Box Score by Benny Benton
TIGERVILLE, S.C. – The Barton College women's soccer team nearly gave away an opportunity to qualify for the Conference Carolinas Tournament after suffering a 2-0 loss at North Greenville University on Saturday.
A win or a tie against the Crusaders (9-7, 5-6) would have automatically put the Lady Bulldogs (6-7-4, 2-5-4) into next week's tourney, but NGU disrupted those plans with a pair of second-half goals.
The loss took Barton's fate out of its hands and put it into those of Lees-McRae College, the team trailing directly behind the Lady Bulldogs in the standings. The Bobcats needed three goals and a shutout to claim a tiebreaker over BC, and LMC reached the three goals within the game's first 32 minutes. However, Erskine scored its only goal in a 5-1 loss two minutes later, backing Barton into the tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs will be the No. 8 seed, and will play the league's top team, Belmont Abbey, at 2 p.m. on Monday in Belmont, N.C. Belmont Abbey edged Limestone College, 2-1, on Saturday in a battle of league unbeatens to claim the top spot.
For a half in its contest on Saturday, Barton appeared to be in position to at least collect a tie and punch its own ticket into the tourney. Senior keeper Kelsey Rothwell stopped a North Greenville free kick from just outside the penalty box 11 minutes into the match, the best attempt by either side in a scoreless first period.
However, 13 minutes into the second half, Asheton Robinson broke free near the top of the box after receiving a cross from the left sideline by Courtney Etheridge and fired it past Rothwell to put the Crusaders on the board.
Barton had a golden opportunity to tie in the 70th minute when forward Taylor Doeble beat a defender to gain an open shot, but North Greenville keeper Madelynn Schober punched the ball over the crossbar to keep the Lady Bulldogs off the board.
Less than two minutes later, the Crusaders put the contest away by getting a two-on-one opportunity up the middle of the field with Etheridge and Robinson, the same two players who had produced the first goal. This time it was Etheridge with the assist, a touch pass to Robinson for the finish that put NGU up 2-0.
The Crusaders had eight total shots in the match to four for Barton. Rothwell produced four saves for the Lady Bulldogs, while Schober collected three for NGU.
Barton will now turn its attention to Belmont Abbey, who defeated the Lady Bulldogs 3-0 in Belmont earlier this season. BAC's Crusaders have outscored their opponents 44-3 this year.
