Box Score by Benny Benton
WINGATE, N.C. – The Barton College women's soccer team kept the top-ranked team in the Southeast Region off the scoreboard for a half before Wingate University broke through early in the second period to claim a 1-0 non-conference victory on Tuesday.
Wingate's Bulldogs, now 13-1-1 on the season, produced 23 shots to just four for Barton's Bulldogs (6-6-4), but BC senior keeper Kelsey Rothwell delivered nine saves in just over 81 minutes between the pipes to keep the match close.
In the 52nd minute, Wingate scored the lone goal of the match when freshman Morgan Meltzer slipped a header past Rothwell for her first collegiate goal. The shot came after fellow freshman Kimmi Moore made an entry pass into the box to junior Brooke Howell, who crossed it to Meltzer.
Barton found itself mainly playing defense against a Wingate team that has outscored its opponents 30-6 this year. BC managed to put two of its shots on goal, one by Lane Brooks late in the first half and the other by Ashley Batchelor very early in the second period, but both were stopped by Wingate keeper Alexis Jones.
The match was slated for a national broadcast as part of Wingate's continuing partnership with ESPN3, but those plans were washed away by the heavy rain in which the match was contested.
Barton will conclude its regular season on Saturday with another road trip, this time to face Conference Carolinas foe North Greenville University, the team directly ahead of BC in the league standings.
The Bulldogs can jump NGU and claim the No. 7 seed for the Conference Carolinas Tournament with a win over the Crusaders, or can nail down the final spot (No. 8) with a tie. A loss could leave Barton and Lees-McRae College examining tiebreaker scenarios on Saturday night to see who gets left out.
