ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Eric Villeda scored early in the second half, and goalkeeper Connor Makinlay-Barish earned his first collegiate shutout as the Warren Wilson College men's soccer team defeated Berea College, 1-0, Sunday afternoon at Hank Steinbrechler Sports Complex.
The match was halted by lightning in the 81st minute and could not be resumed. Because the contest had reached the 70-minute mark, it was declared official under NCAA rules. The victory improved Warren Wilson's record to 1-2-1.
The Owls created several early opportunities, earning five corner kicks during the opening 15 minutes. Ethan Perez registered Warren Wilson's first shot on goal in the 13th minute, but Berea goalkeeper Marcus Bishop made the save.
The teams entered halftime scoreless after combining for 15 shots. Makinlay-Barish stopped three first-half attempts to keep the Mountaineers off the scoreboard.
Warren Wilson broke through at the 49:38 mark. Kevin Locklear set up Villeda, who scored his second goal of the season to give the Owls a 1-0 advantage.
Berea immediately pushed for an equalizer, but Makinlay-Barish stopped shots from Peter Mensah and Tobore Takpor during the next two minutes.
Villeda continued to pressure the Mountaineers' defense, placing three more shots on goal between the 56th and 59th minutes. Jaime Millan added another shot on target in the 65th minute.
Warren Wilson's defense protected the one-goal advantage until lightning brought the match to an early conclusion. Makinlay-Barish finished with five saves while securing his first collegiate shutout.
Both teams recorded 13 shots, with the Owls holding a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal. Warren Wilson also finished with a 9-6 edge in corner kicks. Villeda led all players with five shots, placing four on target.
