The Barton Community College men's soccer team was dominant in both halves and throughout the lineup Wednesday against Hesston College, posting their second straight 7-0 margin and fourth shutout of the year.
Still receiving votes in the latest NJCAA poll, the Cougars' conference opener improves the slate to 5-1 on the year while dropping Hesston to 0-3-0 in Jayhawk play and 0-5-1 overall. Playing four games at home in the course of a calendar week, game two on the schedule is this Saturday with Dodge City Community College in a 4:00 p.m. kick-off.
The Cougars' and KJCCC's leading scorer on the season was the first to get Barton on the scoreboard with a penalty kick with 32:00 left first half after being taken down in the box after receiving Damia Viader's pass.
Viader would officially get an assist on the Cougars' second goal coming fourteen minutes later finding Colin Roemer on the run who one-timed it David Palacios on the far side of the box in sending a rocket back across the box far post. Palacios would connect again with 2:27 left in the half as Roemer again pinpointed a pass with a through ball resulting in the Salina native's third goal in the last two games.
Heading into a 15-20mph south wind for second half action, Barton was more efficient in their attacks even as a host of Cougars found their way on the pitch and contributed as eleven of the seventeen shots were on frame with four finding the back of the net.
Roemer added to his two assists in the contest with 26:23 remaining by hammering in his third goal of the season off the rebound following Ruben Torres' setting up Gabriel Arraes' blocked shot.
Active on the attack since entering the lineup following Roemer's goal, Lawrence freshman Ebrahim Diagne broke through with his first collegiate goal with 12:03 remaining finishing off sophomore Hiroo Kimura's through ball for a 5-0 lead.
Barton put the finishing touches on the scoring in the final two minutes by scoring a pair of goals in a span of sixty-two seconds. Getting taken down just outside the eighteen, Diego Ribeiro had the shot of the game and a memorable first collegiate goal in curling the free kick over the wall to drill the upper-30 near post with 1:30 remaining. Torres would also join the collegiate first goal club, running the back side where Roberto Hernandez' second assist of the year capped the seven point margin.