by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College men's soccer team will try and knock off its second straight opponent from the South Atlantic Conference when the Bulldogs play their first road game of the season at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Tusculum sports information will be providing Live Stats and Live Video for Saturday's contest.
Barton soccer fans can follow the Bulldogs throughout the season on BartonBulldogs.com and via social media including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Barton College Men's Soccer
The Bulldogs started the season with a quality 3-0 home shutout victory over Wingate University on Thursday. Barton toppled Wingate in a battle of two Bulldog programs that are both expected to finish in the top three of their respective conferences in the Southeast Region.
Barton received a balanced attack from its offense with four different players earning at least one point. Senior Erik Pajunk was instrumental in setting up BC's first two tallies with a couple strong dribbles into the opposing box. Pajunk, who has ranked in the top-15 of NCAA Division II in assists per game in both 2011 and 2013, assisted the opening goal off the foot of junior Kevin Strassburger and then drew a penalty kick that senior Dante De Luca converted. Sophomore Alex David netted the Bulldogs final score.
Pajunk and De Luca, who are both averaging at least one point per game in their four-year careers at Barton, are both three-time All-Conference honorees.
Freshman Jens Madsen Hordvik had an impressive collegiate debut posting a shutout in goal. Freshman Tyler Dew joined senior Nick Ahlquist and juniors Drew Williams and Jovan Gracia in helping Hordvik to the clean sheet on the Bulldogs defense. Williams was an All-Conference selection in 2013.
Barton posted an impressive 7-2 record in road games last season.
After a slow 1-5-1 start in September of 2013, the Bulldogs have now gone 9-3 in their last dozen games. However, one of those losses was a 1-nil home loss to Tusculum on Oct. 15. BC finished with a 21-15 shot advantage but could not find the back of the net marking the last time the Bulldogs have been shutout. Barton did hit the post three times in that contest.
Tusculum College Men's Soccer
The Pioneers will be making their 2014 season debut on Saturday. Tusculum went 6-10 last season and are picked to finish 10th out of 12 teams in the SAC this year.
TC features a veteran squad that returns 100% of its points production from last season. Senior Midfielder Roberto Pimental, who was an All-SAC honorable mention honoree last year and preseason All-SAC selection to start this season, paces the Pioneers letter winners with 13 points from last season. Sophomore Jonathan Spicher is Tusculum's front forward and matched Pimental with five goals. Senior Cody Kammerzell (3G, 1A), sophomore Mark Patterson (3G), sophomore Kyle Dickson (1G, 3A), sophomore Ricardo Da Silva (1G, 1A) and senior Mason Fox all compliment the Pioneers attack.
Tusculum has featured a stingy defense last season that only allowed 1.31 goals per game. Thirteen of the Pioneers 16 games a year ago were decided by one goal. Da Silva and senior Juan Avendano and Adam Kulbat anchor TC's back line.
Sophomore Ashley Elsey started nine games between the pipes as a rookie and produced a 3-6 record with a 1.47 goals against average and .740 save percentage. Elsey has two shutouts to his name but he was not in net in the Pioneers blanking of the Bulldogs last season.
Pimental lifted Tusculum over Barton, 1-0, last season with a late goal off a free kick at the top of the 18-yard box in the 89th minute.
