WILSON, N.C. – The Barton women's soccer team (8-5-3, 6-3-3) sent its Seniors off in style with a 3-1 win over Converse (3-12-2, 3-9) Saturday morning at the J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex.
Barton senior defender
Hailey Russell (Jacksonville, N.C.) scored a goal and added an assist as the Bulldogs won their second straight match and remained unbeaten in its last five contests (3-0-2) to wrap up the regular season.
Russell assisted on the match-winning goal when senior forward
Olivia Bronson (Gaithersburg, Md.) found the back of the net at the 13:03 mark of the first half. Russell then scored her team-leading sixth goal of the year in the 66th minute for a 2-0 Bulldogs' advantage.
Converse cut the score in half on a penalty kick at the 79:19 mark courtesy of Shaylah Youngdale (Pacifica, Calif.) but freshman forward
Hannah Johnson (Oneonta, N.Y.) scored right in front of the goal with just 24 seconds left in the contest for the Bulldogs to round out the scoring. Senior defender
Bonnie Evans (Oxford, N.C.) was credited with the assist. The goal was Johnson's second of the year.
Barton held an 18-9 advantage in shots taken while junior goalkeeper
Rachel Cox (Wilson, N.C.) earned the win for the Bulldogs after playing the first half and stopping three shots. Converse's starting goalkeeper, Sameera Jaffery (Oak Ridge, Tenn.), suffered the loss despite four saves.
Barton and Converse will compete again next week in the 2021 Conference Carolinas Women's Soccer Championship. Pairings will be announced by the league office later this week.
