Box Score by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – Georgia College ruined the 2015 home opener for the Barton College women's soccer team on Sunday, rolling up three first-half goals and cruising to a 4-1 non-conference victory at the Barton Outdoor Athletics Complex.
The two teams met in conjunction with the Believe Kickoff Classic, which began Friday at University of Mount Olive.
The Bobcats (2-0), members of the Peach Belt Conference, enjoyed a 26-4 edge in shots in Sunday's contest, including a 14-2 edge in attempts on goal.
Barton (1-1) did turn in a better second-half effort, and junior transfer Tanya Garcia collected her first goal in the Royal Blue and White to help the Lady Bulldogs avoid being shut out. Garcia scored in the 70th minute from near the top of the box after Jessica Lime had lobbed a pass from near midfield over the Bobcats' back line.
However, the Lady Bulldogs were way too far behind at that point to mount a comeback.
Georgia College led virtually the entire match after scoring just 3:19 into the contest. Freshman Anya Mancinelli, who had provided the Bobcats' lone goal in a 1-0 win over Mount Olive on Friday, assisted GC's game-winner on Sunday after firing a cross from the left wing into the middle of the box. Senior Ally Barys collected the ball inside the right post and drove the ball past BC starting keeper Kelsey Rothwell for the early advantage.
Barton had a chance to tie the match in the 24th minute when Taylor Doeble broke free off the right post for BC's only shot attempt of the half, but Georgia keeper Ashlee Graham made her lone save of the day.
Over the next four minutes, the Bobcats would effectively put the game away with a pair of quick goals involving two freshmen from Iceland. Unnbjorg Omarsdottir scored the first of the two goals on an assist from Ragnheidur Bjarnadottir, then both players assisted Mancinelli's second goal of the season.
In-between those two strikes, Omarsdottir nearly collected another goal after being left with a shot from inside the box and no keeper in the frame, but Barton defender Kelly Dolan stepped in front of the attempt to clear the ball away and temporarily avoid a goal.
The two sides went to halftime with GC leading 3-0, and the score remained that way until the 62nd minute of the match, when sophomore Maddie Stephen fired a crossing pass from the left wing towards the right post, where junior Sol Baldassini pushed the ball past Barton reserve keeper Haley Sauls to extend the advantage to 4-0.
Barton gave some game experience to all three of its keepers in the contest. Rothwell played the first half, Sauls started the second period and junior transfer Allison Bell worked the last 18 minutes. Rothwell finished the day with four saves, Sauls had two and Bell claimed three.
The Lady Bulldogs will begin Conference Carolinas play on Saturday when they host Erskine College in a 2 p.m. contest.
