by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College women's soccer team hopes to get back to its recent winning ways on Wednesday when it entertains rival Mount Olive College at 5 p.m. at the Barton Outdoor Athletic Complex.
The match will mark Barton head coach Chris Shaw's first battle against a Mount Olive program that he coached to a 52-34 record between 2003 and 2006.
Barton's Student Government Association will lend support to the Lady Bulldogs as it hosts Soccer Spirit Night with free food and t-shirts for students beginning at 4 p.m.
The match is the first half of a Conference Carolinas doubleheader with the Trojans. The men's teams will follow at 7 p.m.
Barton College Women's Soccer
Barton's three-game winning streak came to a disappointing end on Saturday night when Erskine scored on a free kick from 30 yards out in the second half to come away with a 1-0 win. The Lady Bulldogs dominated play, taking 19 shots to the Fleet's six, but Barton could not find the back of the net.
The loss ended Barton's longest winning streak since 2008 and its longest string of consecutive shutouts since 2007. The Lady Bulldogs are now 3-3 on the season.
Despite giving up a goal to Erskine, Barton keeper Carson Moore lowered her goals against average to 1.62 in the loss. Moore currently ranks third in the league in total saves with 34.
Offensively, the Lady Bulldogs continue to be led in scoring by senior Taylor Parrish, who has three goals and six points. Sophomore Emily Futral has a pair of goals for Barton, and senior Kasey Byzewski paces the team with two assists.
The Mount Olive contest is the second of three straight matches at home, Barton's longest home stand of the season. The Lady Bulldogs are 2-1 at the Barton Outdoor Athletic Complex this season.
Barton is seeking its first win against Mount Olive in Wilson, N.C., since 2007, when the Lady Bulldogs posted a 1-0 win. The Lady Bulldogs are 1-2-1 at home against the Trojans over the past six years.
Mount Olive Women's Soccer
The Trojans enter the contest with the momentum of their first win in 2013, a 7-2 thrashing of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association member Lincoln (Pa.) University. Jaclyn Thomas, last year's leading scorer, struck for a pair of goals in the rout. Ellie Barnes, a third-team all-conference forward as a freshman last year, added another score.
The win ended a three-game losing streak for Mount Olive, now 1-4-1 on the year.
Freshman forward Alex Wetherholt leads the Trojans in scoring with three goals and eight points. Thomas and Damilia Brooks both have a pair of goals and an assist for five points.
Mount Olive returned its top three scorers from last year in Thomas, Barnes and Maddy Robak, who together accounted for 14 of the team's 19 goals in 2012. The Trojans are inexperienced in the midfield with only one senior starter there, Carlee Bock.
In goal, Mount Olive returned Carolin Edenhofner, who recorded a 1.63 goals against average as a freshman a year ago. However, the Trojans have started four different keepers over their six games, with freshman Stephanie McCoy getting the call in half of those starts. McCoy has registered a 2.05 goals against average and a .615 save percentage in roughly 220 minutes of game action.
Stopping the opposition has been an issue for Mount Olive in its season to date. The Trojans have given up at least two goals in all six of their matches this year.
Mount Olive had no such problem last year, as the Trojans held Barton to just two shots on goal in a 1-0 win over the Lady Bulldogs in Wilson. Edenhofner saved both shots, and Bock assisted on the winning second-half goal against Moore, who stopped nine other Mount Olive shots.
Current Mount Olive coach Matt Hisler took over for Shaw beginning in 2007, and is 3-2-1 in six meetings with the Lady Bulldogs. The Trojans have won the last three in a row.
Multimedia
Barton sports information will be providing live stats to Wednesday's match against Mount Olive.
Barton soccer fans can follow the Bulldogs throughout the season on www.BartonBulldogs.com and via social media including Twitter and Facebook.
