Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Junior goalkeeper Vasily Yakimkin made a pair of saves during penalty kicks and Barton College's first four shooters were accurate as the fourth-seeded Bulldogs advanced to the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship Game with BC toppling No. 8 seed Queens University of Charlotte, 4-1, in the PK shootout after the two teams played to a double overtime scoreless tie on a cold Friday night at the Barton Outdoor Athletic Complex.
Barton (8-8-2) earned a trip to the title match after junior Ricardo Oliveira, freshman Daniel Alkmim, junior Archer Bane and sophomore Dante De Luca all converted on their PK attempts in the semifinals best-of-five shootout. The Bulldogs will travel to preseason favorite and No. 2 seed Limestone College (12-5-1 Overall) for the Championship game to be played on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Gaffney, S.C.
The Royals, who knocked off top-seed and defending champs Coker in the quarterfinals, had a 15-5 shot advantage but Yakimkin posted his second clean slate against Queens with nine saves in regulation and then the two clutch stops in the shootout. Yakimkin has played in all six of the Bulldogs shutouts this season.
"A truly exciting soccer game tonight at the Barton Outdoor Athletic Complex where both sides had numerous chances," said Matt Akins, Barton sixth year head coach, who returns the Bulldogs to the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship game for the first time since 1998.
Coach Akins continued to state, "Ricardo [Oliveira] was great today on both sides of the ball and when it came time our group took care of their PK's. Vasily [Yakimkin] had a brilliant performance stopping an unprecedented 2-of-3 penalty kicks in the shootout. Great team performance and I could not be more proud of this group. Now we gear up for a rematch with Limestone!"
Barton had the first couple good looks in regulation with three consecutive corner kicks in the first half but the Bulldogs were unable to get a shot off in the flurry. Moments later, Limestone had its best chance of the opening periods with back-to-back shots by junior Felipe Netto and senior Jeremy Chambers in the 35th minute but Yakimkin rejected both attempts on goal.
Sophomore Nick Ahlquist had the Bulldogs lone shot attempt in the second half when he nearly scored on a shot in the 87th minute but QUC goalie Montrell Morgan made the save to preserve the shutout. The Royals outshot the host 7-1 in the second half but Yakimkin was up to the challenge making six of his nine saves in that 45 minute window.
Netto scared the large Bulldog crowd when he riffled a shot with 9:07 left in regulation off the crossbar.
Both squads had one shot in each 10-minute overtime period but all four cracks at the golden goal missed off target including an attempt by Ahlquist in 100th minute that just scooted wide right. Barton finished with a 12-7 corner kick advantage including three in the OT periods.
After Oliveira gave BC a 1-nil lead in the PK's, Yakimkin kept the Bulldogs ahead throughout the shootout with a save to his left on an attempt by Netto. Alkmim doubled up BC's lead on the ensuing PK before junior Thiago Andrade deposited the Royals only shot to get by Yakimkin. Bane's conversion regained a two goal lead, 3-1, for the Bulldogs that Yakimkin preserved when he dove right and was able to bat away an attempt by Gersi Cilingiri. De Luca – a First Team All-Conference selection announced on Thursday – then stepped up and confidently deposited Barton's next attempt that clear the Bulldogs bench and set the large crowd into a roar.
