Lady Barons prevail for first victory

The Brewton-Parker College women's soccer team dedicated Saturday's match, a 1-0 victory over Wesleyan College in Macon, to the memory of freshman student Nicole Biauce.

During Saturday's game, team members wore black ribbons on their arms in memory of Biauce, who was from Adel and died suddenly Friday morning.

"Several team members spoke in the locker room before the match asking the players to remember their classmate and to always realize how to be thankful for each day God gives us," said Bill Glass, the first-year coach of the Lady Barons.

Brewton-Parker got off to its strongest start of the season and kept its play at a high level throughout the match, Glass said, adding that Wesleyan proved to be a determined opponent and the match was a see-saw battle from start to finish.

While Brewton-Parker midfielders Ashley Meyer, a sophomore from Alma, Ontario, and junior Karen Taylor from Burlington, Ontario, generated most of BPC's attacks, freshman Brittany Evans from Louisville, Ga., put in the game-winner off an assist by Meyer. The goal was Evans' second of the season.

Glass said sophomore goalkeeper Michelle McRaven of Brunswick was sterling in goal, making critical saves to keep the Lady Barons in the match.

"This game could have gone either way," Glass said. "Both teams are struggling this season and viewed this match as a critical opportunity to notch a win, thus there was no quit in either team and it went right down to the wire."

Glass also praised the Brewton-Parker back line of sophomore Kelly Mosley from Appling, senior Kendra Sewell of Canton, sophomore Avianne Tobias from Toco, Trinidad, and senior Anna Fry of Baldwin for their efforts.

"Wesleyan launched one counter-attack after another," Glass said. "Our backs worked together as a group to protect our goalkeeper and secured the shutout."

After the game, the team had dinner together along with words of prayer for Nicole Biauce, her family and friends.

The win also went a long way toward wiping out the memory of the Lady Barons' lopsided defeat, 12-0, at Thomas University in Thomasville on Sept. 9.

"We might have started a little slow in that game, or they may have just been that good," Glass said of playing Thomas, which was ranked No. 14 in last week's NAIA national poll.

However, after trailing 9-0 at the half, the Lady Barons turned in a determined effort in limiting Thomas to only three goals in the second half.

"I was proud of the way our players hung in there and did their best against a top-notch women's soccer team" Glass said. "In the second half our midfielders pitched in and helped the backs limit the damage."

Brewton-Parker (1-6) will be off until Saturday's Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Conference match at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, S.C. That 3 p.m. game will be the first of five matches in eight days for the Lady Barons, who play at home Tuesday, Sept. 23, against Oglethorpe University beginning at 2 p.m.


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