Wheeling Park girls soccer opens season with tie at GW, win over Jefferson
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The Wheeling Park High School girls soccer team -- which reached the semifinals in last year’s Class AAAA championships -- opened the season on the road Friday with a tough, 2-2 draw with George Washington High School and then a 6-2 victory Saturday over the visiting Jefferson High School Cougars.
On Friday, the Lady Patriots took an early 1-0 lead over last year’s Class AAAA runners-up when freshman striker Reagan Ricker capitalized on a George Washington turnover and put the ball in the net.
That score held through the half, with Wheeling Park controlling play late, with several good scoring chances.
George Washington came out strong in the second half, netting a goal in the 41st minute and then in the 70th minute to grab a 2-1 lead. It remained there until the 79th minute when junior Brenna Tipton sent a cross in front of the George Washington net that was received by Park freshman Kailey Swartz. She buried it in the net to tie the score at 2, where it would finish.
On Saturday, Park hosted Jefferson, with goals coming early. In the ninth minute, senior striker Corin McFarland scored off a header from a Tipton cross, making it 1-0. Tipton scored her first of the season in the 11th minute off an assist from junior Aria Swartz, and the two would team up again near the end of the half for Tipton’s second goal and a 3-0 Wheeling Park lead.
The lead extended to 4-0 early in the second half on an own goal from Jefferson. McFarland scored her second of the day on an assist from Kailey Swartz to make it 5-0, and then junior midfielder Molly Bradshaw netted Park’s sixth goal following a scrum in front of the net with 22 minutes remaining.
Jefferson scored two late goals.
Wheeling Park next will face Marietta Thursday on the road.