By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Moorefield Boys and Girls Soccer secured the first wins in program history.
A hat trick by Parvatee Snyder elevated Moorefield Girls Soccer to their first victory in school history 4-3 over Petersburg in just the second match of the season.
The good vibes continued as Moorefield Boys Soccer completed the sweep with a 3-2 game-winning goal by Alex Perez and the celebration poured on the pitch.
Moorefield Boys Soccer’s Dane Foster went around with a water bottle to every teammate to make sure they were part of the celebration and led the team tackling of coach Larry Foster.
The Yellow Jackets brand new uniforms arrived in time for the second match and must have been the good luck charm as the spirit of the team and fans was effervescent with excitement.
Moorefield Girls Soccer made a remarkable rebound from the inaugural season opener with a fast start to the match with the Vikings and played with tremendous heart.
The energy was sparked just three minutes into the match as Moorefield’s Kiera Cornett executed a perfect throw-in pass to forward Parvatee Snyder, who fired the ball into the back of the net for the first goal in program history.
The Yellow Jackets kept buzzing as midfielder Grace Simmons put on the pressure forcing a turnover during goal kick a couple minutes later and drew a foul in the penalty box which created tension as the defender’s temper flared causing an ejection from the match.
Simmons stepped up and notched the free kick goal to give Moorefield a 2-nil edge.
The Vikings failed to go down quietly with a furious attack resulting in a goal at the 26th minute mark and an intercepted goal kick sent out by Moorefield goalie Kailynn Penkov equalized the match with just ten minutes remaining in the first half.
Teamwork makes the dream work and the Yellow Jackets proved that to be the case as defender Makenna See rocketed the ball to the right side of the pitch near midfield where it was fielded by Cornett, who envisioned the big picture landing a laser kick to the corner of the box for Snyder to dash and fire the ball into the goal to regain the lead 3-2 at 23:36.
Moorefield’s Elizabeth Williams made a brilliant sliding tackle heading down the pitch with an accurate pass snatched up by Snyder gunning for a hat trick with about 16 minutes left and creating a 4-2 cushion.
Moorefield goalie Grace Simmons was beaten on a deep play with only three minutes to go as the Vikings sliced the gap to 4-3.
Simmons shook off that miscue and garnered three stellar saves in the final minute to secure the victory, including a fingertip ricochet sending the ball careening over the crossbar.
Moorefield Girls Soccer rushed across the field celebrating the first ever win in school history.
“This team showed heart tonight, In Wednesday’s practice, we covered how to clean up a lot of little things that cost us in Frankfort. Tonight we limited turnovers from throw-ins and made some adjustments with attaching runs to stay onside. To convert and apply that new information so accurately and quickly, shows just how invested these girls are in each other’s success. Every player contributed to this win. A lot of minutes in between the highlights were personal victories for each – like winning 1v1 moments, making accurate passes, overlapping runs, our first fluid reverse in opponent’s territory. Tonight was a big step forward for our program,” Moorefield Girls Soccer coach Jessica Markwood commented.
It was the boys turn to shine for the Yellow Jackets in the doubleheader and they kept the momentum going to create another first victory in the record books.
Moorefield Boys Soccer was deadlocked with Petersburg at 1-1 entering the second half of action.
The Vikings started the second half with a shot over the net which was a reoccurring theme throughout the match with the Moorefield defense causing many rushed kicks going awry.
Moorefield’s Chernet Ansani and Bereket Tamiru made solid defensive plays to clear the ball.
The Yellow Jackets had an attack opportunity go haywire as Teagan Eversole jumped up to redirect a pass and inadvertently hit the ball with his arm and fell.
Petersburg came back down the field after the Yellow Jackets shot went wide and sent the ball flying over the net.
Moorefield goalkeeper Edgar Cambero made a save and another attack by the Vikings was defended by Ansani.
Tamiru swiped the ball in the corner and made a deep kick down the pitch to Eduardo Escobar, who was whistled offsides despite a shot on goal.
A corner kick by the Yellow Jackets was saved, then the Vikings marched down the field and took the lead t 29:29 with a goal by Garrett Nuzum.
Moorefield responded in just 25 seconds as Austin Arbaugh struck gold equalizing the match at 29:14.
Moorefield’s Pedro Mucu-Mo cleared the ball, then the Vikings came back and hit the side of the net.
Cambero was tripped going after the ball to create a free kick on the infraction.
Arbaugh charge down the sideline to the corner and dished to Escobar, who found Perez with a chance in front of the goal and it was saved by Petersburg.
Cambero blocked a shot, then Petersburg kicked again and sent the ball over the crossbar.
Moorefield’s Teagan Eversole created a 1-on-1 sequence, but the Vikings keeper came up with the save.
Perez stole the ball and was tripped just past midfield, then the free kick was blocked by a wall of Vikings.
Petersburg’s Isaiah Reel misfired on the goal.
Reel and Perez battled for the ball with a lot of contact and Reel won the ball, then Tamiru thwarted the attack.
Petersburg’s Micah Ertel swiped the ball, but a teammate was called offsides.
Ertel snatched the ball again, but the kick went too far and Cambero came out to collect the ball in the box.
Arbaugh and Tamiru defended the ensuing Vikings attacks.
Cambero made a save on a Petersburg corner kick, then there was a collision along the sidelines with a yellow card given to the Yellow Jackets.
The Vikings had a shot go awry, then Moorefield looked to make a run down the pitch and both forwards were called offsides.
There was a collision in the box as the Vikings slipped a goal past Cambero, but it was negated due to an offsides call.
Petersburg stole the ball and the shot went over the crossbar.
Mucu-Mo cleared the ball and Arbaugh dashed down the pitch for a 1-on-1 chance, but the goalie made the save.
A yellow card was given to the Vikings on a sliding tackle, then Arbaugh challenged the goalie again with a shot from the top of the box and another save was executed.
Ansani cleared the ball with a header, then the Yellow Jackets drew a penalty.
Moorefield’s Alex Perez netted the game-winning goal with 2:26 left in the match, 3-2.
Teammates carried Perez in celebration of that defining moment.
Moorefield received a yellow card in the closing minute, but Cambero made one final save to seal the first win in school history for the Yellow Jackets Boys Soccer team.
Moorefield players jumped in celebration and happily received water showers from Foster as everyone was smiling from ear to ear as history was made at Michael Brothers Field.
“This was very thrilling. We needed this one. As you can see, it just lifted morale ten times over. It surprised me a little, because they were really ready. It’s the coaching, but it’s the talent as well. Our school pride is sky high,” Moorefield Boys Soccer coach Larry Foster remarked.
The Yellow Jackets aim to keep swarming on the pitch for more success in the inaugural season.
