Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Freshman Breanna Briggs scored the lone goal of the game in the 65th minute to lead host Barton College to a 1-0 Conference Carolinas women's soccer victory over Converse College on a wet and cold Saturday night.
The Lady Bulldogs second straight victory helped Barton level its overall record at 2-2 and move over .500 in the league at 2-1. The Valkyries remain winless on the season at 0-6-1 and 0-2.
"The young ladies played their hearts out today and finally executed the things we've worked on," said Barton second year head coach Ike Onyeador. "Tonight they showed that they believed in what we are trying to grow as a culture and they can be very proud of the way they played. They have now set a new standard for this program so we have to keep moving forward."
Barton will go for a third consecutive victory against Conference Carolinas foe Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, N.C., on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
The Valkyries, who have been accustom to playing in close games including four overtime contests in its first six matches, had a couple of good chances in the first half. Converse held a 4-1 shot edge at the midway point but Barton freshman goalkeeper Carson Moore (Greenville, N.C.) made both of her saves in the first 45 minutes to earn her first collegiate shutout.
The Bulldogs came out of the intermission dominating play taking the first nine shots of the second half that featured Briggs close-range strike at the 64:23 mark. Briggs finished off a junior Morgan Brush (Princeton, N.C.) service ball on a corner kick that was deflected off a cluster of players before getting to her foot at the Converse doorstep.
Briggs' first collegiate goal proved enough as Barton outshot the Valkyries 13-3 in the second half for a final margin of 14-7. Briggs ripped six shot attempts, sophomore Taylor Parrish (Smithfield, N.C.) took four attempts and junior Sara Treadwell (Wilson, N.C.) laced three shots on goal.
Barton took eight of the game's 10 corner kicks.
Freshman netminder Katie Wasylko (Ontario, Canada) made all eight of her saves in the second half for Converse.
The shutout was Barton's first clean slate since the Bulldogs tied Mount Olive College, 0-0, on October 15, 2009. Strong play from starting defenders senior Brittany Bobbitt (Manassas, Va.) and freshman Nicole Smith (Apex, N.C.) and Meredith Sharp (Wilson, N.C.) helped contribute to the shutout.
