PARKERSBURG - Freshman Taylor Hunkele pulled off a hat trick and host Parkersburg rolled past visiting Woodrow Wilson in season opening girls soccer action here Friday night at Stadium Field by a 6-1 score.
"Taylor was very composed today as a freshman," said Big Reds head coach Kristen Schreiber, whose squad is tentatively scheduled to return to action at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the road at Capital.
Hunkele scored in the 28th minute from an Allie Roberts assist to give PHS the early advantage. She scored from about 17 yards out on a perfectly placed shot in the back right corner of the net to beat Flying Eagle keeper Emily Lane.
Article Photos
Photo by Jay W. Bennett
Parkersburg’s Kenzie Hickenbottom gets to the ball just before Woodrow Wilson’s Elizabeth Gramling during first half action Friday night in the girls season soccer opener for both teams.
Dani McCay was credited with an assist in the 30th minute of action as Roberts found the back of the net from 25 yards out on a goal which just went below the crossbar.
Woodrow Wilson, which plays at 12:30 p.m. today in Ripley, trailed 2-0 at intermission and didn't score until the 77th minute for the final tally of the contest when Rebekah Cook blistered a goal past Big Red keeper Taylor Beckley via a Kaylee Hilliard assist.
PHS wasted little time making it 3-0 after halftime. Kailey Cox worked the ball down the sideline and then made a centering pass that Halie Hill got a true foot on and scored. Shortly before that goal, WWHS had a direct kick from the PHS 9, but Sarah Akers' hard shot was defended and cleared by Big Red Lauren Rinehart.
Fact Box
Parkersburg girls 6, Woodrow Wilson 1
WWHS (0-1) 0 1 - 1
PHS (1-0) 2 4 - 6
PHS: Taylor Hunkele (assist Allie Roberts) 12:32, 1st
PHS: Roberts (assist Dani McCay) 10:36, 1st
PHS: Halie Hill (assist Kailey Cox) 36:45, 2nd
PHS: Hunkele (assist McCay) 22:59, 2nd
PHS: Hunkele (assist McCay) 17:47, 2nd
PHS: Lauren Taylor (unassisted) 17:00, 2nd
WW: Rebekah Cook (assist Kaylee Hilliard) 3:20, 2nd
Shots on goal: WW 4, PHS 16
Corner kicks: WW 1, PHS 6
Keeper saves: WW 10 (Emily Lane), PHS 3 (Taylor Beckley)
JV match (one half): PHS 1, WWHS 0; JV goal: Gabby Smarr
Next matches: Woodrow Wilson at Ripley 12:30 p.m. today; Parkersburg at Capital 6:30 p.m. Thursday (could be moved).
Parkersburg boys 2, Fairmont Senior 1
PHS (1-0-0) 0 2 -2
Fairmont Senior 0 0 -0
PHS: Nick Payne, 52nd minute
FS: Grant Holbert, 68th minute
PHS: Zac Wilcoxen, 72nd minute
Shots on goal: PHS 14, Fairmont Senior 5. Keeper saves: PHS (Reid Strobl) 16; Fairmont Senior (Matt Bartrug) 11. Corner kicks: PHS 2, Fairmont Senior 3
Next game: Wheeling Park at Parkersburg, noon (JV) and 2 p.m. (varsity), today
Hunkele put the hosts ahead 4-0 when she tallied another goal just one second into the 58th minute from another McCay pass.
Later, Big Red Kenzie Hickenbottom tracked down the ball following a corner kick and got the offensive attack started when she made a pass to McCay. Once again, Hunkele got in position to score and this time when she was in the box and got the ball she used a soft chip shot to beat Lane in the top right portion of the net. Less than a minute later, Lauren Taylor booted home a rebound for the 6-0 lead.
"We did well tonight," coach Schreiber added. "We did the little things better than we did in the preseason.
"We pressed the ball defensively and they turned the ball over a lot and that was because of our pressure."
