SALISBURY, N.C. — The Catawba College men's soccer team registered its first shutout of the 2025 season on Tuesday afternoon, taming Barton in 2-0 fashion at Frock Field.

TEAM STATS
- Catawba (4-2) overwhelmed the Bulldogs (3-3-1) with a 25-5 comparison on shots, including a 7-1 gap in shots on goal
- The blue and white scored seven corner kick opportunities against the Bulldogs' two
- Barton logged just one more foul than Catawba (9-8), but accounted for both of the match's two yellow cards
- The hosts dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 64% of the contest with most time spent in the attacking zone; alternatively, over two-thirds of Barton's TOP was in their defensive half

INDIVIDUAL STATS
- Tomas Kelly recorded the game-winning goal as he and Máté Kenyeres posted a squad-high two shots on goal
- Giovanni Benericetti, who had previously accumulated four points on assists, added the knockout punch on his lone on-target shot
- Kheynne Ona-Vera picked up his first point of the season by assisting on Kelly's dart
- In net, Héctor Vara saved the only shot he faced to earn his first career shutout and fourth win
- Callum Hudson made his first appearance since 2023, starting on the back line and going the distance

NOTES
- Kelly delivered the 12th goal of his career – second as a Catawba Indian – to make 10 points in 2025, catching up to Kenyeres who leads the way at 12
- Benericetti recorded his first career goal, upping his point total for the year to six
- Alex Payton is the only field player to have played 90 minutes in five of the squad's six contests
- The shutout snapped a 10-match streak without a clean sheet dating back to last season; Catawba's last blanking was a 2-nil defeat of Emory & Henry on Oct. 3, 2024

UP NEXT
Catawba takes a full seven days off before its next match on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Coker. Kickoff against the Cobras is scheduled for 7 p.m.