ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DALE BRUBACHER
Casey Barton scored twice, including the game-winner on a diving header, as the Tabor College men’s soccer team defeated Southern Nazarene University 2-1 in Hillsboro Thursday.
“It was a really good win for us,” said Nathan Wilkey, Bluejay head coach.
Wilkey noted that the skilled and physical Crimson Storm team maintained more ball possession than did Tabor, but that the Bluejays had several 10- to 15-minute stretches during the match when they had the better of the play.
“What I was happy about, more than the win, was the fact that there were times when we dominated,” said Wilkey. “Against a team like Southern Nazarene that’s a really good thing.”
Barton opened the scoring 10 minutes into the match when he was fouled in the penalty box. He converted the subsequent penalty kick to put Tabor ahead. Southern Nazarene pressed the attack after that point before knotting the score five minutes before halftime.
The teams swapped dominance of ball possession during the second half until Barton tallied the game-winner midway through the period. Barton struck net after Tabor gained a free kick outside the Crimson Storm penalty box and Paul Raugust floated a serving pass to the far post. The Bluejay senior beat the final defender and dove to nod the ball into the Southern Nazarene goal.
The Tabor side managed seven shots at the Southern Nazarene goal while facing five shots from their opponents.
Bluejay goalkeeper Mike Hartman made four saves.
Tabor opened its season Tuesday, Sept. 5 with a 9-0 thrashing of Barclay College. The Bluejays faced only one shot on goal in the match.
Barton claimed a hat trick to lead the Tabor scoring and David Heim tallied a pair of goals. David Fast, Goeff Lanham, Dylan Pohlman and Raugust each collected one goal each.
Michael Zollinger, Barton, Heim, and Pohlman were credited with assists.
Tabor travels to Kansas City to face Avila Friday and plays at McPherson Tuesday, Sept. 19.
