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Park Duo Powers Patriots Over Cougars In Girls Soccer Regional

By NICK HENTHORN 3 min read

WHEELING -- Monday at Wheeling Island Stadium, it was the Brenna Tipton and Corin McFarland show for the Wheeling Park Patriots in their girls soccer Class AAAA regional outing vs. Jefferson. Tipton set up McFarland for goals to start and finish Park's 6-3 home victory-- with plenty of action in the middle too.

Tipton assisted on all four of McFarland's goals Monday to send No. 4 Park to the Class AAAA North Region Co-Final, with a spot in the state tournament on the line vs. No. 1 Hedgesville on Thursday.

"Obviously we wish on Thursday that we were the home team, but we’re not, so we’ll be traveling to Hedgesville," Wheeling Park head coach Tom Smith said after the game. "Jefferson played a really well-played game today. They definitely gave us a run for our money in that first half. It was pretty exciting soccer, back-and-forth with, 3-2 at the half. They did well. As far as our chemistry, the girls are really clicking right now as far as ball movement and off-the-ball movement, and it’s pretty fun to watch."

Rylee Wright scored both of Park's remaining goals, while Kenley Everhart accounted for all three of Jefferson's goals.

Tipton and McFarland found each other fast Monday, McFarland tracking down a Tipton crosser and lunging for an impressive low header right in front of the goal in the fourth minute of play.

Everhart responded with her first goal, a breakaway score in the 14th minute, but Wright gave Park the lead back in the very same minute with an improbable score-- the junior's kick bouncing off the inside of the left crossbar, then ricocheting off the right before fluttering past the goal line.

Everhart scored again to tie the game, but Tipton and McFarland were on the prowl once again in the 21st minute, Tipton booting a crosser that McFarland plucked out of midair with an emphatic kick into the back of the net.

Wright scored on a harsh angle, almost parallel to the goal, for a 4-2 lead very quickly out of halftime.

The Patriots' next two goals were more of the same-- Tipton setting up McFarland for leaping headers in both the 53rd and 63rd minutes. The scores were sandwiched between another goal by Everhart, a sophomore.

"Brenna and Corin had it working today," Smith said of the pair. "They had some fantastic high-quality crossers, assists, and some fantastic goals. Great way for Corin to play her last game at the Island and go out and in, say the least, style, because that was pretty impressive, some very impressive goals."

Wheeling Park had last played on Oct. 13 against Parkersburg.

"When you go from playing every two or three days to waiting, I think it was 13 or 14 days since our last game-- in one way it was good that we could heal up a little bit because we had some injuries. But another thing is that it takes away a little bit from the momentum and chemistry that you had going before our break."

Wheeling Park made it to the state semifinals last year. A win over top-seeded Hedgesville on Thursday will give the Patriots another crack at Beckley.

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