WILSON, N.C. – The Valkyrie soccer team opened the conference portion of their schedule with a 0-0 tie at Barton on Wednesday evening. Converse is now 1-1-2, 0-0-1 in Conference Carolinas on the season, while the Bulldogs are 1-2-2, 0-2-2 in conference.
Barton outshot the Valkyries by a total of 19-10, including 8 on goal to Converse's 6. The Bulldogs earned 10 corner kicks while Converse was awarded one. Fouls were 14-13 in favor of CC.
Claudia Coffin led the Purple and Gold with three shots, while Nicole Doolittle and Madison Reeves put both of their shots on goal. Laisy Scardazzi was able to collect seven shots for the Bulldogs while Laura Franco and Rebekah Beal chipped in three each.
Rachel Stalford extended her scoreless streak to 310 minutes after not allowing a score for the third consecutive contest, collecting eight saves in the masterful effort. Haley Sauls was equal to the task for Barton, going the distance with six saves.
Scardazzi put pressure on the Valkyries keeper early on, firing a shot from the top of the box, but Stalford had none of it, denying the Bulldogs an early score. Doolittle looked poised to put Converse ahead in the 25th minute, but her strike from the close right wing was pushed away by Sauls.
Both teams had their opportunities during regulation but could not get anything past the opposing keepers, sending the contest into overtime. Claudia Coffin put back-to-back shots towards the Bulldogs goal in the 94th and 95th minutes but both sailed high. Reeves put the only shot on goal in either overtime period in the 108th minute, but the ground ball was covered by Sauls from Barton and the rest of the contest was academic, finishing in the scoreless tie.
Converse will be back in action on Saturday, September 16, returning to Fulp Field to take on Emmanuel (Ga.). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.