High School Sports

Alexander’s PK the difference for University girls’ soccer in 1-0 shut out over Wheeling Park

WHEELING -- There was no question where the University Hawks' stood on Tuesday when it came to their opinion of their opponents.

"Wheeling Park, they’re the class of the state in our minds," University head coach Graham Peace said after his squad's road game against the Patriots. "They’re what we’re trying to achieve, they’re what we aspire to be, is Wheeling Park."

That being the case, Peace's posse surely left Wheeling Island Stadium happy after a 1-0 victory over Wheeling Park on Tuesday evening, a win that pushed the Hawks' season record to 5-1, and dealt the Patriots their first defeat of the season, now 2-1-2.

"Feels great," Peace said of the game. "I saw incredible hustle and commitment to what we’re trying to do. Wheeling Park is an outstanding soccer team, and they’re going to be back. We know we’re going to see them later in the season, and they’re going to be fired up, but I’m just incredibly proud of the intensity that we brought to the game."

"University is a good team," Wheeling Park head coach Tom Smith said. "They pass the ball well, they play well, they play hard. I thought they beat us on most of the 50-50 balls. Their work rate was higher than ours. We need to do a better job of playing together as a team and not separately, defensively and offensively. Fatigue is a problem. We need to be in better condition. I know it’s tough with humidity and the conditions, but [University]'s playing in the same conditions.

"All in all, University played well. They outplayed us for sure."

University's score came early in the second half, in the 46th minute after a foul in Park's box set up a penalty kick for the Hawks. Senior Avery Alexander pushed the kick past Park keeper Maddie Kirchner's left to put the game's lone goal on the board.

"She’s a senior, so she’s never beaten Wheeling Park," Peace said. "None of these players on this team have beaten Wheeling Park."

Tuesday was University's first victory over Park since Aug. 28, 2018, where the Hawks likewise took a 1-0 road win.

"To beat them is just a great achievement for our team. But it’s only one game, and we know Wheeling Park’s going to be back, they’re just a phenomenal soccer team."

Alexander's breakthrough came less than a minute after perhaps Park's best opportunity to score. Flipping possession and pushing the ball into Hawks territory, the Patriots' Molly Bradshaw let rip a tight-angle shot which University keeper Caitlyn Stout managed to deflect. Park's Aria Swartz crashed down to try and punch in a kick on the rebound, but Stout showed quick reactions to save the follow-up as well, accounting for two of her nine saves in only a heartbeat.

Park got another chance with only a few minutes left in the game, setting up their first and only corner kick of Tuesday's contest in the 76th minute, but the Patriot's header off their set piece lifted harmlessly out of play.

The early goings were not favorable to the Hawks, who were on the backfoot, Park possessing almost constantly in University territory for the game's first 20 minutes. But, midway through the first half, a switch flipped for the Hawks, who steadily picked up wins in the midfield to put the pressure on their OVAC rivals.

"It had everything to do with confidence," Peace said. "We’re a very young team, we’re starting four freshmen, we’re starting four sophomores. Last year Park blew us out in this stadium three times, I think. So there was that trepidation, a lack of confidence, and I think once they realized-- and we’ve been telling them, you can play-- once they realized they could play with this team, I think they played their way into the game and that made a huge difference."

"I think part of our problem this year in the first five games has been our consistency," Smith said. "We play well for pockets of time, maybe five to seven minutes, and then kind of disappear for 10 minutes, come back for five to seven. We need as a team to start playing together better and for more consistent minutes, rather than basically being tired and just playing kick and run rather than playing to their ability."

Wheeling Park had five shots on goal to University's one across the game's first 20 minutes, but by game's end, each team had an identical number, nine apiece.

Wheeling Park will next face Avonworth, from the Pittsburgh area, on the road on Sept. 5. University will travel to Steubenville that same day.