South Jersey Soccer:
Barons Close Regular Season With 7-0 Win Over Voltage

Saturday, August 8, 1998

By Forrest Robleto
SJSports Staff Writer

In their last regular game of the season with the Division Championship already in hand, the Barons got back their leading scorer Matt Miles, third leading scorer Paul Wimbelton, and with a little help from Garden State Parkway traffic, humiliated the Vermont Voltage 7-0. Miles, in his first game since he fractured his cheekbone in a game on June 28, scored three goals. Wimbelton, back from a game suspension for 6 cautions had four assists. Miles was wearing a protective mask for his cheekbone injury that was obviously uncomfortable during the game.

The Vermont Voltage had one of their team vans held up in traffic on the Garden State Parkway and played the entire first half with only nine players. As if all that were not enough, Barons forward Mike Payne had a terrific night with four goals (all four from Wimbleton) and an assist on one goal of Matt Miles' hat trick.

The Barons got on the board early and often. Payne scored at the five-minute mark and the 13-minute mark, and Miles scored at 20 minutes on a feed from Payne. Wimbleton assisted Payne with two more goals at 22 and 25 minutes. Miles got his second and third goals at the fifty-minute mark and the 75-minute mark, assisted by Dan Christian and Brian Thiel.

The shutout - the team's eighth of the season - was shared by keepers Paul Royal and Joe Elmer. It was the largest margin of victory in the team's history. The game was played at Carey Field in Ocean City in front of 1,602 fans on "Fan Appreciation Night."

The Barons next game will be the first playoff game against either Central Jersey Riptide or Reading Rage on Saturday, August 15 at 5:00 PM.

Photos by Forrest Robleto