PHS boys soccer falls to George Washington in MSAC Championship – Parkersburg News
Parkersburg’s Bryce Henthorn, pictured right here On the brink of throw the ball in By way of the second half of Thursday’s Mountain State Athletic Convention championship match at George Washington, scored The huge Purples’ lone objective in a 6-1 setback. (Photograph by Jay W. Bennett)
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CHARLESTON — Bryce Henthorn’s objective Inside the 18th minute for visiting Parkersburg tied Thursday’s Mountain State Athletic Convention championship match at 1-1, However it was all George Washington after that As a Outcome of the Patriots scored 5 goals after intermission en Path to a 6-1 triumph.
Final month, the Patriots of head coach Erik Engle acquired here into Stadium Area and scored Inside The primary minute As a Outcome of of senior Nick Ihnat. Regardless of having a 3-1 lead On the break, the Patriots settled for a 3-3 tie.
Ihnat, who capped his hat trick on Thursday with a penalty kick that beat Big Purple keeper Aiden Merritt (12 saves) Inside the 59th minute, gave the hosts a 1-0 lead as quickly as as quickly as extra via an unassisted tally Inside the sixth minute.
However, The huge Purples have been In a place to strike with 9 seconds left Inside the 18th minute when Henthorn had the ball in entrance of the GW bench outfacet the hash marks and launched a extreme shot that went into the greater 90 on the far facet. It was The one shot on objective Patriot keeper Dawson Lunsford confronted.
Simply the like first half, GW (14-1-1) wasted little time taking the lead as Wes Goodwin assisted on Ihnat’s header Inside the Forty third minute.
Following An monumental Purple foul Inside the 59th minute, Ihnat drilled a grounded shot infacet the left submit for a 3-1 cushion.
Caleb Carney’s nook kick Inside the Sixtieth minute Outcomeed in a objective by Sam Clark, who acquired here racing in and footed the ball to virtually The exact spot Ihnat placeed his PK.
For good measure, the hosts added two extra goals. In the 69th minute, Connor Stricklen assisted on Carney’s objective. In the Seventy fifth minute, Merritt had excited following A strong fall after a save and GW’s Brady Stafford beat keeper Matteo Campani via a Rylan Morehead assist.
“He acquired the ball, noticed the keeper was Sort of off his line and he’s left footed. Good objective by him,” said PHS assistant coach Chris Hunt. “We Sort of acquired the wind knocked out of us.
“Penalty kick, You will Have The power to’t actually see from down right here (completely different facet of The sector), however they felt like they smelled Barely blood. Sadly, they acquired two quick goals. Us as coaches tried To change factors round, however They Appear to be A great group.”
PHS, which dropped to 12-3-3 and returns to movement on Tuesday when Morgantown invades, performed with out the providers of senior defensive captain Grant Miller As properly as To go coach Billy Shedd, each of whom have been out As a Outcome of of a red card Inside their last match.
The Big Purples had Solely a few alternatives. Tanner Marlow tried to get a through ball to Kota Butcher Inside the third minute, However it was just prolonged. Connor Gribble had an unmarked look Inside the 51st minute, however couldn’t put the ball on physique.
“Tonight was superior,” admitted Ihnat. “We had some adversity Inside The primary half, however second half we battled through as a group and we just actually pulled it collectively and acquired the ‘W’ And that i’m actually Proud of how we performed tonight.”
Ihnat additionally had A pair completely different shut to misses in every half.
He said of the objective that put the Patriots forward for good at 2-1, “I really feel it went like off my hair, to be reliable. It like flicked off my hair and it was A sort of factors. It was in all probability Getting into if I didn’t get a contact on it anyway.
“But I just needed to get that little contact on it to maybe misdirect the objectiveie. I couldn’t ask for A greater group. The hat trick is great and everyfactor, however with out them I wouldn’t Be succesful of do any of that.”
Patriot Jack Williams shut toly had a pair of goals. His header Inside the Forty second minute from a Clark direct kick was saved by a leaping Merritt. In the 71st minute, Williams drilled one off the crossbar.
“We have been actually excited to have The prospect to play them down right here, however We would have appreciated To rearrange for this confacetrably,” admitted coach Engle. “Tright here was A lot of video being watched earlier than this recreation. Having fun with at Parkersburg is On A daily basis actually exhausting. The field is Barely smaller and Parkersburg is Aware of The biggest Method to play it Very properly.
“It’s extra sturdy for groups Once they go up tright here. The Earlier couple of goals that we had are goals that We now have actually Sort of labored on Over the previous couple weeks. It was good to see that we’re training one factor They typically’re implementing it.”
Contact Jay Bennett at [email protected]
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