Box Score by Kevin Buczek
MURFREESBORO, N.C.-Sophomore Archer Bane (Greenville, N.C.) and freshman Dante De Luca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) both scored twice as the Barton College men's soccer team erupted for six total scores en route to a 6-1 dismantling of host Chowan University on Wednesday afternoon.
The No. 10 Southeast Region ranked Bulldogs snapped a season-long three game losing streak to improve to 8-4 on the season. The eight wins are the most victories for the Barton men's soccer program since the Bulldogs went 8-7-3 in the fall of 2002.
"We had a very well rounded offensive showing tonight as we moved the ball better than we have in a couple of weeks," Barton men's soccer coach Matt Akins said. "The boys were eager to get back in the win column and are ready for Saturday's match up with Erskine to avenge the playoff loss they handed us last year."
Barton hosts Conference Carolinas rival Erskine College as part of a doubleheader on Saturday with the men scheduled to start after the women's contest at approximately 7 p.m.
De Luca set the tone for the match for BC by scoring the game's first two goals in the first 18 minutes. After a successful series of passes from Bane and junior Justin Taylor (Cary, N.C.), De Luca deposited the opening tally just nine minutes and nine seconds into play from inside the box. De Luca struck again at the 17:14 mark on another double assisted play with the helpers being credited to sophomores Ricardo Oliveira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Danilo Matos (Lauro de Freitas, Brazil).
Bane doubled up the Bulldogs advantage to 4-0 before halftime with a pair of late first half tallies in the 39th and 43rd minutes. Bane's first goal was on a header from junior Richard Worthy (Cannock, England) and his second score came from close range on a pass from Matos. Bane had a game-high five points, all coming in the opening act.
After the intermission, Matos kept the off Barton by scoring in the 60th minute on an assist by sophomore Erik Pajunk (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Matos finished with a four-point performance, along with De Luca.
The Hawks (1-10) broke up the shutout bid of senior Brian Riesenberg (Fort Thomas, Ky.), who was making his return the Bulldogs lineup after missing two games due to injury, with a Josh Gross goal in the 63rd minute. Riesenburg did not need to make a save over the first 75 minutes to pick up the win in net and improve to 8-1 on the season.
Pajunk would not let the hosts gain any momentum as he scored just 39 seconds after the Chowan goal. Pajunk scored his games final goal on a breakaway that was set up by freshman Nick Ahlquist (Hubert, N.C.).
Pajunk – the nation's top point producer and assists leader as of the October 9 NCAA Division II statistics report with 3.10 points/game and 0.9 assists/game – increased his team high totals to 12 goals, 10 assists and 34 points. Bane ranks second on the team with six goals, Matos has five scores and De Luca has notched four tallies. Matos increased his increased his assist total to eight. Ahlquist's assist was his first collegiate point.
