#13 PCHS (9-6-3).........................2

#10 Shady Spring (13-5-2)..........4

The #13 PCHS Boys Soccer Team traveled to the Beckley YMCA Soccer Complex October 18 ﾠto face the #10 Shady Spring Tigers on their home field in the opening round of combined Class A/AA Region 3, Section 1 post-season play. ﾠThe Warriors have been playing for most of the season without sophomore starters Caleb Arbogast and James Coy due to soccer injuries. ﾠThe field was perfect, and the two stadiums at the complex will host the state tournament in early November. ﾠThere was a light sprinkle just before game time, so the field was slick for a short time.

The Warriors were edged by then #8 Shady at PCHS 4-2 on September 10, but German exchange student Georg Faerber was not playing until the following game on September 15. ﾠFaerber has added some scoring power to the team.

Shady senior Aaron Sopher propelled a high kick from the left of the center circle in the seventh minute (33:12), and the bounce sailed over PCHS goalie Matthew Alderman's hands, just under the crossbar and into the underside of the top net for the ﾠ1-0 Shady lead. ﾠJust under seven minutes later, Sopher, the tallest and roughest Tiger, would be handed a yellow card for slamming PCHS senior co-captain Curtis Pyles to the turf. ﾠLess than one minute later the match had to be stopped for one hour and 20 minutes due to lightning.

The first Tiger goal was either lucky or well placed to get a perfect bounce. ﾠThe next Shady goal by sophomore Ben Lilly would surprise everyone just over three minutes into the restart. ﾠShady took the ball close to the PCHS goal, and Lilly was chasing the ball with his back to PCHS goalie Alderman. ﾠRather than turning with the ball to setup a shot, Lilly fired the ball backwards with a quick thrust of his heel, and upped the lead to 2-0 Shady. ﾠAgain, that shot was either practiced or a lucky try. ﾠWith 17:40 to go in the first half, PCHS was awarded a penalty kick for interference in the box. ﾠPyles was again the recipient of the rough play, and Pyles placed the penalty kick perfectly low and to the right corner of the goal ﾠfor the first PCHS score that cut the Shady lead to 2-1.

The early part of the second half saw little net attack, but that changed in the middle minutes. ﾠIn the seventh minute (33:55) of the second half, senior speedster Bill Kelley laid face down on the field after being hit hard by a Shady player who had earlier received a yellow card. ﾠKelley had to be helped off the field, but was able to return later in the match. ﾠMidway into the second (19:22) a PCHS defender did not see his goalie right behind him trying to clear the ball on a Tiger shot. ﾠShady sophomore Troy Walker capitalized on a rebound and increased the Shady advantage to 3-1. ﾠShady junior Johnathan Sutphin was handed a yellow card for rough play at 16:45. ﾠForty-four seconds later junior Parker White, after multiple rebounds, hit a direct shot to the back of the net from 20 yards out, and PCHS was again within one point, 3-2 Shady. ﾠWith 11:47 to go, Walker, of Shady, scored a second straight goal after a Tiger shot bounced off a PCHS player and Lilly passed to Walker. ﾠThat 4-2 lead would hold when PCHS got two more shots on the goal and could not score.

According to a Beckley Register-Herald article on the game, Shady coach Michael Manning thought his team was able to dictate the tempo of the match. ﾠ"I think our ball control is really where it's at," he said. ﾠ"We really have a lot of ball control right now, and that's what we key on." ﾠPCHS Coach Steve White also mentioned the number of players with the size and speed of Curtis Pyles on the Shady team.

PCHS took 33 shots-on-goal (Faerber - 7, White - 6, junior Tyler Davis - 6, Pyles - 4, Kelley - 4, sophomore Garrett McCurdy - 3, junior Levi Hefner - 1, sophomore Alex Kennison -1 and freshman Stephan Simmons - 1). ﾠAlderman had nine keeper saves, and his kicks were always beyond midfield. ﾠShady led in corner kicks 5-3, and PCHS led in direct kicks 9-7. ﾠPyles also has long, strong throw-ins and kicks and takes most corner kicks, penalty kicks and throw-ins.

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