Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Goals by junior Archer Bane, sophomore Dante De Luca and freshman Jovan Gracia lifted No. 4 seed Barton College to a 3-1 win over fifth-seeded North Greenville University in Tuesday's Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Tournament quarterfinals game at the Barton Outdoor Athletic Complex.
Barton advances to the Conference Carolinas Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2003. The Bulldogs will host No. 8 seed Queens University of Charlotte on Friday at 7 p.m. The Royals upset top-seeded Coker College, 2-1. The winner of the Barton/Queens semifinal will play the winner of the No. 2 Limestone versus No. 6 Mount Olive semifinal game at the higher seed in the championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"Signature win for the Bulldogs," said Barton sixth year head coach Matt Akins. "We finished our chances well tonight and our defense was up to the task as well. We had several players play very well tonight including two who played their best game of the season in Nick Ahlquest and Jovan Gracia. Our bench also came up big and added energy to the game."
The Royal Blue and White defeated NGU by a 3-1 margin for a second straight time on its home pitch to move to .500 on the season at 8-8-1 overall. BC is 6-3 at home. The Crusaders finish 2012 with an overall ledger of 6-8-1.
North Greenville nearly took an early lead with the first two good scoring chances of the game in the 7th minute. Junior Todd Johnston took the contests first shot that clanked of the cross bar and moments later senior Luis Mattei took a shot from inside the box that was saved by Barton junior goalkeeper Vasily Yakimkin.
After the early scares, Bane started the hosts scoring at the 31:05 mark. Bane received a pass from junior Patrick Schultze in the right corner and made two quick moves while moving towards the goal to beat a defender and NGU senior netminder Justen Braddock before punching in the go-ahead tally.
De Luca doubled up the Bulldogs advantage just over three minutes later in the 35th minute. Sophomore Jonathan Rembecki set up the play with a pass from midfield to classmate Nick Ahlquist, who then sent in a cross from the right wing that a cutting De Luca was able to knock into the back twine. Rembecki and Ahlquist were both awarded helpers on the goal.
Barton held a 2-nil lead at halftime on the strength of goals by the squads top-two goal scorers. De Luca – ranked in the top-20 nationally in goals and points per game – increased his league-leading total to 14 goals. Bane has seven scores on the year.
Yakimkin made all three of his saves in the first half before earning the win protecting Barton's cage for the full 90 minutes.
North Greenville put pressure on the Bulldogs with its lone goal coming just three minutes and 50 seconds into the second half to close the deficit to 2-1. A Barton yellow card gave North Greenville the scoring chance in the 49th minute. The Bulldogs attempted to clear the free kick but junior Cameron Porter was able to trap the ball and send in an accurate shot inside the right post.
Gracia's first collegiate goal in the 71st minute allowed Barton to play a little more comfortably in the late minutes by regaining a two-goal lead at 3-1. Gracia beat Braddock to the ball on a Barton free kick taken by De Luca and glanced the ball across the goal line.
De Luca's four-point performance increased his league-leading point total to 34.
The Crusaders held a 5-3 shot edge at halftime but Barton controlled play in the second half to tie the final shot total for both teams at 10 shots. Bane took a game-high six shots including five in the second half. Bane blasted one laser off the crossbar in the 74th minute and had two others saved by Braddock (his only saves).
