Box Score by Kevin Buczek
BELMONT, N.C.-Juniors Danilo Matos and Dante De Luca both scored in leading Barton College to a convincing 3-1 Conference Carolinas men's soccer victory over host Belmont Abbey College on Saturday at Alumni Field.
Matos netted the Bulldogs first goal and De Luca, the reigning Conference Carolinas Player of the Week, followed with two unanswered goals. Barton was just minutes shy of its second shutout in three games before Conor Wells scored the Crusaders lone marker in the 88th minute.
Barton won its fourth consecutive game – all on the road – to level its overall record to 5-5-1 and move over .500 in the league for the first time at 3-2. Belmont Abbey fell to 4-7 and 2-4.
In a match-up for sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings, the Bulldogs took control with a pair of first-half goals. Matos opened up the scoring at the 21:01 mark on a header off a cross by senior Archer Bane. De Luca doubled up the visitor's advantage to 2-nil before halftime with a left-side strike in the 31st off a pass by freshman Austin Tausch.
De Luca added an insurance goal in the early stages of the second half, running down a through-pass by junior Erik Pajunk in the 52nd minute.
De Luca leads Barton with eight goals on the season and is tied for first in the league with 22 points. The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, product has tallied at least one point in six consecutive matches.
Tausch's helper was his first collegiate point while Pajunk's assist put him in the league-lead with seven.
The Bulldogs finished with a slight 13-12 shot advantage.
Senior goalie Vasily Yakimkin made five saves including four stops in the first half to help the Barton pick up its first win against the Abbey since 2001 (BC 0-9-2 in last 11 games against BAC before Saturday).
Wells was finally able to put the hosts on the board with a header inside the far post off a late corner kick opportunity. The Crusaders had twice as many corner-kick opportunities, 4-2, and numerous more free kicks being called for 10 fewer fouls than the Bulldogs, 14-4.
Barton returns home for a non-conference battle against Tusculum College on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
