The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Breaking News

High School Sports

Related Photos

  • Greenbrier East’s Claire Perkins, left, and Shady Spring’s Sabel Meadows battle for the ball during their game Tuesday at the YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex in Beckley. Rick Barbero

    1010Soccer
October 10, 2012

Greenbrier East tunes up for sectional tournament

Spartans cruise to 5-0 win over Tigers

By Dan Stillwell Register-Herald Sports Writer

Greenbrier East presented Shady Spring’s injury-depleted defense with a tough question Tuesday night.

“How do you stop so many weapons?”

The Tigers played well early, but the talented Spartans slowly pulled away for a 5-0 victory at Paul Cline Stadium.

“Once we got the wind knocked out of us, they kept scoring,” coach Rachel Kincaid said. “We don’t have enough players to play a strong offense and defense.”

Shady (6-12-1), battered by injuries all season, had three starters — Brooke Cogar, Ali Kaminski and Alexis DeMoss — playing at far from peak efficiency.

East (10-4), on the other hand, had nearly its full complement of offensive players, and each was heavily involved in the offense.

The Spartans took 11 shots on goal, by six different players, to just two for Shady (both by all-stater Lyndsey Thompson).

Ashton Holliday scored twice in the first half, and Brianne Coles found the back of the net on two shots in a two-minute stretch in the second stanza to put the game out of reach.

Both Holliday and Coles are seniors and four-year veterans.

“They play a lot of travel and indoor soccer,” first-year coach Sean Acord said. “Soccer is the primary sport for both of them.”

The third starter up front is Shae West, a junior and the team’s leading scorer the past two seasons. She’s been hampered this year by injuries.

Freshman Chelsey Midkiff added the final East goal on a penalty kick in the 71st minute.

East’s underclassman-dominated defense recorded its fourth shutout of the season. The Spartans have outscored foes 48-19.

Defenders included freshmen Mikayla Carter, Claire Gibson and Claire Perkins, sophomore Erin Johnson (also a midfielder) and juniors Lauren Perkins and Shaye Gadomski (who was out with an injury).

Goalkeeper Hannah Bolt is a three-year starter for the Spartans.

The midfielders are junior Lauren Prevett in the center and primarily Paige Acord and Mikayla Keen on the outside.

“We have a lot of depth,” Acord said. “We’re six-deep on the bench, and we rotate a lot of players in.”

The Spartans have had several matches canceled by former MSAC opponents. East left the MSAC after last season.

They’ll be seeded No. 1 in the Class AAA Region 3, Section 3 tournament, which begins next week in Fairlea. East gave Princeton its only loss, 2-0 on Aug. 30, and has also defeated Woodrow Wilson (2-1), Oak Hill (5-0) and Shady (4-1 and 5-0).

“We’ll have home field advantage throughout sectionals,” Acord said. “This is the first time we have been No. 1 seed, and we’re on pace for the best record we’ve ever had in the regular season.”

The Spartans play at 5 p.m Thursday at Oak Hill, and will conclude the regular season Saturday at Huntington.

Shady’s final regular-season match is at 5 p.m. Thursday at PikeView.

Sectionals begin Monday, when the Tigers and Oak Hill meet in a play-in game. The winner will take on the Spartans Tuesday in Fairlea.

— E-mail: dstillwell@register-herald.com

Greenbrier East 5, Shady Spring 0

Scoring: GE Ashton Holliday (24th minute, nearest player to SS own goal), Holliday (31), Brielle Coles (58), Coles (59), Chelsey Midkiff  (penalty kick, 71). Shots on goal: GE 11 (Lauren Perkins, Holliday 3, Lauren Prevett 1, Coles 3, Katie Ervin, Midkiff 2), SS 2 (Lyndsey Thompson 2). Keeper saves: GE 2 (Hannah Bolt 2), SS 6 (Kristian Deemer 5, Kaitlin Hargis 1). Corner kicks: GE 5, SS 0. Cards: None.

Text Only
High School Sports
  • rakes Eagles get 2nd shot at Tigers

    The road to the Class AAA state championship for Princeton last year went through Beckley. A repeat would require the same stop, but Woodrow Wilson is looking to put up more resistance this time around.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • clifton Clifton wins prestigious Ohio tournament

    From now on, maybe Cody Clifton should pay absolutely zero attention to who’s who in West Virginia high school wrestling.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • edwards Same result, different meanings for rivals

    Second place had entirely different meanings for two local track and field standouts Saturday in Charleston.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • 051913 EmilySmith.jpg First the title, then the prom

    The prom could wait.

    May 19, 2013 3 Photos

  • Coleman's bunt lifts Valley

    Limited offensively this season because of a hand injury, Todd Coleman took advantage of an opportunity Saturday afternoon.

    May 19, 2013

  • syvertson Houstin? No problem

    Houstin Syvertson is a man of many names.

    May 18, 2013 1 Photo

  • princeton Princeton win marred by controversy

    Locked in a 1-1 tie with Greenbrier East in the Class Region 3, Section 2 baseball final Friday night at Spartan Ballpark, Princeton was looking for a spark to overcome the Spartans’ home field advantage.

    May 18, 2013 1 Photo

  • State track meet

    May 18, 2013

  • 051713 Woodrow.jpg After early scare, Woodrow advances

    Give first year Red Devils coach Chad Quesenberry a lot of credit. After opening up the sectional series with a loss to Shady Spring over a week ago, his Oak Hill squad would have to win three straight in order to advance to next week’s regional semifinals.

    May 17, 2013 1 Photo

  • Wickline fires one-hitter; Mavericks move on to states

    Putting their nervousness behind them, the James Monroe Lady Mavericks earned their first state playoff berth in softball in 16 years with a 6-2 victory over Westside Thursday evening in the Class AA, Region 3 title game in Lindside.

    May 17, 2013