FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University sophomore midfielder Ambrea Hills scored an 87th-minute goal, but the Patriots were unable to produce an equalizing goal and fell to Barton College 2-1, Wednesday evening (Oct.27) in Conference Carolinas women's soccer action.
 
Francis Marion will play its final contest of the 2021 campaign at Erskine College on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
Hills' score trimmed the margin to one goal at the 86:55 mark.  Graduate student Dayle McEwen, playing her final home match on Hartzler Field, assisted on the score. She threaded a long left-footed pass to Hills near the top of the penalty area and the Ladson, S.C., native then converted on a 12-yard attempt the found the back netting near the right post.
 
Barton (7-5-3, 5-3-3) took a 1-0 advantage on a goal by Kassie Krul in the 15th minute and doubled the margin to 2-0 in the 56th minute on a score by Hailey Russell.
 
The Bulldogs outshot the Patriots 13-6, although FMU held a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
 
FMU junior goalkeeper Makayla Willets finished with six saves, giving her 114 stops for the season – the third-highest total in program history.  She had two spectacular stops early in the second stanza.  A diving one-handed punch out of a shot in the 49th minute and a another save that saw her leave her feet in the 56th minute.
 
The Patriots produced a pair of quality goal-scoring opportunities in the opening 45 minutes.  A cross from the left side found freshman midfielder JG Garon streaking down the middle of the field in the eighth minute, but her one-touch shot from 23 yards out went wide right. 
 
At the 35:02 mark, a long throw in by senior Faith Allen found McEwen in the box. She dropped the ball off to freshman Jadelyn Taylor, but her 13-yard shot sailed just over the crossbar.
 
Garon took a free kick from the outside the left portion of the penalty area in the 52nd minute, but her attempt was outside the near post.  Hill came up with a steal in the Barton defensive half at 65:14 and fired an 18-yard shot that was denied by a diving stop from Barton keeper Rachel Cox.

 
 
Barton College (7-5-3, 5-3-3) def. Francis Marion Univ. (2-14-0, 2-9-0) 2-1
Date: 10/27/21      Attendance: 88
Weather: Nice, Partly Cloudy, 70 degrees
 
Goals by period          1  2  Tot
Barton College......     1  1 -  2
Francis Marion Univ.  0  1 -  1
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  14:33 BC Krul, Kassie (2) (Bronson, Olivia) - Turnover in defensive half, one-touch pass to #8 for 17-yard shot, inside near post
2-0.  55:53 BC Russell, Hailey (5) (Goldberg, Lexis) - Pass ahead to left side, 13-yard left-footed shot from tough angle
2-1.  86:55 FMUW Ambrea Hills (1) (Dayle McEwen) - Long left-footed through ball to #18 at top of box, slotted 12-yard shot near right post
 
Shots: Barton 13, Francis Marion 6 ; Saves: Barton 1 (Rachel Cox 1), Francis Marion 6 (Makayla Willets 6)