Pineville, NC - Southern Wesleyan opened their 2023 Season with a neutral site affair against Barton College. Although Barton is a member of Conference Carolinas, this game was considered a non-conference game and the two teams will not meet again in the Regular Season.
Both teams brought great energy to the game, giving the contest the feel of a true conference game. Transfer Goalkeeper
Marco Iniguez was terrific today for the Warriors, recording eight saves and a clean sheet in his debut. Midfielder
Gabriel Melendez was good in attack today, leading the team in shots (3) and shots on goal (2).
Game Vitals
Final: Barton 0, Southern Wesleyan 0
Records: Barton (0-0-1), Southern Wesleyan (0-0-1)
How it Happened
Barton opened the game putting some pressure on the SWU back line, but right back
Noah Koch and center back
Feren Nunez were strong and focused from the start. The Warriors were very balanced in the first half, putting up 7 of their 11 total shots. However in the second period, the Warriors created a couple key chances. Ten minutes into the second half, a Bulldog defensive miscue allowed a breakaway for Warrior forwards
Jon-Luke Rodriguez and
Brody Schroeder, however they could not combine to get a shot away. Later on in the half, a half-clearance fell to the left foot of
Diego Hernandez who's volley attempt flew just wide. Barton did manage to put a ball in the back of the net with four minutes remaining in the game, but it was called back for offside. In the closing minutes, the ball skills of
Feren Nunez were on full display as he helped kill the game and seal a point for Southern Wesleyan.
Noah Koch was named the Warrior's "Spark Plug of the Game", a team-selected award for the player who brought great energy and an impactful performance to the game. Koch was key to the the team's success today, bringing determined defending, incisive passes, and vocal leadership.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will host Montreat College for Senior Day on Saturday, September 2nd at 3:30 PM. Following that, they will host Shaw University on Wednesday, September 6th at 6:00 PM.
