Wheeling Park Caps Magical Season, Beats Parkersburg South, 1-0; Crowned AAA Soccer Champions
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BECKLEY — Wheeling Park learned its lesson from the first time playing Parkersburg South by being more aggressive, and a Gracelyn Hanna free kick in the 14th minute was all it took to win the Class AAA girls state soccer championship at Paul Cline Field in Beckley.
It's a tough loss to swallow for Parkersburg South (19-1), as the team only allowed two goals the entire season. The one scored on Saturday was a well-placed ball goalkeeper Kendal Mader couldn't reach.
The high-arching shot was launched just over her outstretched glove and landed in the back of the net for the game-winner. That came after Hanna had a free kick one minute earlier that Mader batted away.
Mader's nine saves kept South in the match, as WPHS's press coverage made it difficult for the Southsiders to find any opportunities. They managed three shots on goal in the first half to Wheeling Park's seven.
Defensively, South was up to the challenge, as head coach Ron Bucholtz reflected on the loss and what he says is the best girls' soccer team in school history.
"Defensively, we were sound again. They got the lucky bounce on the free kick, and Kendal got onsided by three people. It was unlucky," he said of the only goal. "We had a couple goals go in that way where the keeper gets onsided by a crowd of people, and the ball sneaks though, but that's part of the strategy. We had some chances, but we just couldn't find the net today. Wheeling Park played well, and I thought we played well. Overall, it was a pretty even match, back and forth."
After that goal, Wheeling Park ramped up the intensity and kept possession throughout a majority of the half. It was all a part of the plan, but they still needed to dodge a big bullet in the 29th minute. Fresh off a corner kick, the South defense cleared the ball out when Samara Nunn got behind the defense. Nunn used her speed to race down the field and breakaway from the trailing WP defenders. Nunn closed in on the open net and fired a shot wide right. After that, Nunn rallied and attempted to find more chances to score, but it wasn't enough. Cameron Limer fired a pair of direct kicks in the early second half, but Josephine Kulpa rose to the occasion in the net. While Mader and Kulpa dueled, the offenses went cold due to the efficiency from the two keepers.
Kulpa talked about her day and how this moment was not too big.
"The support I had from the team and the coaches was extraordinary," she said. "I couldn't do it without them. I just kept working for it, and every game, they would tell me to keep it out of the back of the net.
"That's what I work for, and that's how I got it done."
Head coach Carrie Hanna saw her team grind out a win, as WPHS is no stranger to giving teams their first loss. Having already defeated Bridgeport and Morgantown, the Patriots finish the year at 20-2 in this year that has been anything but ordinary.
"We practice set pieces a lot, that's my pride and joy," coach Hanna said. "My daughter, Grace, had been taught how to strike a ball since she could walk. It was habit for her."
While coach Hanna brimmed with pride over her daughter's game-winner, Gracelyn Hanna had her own thoughts on the situation.
"I knew it was going to go in when I hit it," she said. "(Mader) made some great saves on my other free kicks, but it only took one. We came down here on a mission to win. I've been with this team for four years, and I wanted to make sure we ended on a win."
Contact Josh Hughes at jhughes@newsandsentinel.com