Parkersburg edges Woodrow Wilson, 1-0
By
Sports Writer
PARKERSBURG— With 3:44 remaining in the first half, Parkersburg High School
midfielder Derik Craft’s game-winning shot started 35
yards out. The shot looked high, but came down just over Woodrow Wilson keeper
William Turner’s hands and found the back of the net.
A strong defensive showing allowed the Big Reds (8-2) to deliver the Flying
Eagles (
“I am just very proud of our kids,” PHS coach Don Fosselman
said. “They proved on the field tonight that they can play with any team in the
state, because Woodrow’s a good team.”
Leading up to the game, Fosselman spoke of pitching a
shutout in Thursday night’s replay of last year’s state championship game. The
Big Red defense did just that. Led by senior stopper Tim Stephens, PHS attacked
the ball and halted several WWHS attacks short of the keeper box.
Of course, the shutout victory wouldn’t have been possible without the heroics
of 2006 all-state keeper Brent McGee in the net. McGee had nine saves in the
game. In the second half, with the Flying Eagles adding pressure, the Big Red
keeper took control.
“Brent McGee came up large, he was tough.” Fosselman
commented. “He makes those difficult saves look so effortless, so easy.
Standing on the sideline, you could hear McGee calling passes and commanding
his team on almost every play. When asked about his vocalism, McGee obliged.
“That’s what every goalkeeper should do because they can see the whole field in
front of them,” McGee continued. “You have to tell people where their man is
and you got to be yelling all of the time.”
The Big Reds played tough all game. While
At times it seemed the PHS offense was making all of the right decisions, then
one pass too many and it went the other way. Each team took four shots on goal
in the first half, but the pressure of the Flying Eagles’ offense resulted in
three corner kicks while the Big Reds had none.
Attacking midfielder Michael Pitrolo helped the Big
Reds move the ball down field in the first half, but following an injury, Pitrolo moved back to a defensive spot where he was equally
effective.
On the offensive end, PHS was led by senior forward Cody Brown. Brown got past
defenders and faced a one-on-one with Turner, but Turner’s sliding save kept
the score knotted at zero with 15 minutes to play in the first.
Woodrow Wilson continued to pressure in the second half firing five shots on
goal and attempting three corner kicks, but the defense held up and McGee kept
his net empty.
PHS looks ahead to a home match against
Contact Matt Locke at mlocke@newsandsentinel.com
Saturday, September 08, 2007