FLORENCE, SC – Graduate student midfielder
Antonio Garda and forward
Matteo Benistant literally combined for two goals and two assists to propel Francis Marion University to a 2-0 blanking of Barton College, Wednesday night (Oct. 15) in Conference Carolinas men's soccer play.
Francis Marion ups its overall mark to 5-3-3 and its conference record to 5-1-2, while supplanting Barton at the top of East Division standings.
The Patriots will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday when they entertain Ferrum College at 6:30 p.m. on Hartzler Field.
The first 45 minutes was scoreless despite FMU peppering the Bulldog goal with five shots on frame. Senior defender
David Guevara's re-direction of a corner kick by Garda in the 16th minute sailed just outside the near post. FMU's best chance probably came in the 32nd minute when junior midfielder
Marc Hernandez headed down a cross from
Elian Aguilar Valencia and forced a diving push save by Barton goalkeeper Pedro Bonfa.
Four minutes into the second stanza, junior midfielder
Santiago Sanchez unleashed a blast from 28 yards out that forced a save by Bonfa and resulted in a corner kick.
At the 56:54 mark, Benistant dribbled into the penalty area from the left side and then fed Garda for a seven-yard shot into an open net.
The two also combined for the final score with 18.9 seconds left. Garda's free kick from midfield found Benistant on the right side of his attacking zone and he proceeded to convert a 15-yard left-footed shot.
Francis Marion outshot Barton 19-6 and held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. FMU senior goalkeeper
Ian Milla registered six saves en route to his second shutout of the season.
Bonfa finished with 12 saves as the Bulldogs drop to 5-6-2 overall and 4-3-1 in league play.
The victory also moves FMU head coach
Luis Rincon into second place on the program's all-time wins list with 62, breaking a three-way tie with John M. Campbell and Tom C. Davidson. Rincon only trails recently retired athletic director Murray Hartzler, who posted 133 wins.
