Mars Hill survives #16 Wingate 2-1 in SAC semi-final contest Friday night

Rock Hill, S.C.----Mars Hill College built a 2-0 lead and held strong in the waning moments as the Lions edged Wingate University 2-1 Friday night in the semi-finals of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference men’s soccer tournament. The number five seed Lions pick up their second victory against the top-seeded Bulldogs this season.

            Mars Hill is 14-4-1 overall, while Wingate slips to 15-3 overall. The Lions will face Anderson (S.C.) University in Sunday’s 4 p.m. championship match. The Trojans blanked Carson-Newman College 2-0 in the other semi-final contest. The Bulldogs will wait for word about next week’s NCAA Division II Southeast Regional tournament.

            Lion junior forward Shadi Harb (San Andres, Columbia) gave Mars Hill a 1-0 lead at the 43:12 mark on a penalty kick. Harb’s sixth goal of the season would be the only scoring the match would see in the first half of play.

            Mars Hill sophomore midfielder Stephen Bivens (Douglasville, Ga.) scored what would later prove to be the match-winning goal on a follow from a deflection in the 84th minute. Lion junior midfielder Isaiah Schafer (Lakewood, Colo.) served the ball to set up the score.

            Three minutes later, Wingate junior midfielder Fabricio Barancoski (Sao Paulo, Brazil) cut the deficit to 2-1 on an unassisted goal, finding the net from 20 yards out. Barancoski has nine goals this season, including the match-winner in Wednesday night’s 3-2 overtime victory over Brevard College in the SAC quarter-finals.

            Sophomore Zac Scott (Pittsboro, N.C.) played 90 minutes in goal for Mars Hill and collected five saves. Senior Joey Calandra (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) also played the entire match in the net and made one save.

            The Bulldogs outshot the Lions 21-12. Wingate had eight corner kicks to one for Mars Hill. The Lions were called offsides three times, while the Bulldogs were whistled offsides once.