Box Score by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College women's soccer team suffered its first shutout of the year and first league loss after being blanked by visiting Converse College, 1-0, in Conference Carolinas action Saturday afternoon at the Barton Outdoor Athletics Complex.
The Valkyries (2-4, 1-2), the league's defending regular-season champions, scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute when Alex Marquez crossed the ball from the left sideline into the box to senior Natalie Johnson, who beat BC keeper Kelsey Rothwell for her second goal of the season.
Rothwell matched a season-high by stopping five other shots on goal by Converse, who had 14 total shot attempts in the contest.
Barton (2-2-1, 1-1-1) had 13 totals shots, several of them good scoring opportunities. However, Converse keeper Josee Waitrovich recorded six saves for her first shutout of 2015, and BC narrowly missed the net wide and high on a couple of other attempts.
Senior Ashley Batchelor missed to the left on Barton's first shot attempt following the Valkyries' goal, and senior Emily Futral followed with an attempt that sailed just over the crossbar three minutes later. Futral had a great look on an attempt from the of the box with 10 minutes to play, but Waitrovich moved to her right to step in front of the curling shot.
The outcome remained in doubt until the very end, as Barton got off a corner kick with four seconds to play, but the Valkyries cleared the ball to preserve their win.
Barton will remain home for its next contest, a 5 p.m. matchup on Tuesday against rival University of Mount Olive.
