Barton, Belmont Abbey Earn Inaugural Men’s and Women’s Soccer Developmental Championship Titles
WILSON, N.C. – All of the teams entered the inaugural Conference Carolinas Developmental Championships for men’s and women’s soccer on Monday, Oct. 25 knowing that anybody could emerge as the champions.
It truly played out that way as well with high-quality soccer on display all day in men’s and women’s soccer with both Barton (women’s soccer) and Belmont Abbey (men’s soccer) earning the titles in dramatic fashion.
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Women’s Soccer Developmental Championship
Barton was victorious in the inaugural Women’s Soccer Developmental Championship in thrilling fashion with the Bulldogs winning the final match in penalty kicks.
Barton and Belmont Abbey had initially both won their opening matches to set up a winner-take-all final in the round robin tournament.
The final featured a very close game with Belmont Abbey scoring in the 30
th minute to take a narrow 1-0 advantage into intermission. Barton tied things up at 1-1 in the 51
st minute. The two teams battled back and forth over the final nine-plus minutes of regulation before the game went to penalty kicks to determine a winner.
Much like the game, the penalty kick shootout was very close with the two teams tied at 2-2 entering their fifth attempts.
This is where Barton’s Cara Davis stepped up immensely for the Bulldogs. The sophomore goalkeeper from Angier, North Carolina first connected on the fifth attempt for Barton before then returning to goal and saving Belmont Abbey’s fifth attempt. The make and miss allowed Barton to take a narrow 3-2 victory in the penalty kick shootout.
Davis’ heroic efforts in the final and throughout the day allowed her to take home Most Valuable Player honors. She also kept a clean sheet between the pipes in Barton’s 1-0 win over North Greenville in the first match of the day for the Bulldogs.
Men’s Soccer Developmental Championship
It was just as thrilling in the Men’s Soccer Developmental Championship with Belmont Abbey scoring with under two minutes to play in regulation to earn the title.
The men’s match looked as if it would be headed to extra time, but Deshaun Corry and Belmont Abbey ended the match in regulation.
The game-winning goal for the freshman from Mount Holly, North Carolina came with just 1:46 left to play in the contest.
The Belmont Abbey championship came after a really fun day of men’s soccer action with the Crusaders besting Barton, 2-1, to advance to the championship, while Mount Olive downed North Greenville, 4-0, to move on to the championship match.
In the consolation match, Barton picked up a 2-0 victory over North Greenville.
A freshman from Tallahassee, Florida, Drew Daunt of Belmont Abbey was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.