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Wheeling Central Stifles Magnolia, 6-0

Gerney, Scott each score two goals to lead Maroon Knights

Photo by Cody Tomer Wheeling Central’s Adriana Pompeo controls the ball during Tuesday’s sectional opener against Magnolia at the 16th Street Sports Complex.

WHEELING — Playing in front of the home crowd for the final time this season, and in a win-or-go-home situation, Wheeling Central’s girls saved some of its best soccer for its sectional opener Tuesday night.

Junior Abby Gerney and freshman Alexis Scott each scored a pair of goals and the Maroon Knights’ defense held Magnolia without a shot as fourth-seeded Central advanced with a 6-0 blanking of the Blue Eagles in a West Virginia Class A-AA tournament opener at the 16th Street Sports Complex.

Coach Julie Barack’s Knights improve to 3-14-1 on the season and will travel to play top-seeded Oak Glen Thursday at 6 p.m. with a berth in the sectional final on the line.

With most of the contest played on Magnolia’s end of the field the Maroon Knights managed to rack up 23 total shots on goal with two of those finding the back of the net in the first half.

The first came 13 minutes into the game when Gerney ended up with a ball that had been knocked around a few times and drilled a laser into the net from 15 yards out for a 1-0 score.

Just about another 13 minutes ticked off the clock before senior Maggie Fahey took a pass from freshman Peyton Smith and knocked it in from close range for a 2-0 reading that held up at the break.

Scott added to the advantage less than a minute into the second half when she picked up a loose ball near midfield, traveled down the sidelines and eventually zipped a shot in from the side with Magnolia keeper Macy Haddox expecting her to pass to the front of the net.

Senior Ava Koontz got into the scoring column at the 33-minute mark when she came out of a pack of players in front of the net to knock Adriana Pompeo’s corner kick into the back of the twine for a 4-0 score

It was Scott collecting her second of the night a short time later from nearly the same spot as the first with this one bouncing off the post and into the net. Gerney capped the scoring with 25 minutes to play, knocking in her second from just in front of the net.

“The girls played well (Tuesday) and they just went out and had fun with no pressure,” Barack said with a smile. “It was our last home game which gave them a little more motivation. They played their best and the shots went in, you can’t ask for much more than that.

“Speed is a big thing for us and the girls in the back did a good job using it to our advantage. Our sweeper Danielle (Agcaolli) is deceptively fast and she controlled the back very well.

“There was good communication, the girls covered each other very well and this was just a very good overall team win.”

Magnolia Coach Jennifer Emch could not say enough good things about her squad, which at two different times in the contest were forced to play a man down.

“The first half of this game was probably the best we have played in quite a while,” Emch said. “But we couldn’t get much offense going with their speed. They are just very tough to get around.

“I am proud of how our girls worked (Tuesday) and all season long. It has been kind of a tough season for us, but I think that they really learned a lot going through it.”

Sophomore Gia Campbell was in net for Wheeling Central in the first half while junior Brynna Jackson took over and played the second half. While neither faced a shot, both were credited with the shutout.

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