Box Score by Kevin Buczek
DUE WEST, S.C.-Barton College scored three straight second half goals in an 18-minute span to rally from a 1-nil halftime deficit and defeat host Erskine College, 3-1, in Conference Carolinas women's soccer team action Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore Kathryn Smith and freshmen Taylor Doeble and Nikki Helton all scored in the second-half rally as the Lady Bulldogs improved to 7-3-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the league.
Erskine was unable to win in front of a large homecoming crowd at Huggins field despite taking the initial lead on a sophomore Taylor Bush goal in the 43rd minute. The Flying Fleet dipped to 3-9-1 in all contests and 2-6-0 in league skirmishes.
The Fleet were outshot 11-3 in the first half but able to take the initial lead when Bush scored at the 42:41 mark with a low shot into the left corner of goal after receiving a centering pass from junior Hayley Rogers.
Barton went from trailing by one to being up by one in a two minute and 35 second span. Smith scored the equalizer in the 56th minute with an accurate shot from the right side and was set up on an assist by junior Ashley Batchelor.
Smith and Batchelor are now tied for second at Barton with two goals and three assists apiece for seven points.
Doeble netted the game-winner a mere three-minutes later on a highlight reel shot. Doeble fired her shot from the corner baseline that curled enough to hit the far post and bounce across the line. Freshman defender Rachel Krueger was credited with her first collegiate point on the play assisting Doeble.
Helton added an insurance tally – her first career goal representing the Royal Blue and White – in the 73rd minute scoring off a rebounded shot taken by freshman Lane Brooks.
Brooks was awarded an assist on the play to increase her team-high point total to 15.
Senior goalkeeper Carson Moore (6-1-2) improved her unbeaten streak in goal to six games (5-0-1) despite giving up a goal for the first time in that span. Moore made four saves in 80 minutes of work to maintain her league-leading statistics of 90.9% save percentage and 0.43 goals against average.
The Lady Bulldogs finished with a 24-7 shot surplus and 5-1 corner kick advantage. Nine BC players took shots but Erskine junior goalie Ashton Burgess made 12 saves.
Barton will next play a home-and-away series against Chowan University beginning with a visit to Murfreesboro, N.C., on Sunday at 1 p.m.
