the goal for the Big Reds’ sole first-half score.

Instead of backing down, the Highlanders stepped up their attack, pressuring Tim Stephens and a host of PHS defenders. The Highlanders secured four corner kicks, nearly scoring on two attempts before the buzzer sounded in the first half.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Evan McGee’s heel pass went directly to German foreign exchange student Kevin Wydri. Wydri made one move to dart past the Highlander defenders before a left-footed rocket scorched the upper left corner of the net.

The difference in the match was the Big Reds’ midfield attack. The Big Reds were winning balls at midfield and preventing the Highlanders from making a turn. On the flipside, the same players were weaving passes downfield and pressuring the goal behind the front line.

The Big Reds’ win sets up Thursday night’s match against Hurricane, who the Big Reds defeated twice in the regular season. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Huntington High School.