MOUNT VERNON, Ga. – Brewton-Parker Men's Soccer opened its 2023 campaign with a tight battle on home soil, departing from potential defeat in a 2-1 comeback win.

The Barons (1-0) were challenged early as the Lions (0-1) struck swiftly but managed to overcome adversity with a leveling goal moments later while following with a second half score to secure victory.

"The boys were excellent tonight, after going down to 10 men so early on they played with decisiveness and composure," Head Coach Bob Neumann said. "They demand a huge standard of themselves even in difficult situations. Genuinely relentless for 90 minutes."

How It Happened | First Half

Freed-Hardeman broke the game open early with a goal at the 4:44 mark, taking advantage of a well-placed cross into the 18-yard box for the swift 1-0 advantage.

The Barons responded well with a goal of their own as George Collins set up Jordan de Souza Barclay on a through-ball for the leveling score in the eighth minute.

Unfortunately for BPC, the Barons were left with a man down as Andrea Abwe was sent off for a handball outside of the box. Jake McCarthy came on for Danny Guerra to fill in for the empty net. McCarthy made an immediate impact with a total of three saves on the Lions as they held a narrow 6-4 advantage in shots in the first half.

BPC managed to produce some offensive opportunities but were held to just one shot on frame, coming from Manny Marin's saved header in the 31st minute.

How It Happened | Second Half

Freed-Hardeman opened the second half with a 4-2 shot advantage over the course of the first 23 minutes until Brewton-Parker utilized a counterattack from the duo of Landon Brafford and Derventz Altidor to slot home the go-ahead goal from Altidor at the 68:07 mark.

BPC managed to battle and hold onto the one-goal edge over FHU despite giving up a total of 11 shots in the second half. Victor Garces came in clutch late in the 85th minute, notching a defensive save on a shot from the Lions to keep the win alive.

The game eventually returned to level players as a red card from the visitors equalized at 10 men a side in the 86th minute before BPC secured the season-opening win.

Inside The Statistics

• Freed-Hardeman controlled a 17-7 shot advantage while also leading 8-3 in shots on goal.
• Both de Souza Barclay and Altidor slotted home a goal each while Collins and Brafford bagged assists.
• After replacing Abwe, McCarthy came in to produce a clean sheet performance for nearly 77 minutes and totaled six saves in the process.
• Thursday night's win marks the first season-opening victory for the Barons since the 2020 campaign.

Next Up

• The Barons will hit the road on Saturday to challenge SCAD Savannah (Ga.) in a 7 p.m. ET contest.