Box Score by Kevin Buczek
HICKORY, N.C.-Senior forward Archer Bane scored a pair of goals including the game-winning tally at the beginning of the second overtime to lift Barton College to a 3-2 road victory over Southeast Region eighth-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University Wednesday at the Moretz Sports - Athletic Complex.
Junior Dante De Luca assisted on all three Bulldog goals as Barton picked up its first road win of the season.
Barton improved to 2-5-1 overall after playing its fourth game against a regionally-ranked foe. The Bears rallied from a 2-0 deficit with two late goals in regulation but were unable to complete the comeback slipping to 6-3.
Bane scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute after receiving a pass from De Luca down the left sideline.
The Bulldogs raced out to a 2-nil advantage in the first half on goals by Bane and junior Erik Pajunk. Bane started the scoring just 11:59 into play with a header off a De Luca corner kick. Pajunk doubled up the Royal Blue and White lead by netting his first goal of the season with just 35 second before the halftime horn. De Luca passed the ball to Pajunk, who then ripped a shot that deflected off a player and into the back of the net.
Barton has only scored the first goal of the game twice this season, which are the squad's two triumphs in eight contests.
Lenoir-Rhyne nearly scored several times late in the first-half with a header by Alex Mather bouncing off the post in the 37th minute and a Nicholas Sibert shot clanking off the crossbar in the 44th minute. The Bears outshot the Bulldogs 13-6 in the first half but only put one of those attempts on goal.
The hosts finished with a 39-16 shot surplus but Barton senior goalkeeper Vasily Yakimkin made 10 of his season-high 11 saves in the second half and overtime.
Mattias Thompson broke up the Bulldogs shutout bid in the 68th minute by tapping in his own rebound after Yakimkin made a save on his initial shot. Ben Jones knotted the scoreboard just three minutes later with a header off a long service pass by Daniel Delderfield. Jones' equalizer bounced in off the crossbar for his team-high sixth goal.
L-R took the next six shots after leveling the score but Yakimkin made a couple clutch saves. Barton registered the final three shots of regulation but goalie Stephan Dill matched Yakimkin with a pair of late stops to force OT.
Yakimkin made his final three saves in the two 10-minute, sudden-victory overtime periods setting up the Bulldogs late theatrics.
Bane (4 points against L-R) and De Luca (3 points) are tied for BC's team lead with 11 points after teaming-up on the game-winning score at the 102:32 mark.
Barton returns to Conference Carolinas play in its next outing at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., on Saturday at 4 p.m.
