PARKERSBURG - Junior Kaitlyn Miller recorded a hat trick in the first half here Saturday afternoon at the Erickson All-Sports Facility and the Parkersburg South soccer team rolled to a 5-1 victory against visiting Weir.
In the third minute of the contest, Lexi Smith beat Red Rider keeper Nicole Pellegrino for a goal via an assist from teammate Haleigh Miller. In the sixth minute of action, Kaitlyn Miller scored the first of her four goals on the day as Parkersburg South never looked back in racing out to a 4-1 halftime cushion.
"We got her in some better situations to get off some better quality shots and she was finding the target today," said Patriot head coach Ron Bucholtz of Kaitlyn Miller, whose second goal was also assisted by Haleigh Miller.
Article Photos
Photo by Jay W. Bennett
Parkersburg South’s Kaitlyn Miller, who scored four goals in the Patriots 5-1 win versus Weir, watches as Red Rider Jessica Derby gets ready to strike the ball during their match Saturday afternoon at the Erickson All-Sports Facility. Also watching is Weir’s Dominique Gilbert.
"She was a little off on her shots the first couple games. She's been shooting more than anyone else, but finally the goals are starting to come around and the accuracy is better."
Weir, which was playing its first game of the campaign, found itself trailing 3-0 in the 14th minute when Kaitlyn Miller scored an unassisted goal.
Finally, the visitors dented the scoreboard in the 31st minute when Alyssa Shingle got one past Patriot goalie Kirsten Jones, who finished with four saves. That included stopping a penalty kick.
Fact Box
at Stadium Field, Parkersburg
Parkersburg boys 5, Jefferson 3
Jefferson (1-1-2) 3 0 - 3
Parkersburg (4-0) 2 3 - 5
Jeff: Austin Ogden, 34:14, 1st half
Park: Nick Payne, assist Garrett Kruger, 30:05, 1st
Jeff: Brett Stuart, 18:52, 1st
Park: Payne, assist Tyler Miller, 6:39, 1st
Jeff: Catalino Leon, 5:29, 1st
Park: Hunter Hill, assist Matt Powney, 18:10, 2nd half
Park: Kruger, assist Austin Yeater, 13:18, 2nd
Park: Tommy Logston, penalty kick, 12:00, 2nd
Shots on goal: Park. 16, Jeff. 6
Keeper saves: Park. (Reid Strobl) 10, Jeff. (Matt Saghy) 20
Corner kicks: Park. 3, Jeff. 0
JV: Parkersburg 5, Jefferson 1
PHS JV (2-2) goals: Ian Schmidt 2, Saaman Ghodsi 1, Drew Strobl 1, Chris Nwoye 1
PHS assists: Cameron Fosselman 2, Travon Nelson 1, Terrence Hughes 1, Nathan Holland 1
PHS keeper saves: Jacob Hoover 2, Holland 3
Next match: Parkersburg High at Beckley Woodrow Wilson 2 p.m. Saturday (JV at noon)
Parkersburg South girls 5, Weir 1
Weir (0-1) 1 0 - 1
South (2-1-1) 4 1 - 5
PS: Lexi Smith (assist Haleigh Miller) 3rd minute
PS: Kaitlyn Miller (H. Miller assist) 6th minute
PS: K. Miller (unassisted) 14th minute
W: Alyssa Shingle (unassisted) 31st minute
PS: K. Miller (assist Sydney Homan) 34th minute
PS: K. Miller (assist Smith) 41st minute
Shots: W 6, PS 15
Corner kicks: W 4, PS 0
Keeper saves: W 6 (Nicole Pellegrino), PS 4 (Kirsten Jones)
Next match: Parkersburg South at Morgantown 6 p.m. Tuesday, junior varsity follows.
Parkersburg South boys 5,
Robert C. Byrd 4
Parkersburg South (2-1) 3 2 - 5
Robert C. Byrd (0-4) 2 2 - 4
RCB: Clark (unassisted) 28th minute
RCB: Bell (unassisted) 19th minute
PS: Dillon Dowler (assist Clayton Tichy) 13th minute
PS: Dowler (direct kick) 7th minute
PS: Clay HArvey (unassisted) 6th minute
RCB: Rodenhaver (assist clark) 36th minute
RCB: Rodenhaver (assist Clkarj) 35th minute
PS: Vincenmt Scalise (assist Dowler) 27th minute
PS: Dowler (Charlie Kittle) 14th minute
Shots on goal; South 11, RCB 11; Keeper saves: Lincoln Morgan (South) 5, RCB 3; Corner kicks: South 4, RCB 4
JV final: Parkersburg South 3, Robert C. Byrd 1
PS: Dylan Hall (Micah Boles) 24tht minute
RCB: Reed (unassisted) 3rd minute
PS: Hall (assist Boles) 31st minute
PS: Mason Hupp (assist Hall) 30th minute
Next match: Wheeling Park at Parkersburg South, varsity 5:30 p.m., JV 7:30
Parkersburg girls 2, Jefferson 0
Parkersburg (2-1) 0 2 - 2
Jefferson (3-1) 0 0 - 0
PHS: McCay (assist Roberts) 45th minunte
PHS: Leaman (assist Rogers) 63rd minunte
Shots: J 7, PHS 18
Corner kicks: J 1, PHS 1
Keeper saves: J 16 (Spenser), PHS 7 (Beckley)
Next match: Marietta at Parkersburg 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Thanks to a nice lead pass from Sydney Homan, Kaitlyn Miller was able to record her hat trick in the 34th minute as Weir found itself trailing by three goals.
"They are playing well," coach Bucholtz added of his 2-1-1 squad in the early going. "They are starting to come around better with the possession game we want them to play and finding the right passing lanes and the right combination plays.
"It's getting better and better. Now, we are starting to put some goals in so it's going in the right direction."
Kaitlyn Miller needed just 44 seconds after halftime to score for the fourth time on just four shots as she tallied the final goal of the match with an assist from Smith.
Patriot Taylor Life nearly scored in the 61st minute, but her shot went just right of the post.
Shingle had a great chance to add another goal in the 68th minute on a direct kick. However, her shot from just outside the box sailed slightly above the crossbar.
Weir's Morgan Cassels had a bending shot from beyond 20 yards in the 78th minute, but Jones snared the save.
PSHS returns to action with a 6 p.m. varsity start on Tuesday at defending state champion Morgantown.
