The Barton Community College men's soccer team began its 2019 season Sunday defeating Hill College in an early season battle held on neutral turf in Noble, Oklahoma.

Coming off a national runner-up finish last season, the 7th ranked Cougars jumped out to a lead just two minutes into the contest as Ebrahim Diagne rattled the net from Gabrielle Privitera's pass.

Barton nearly extended the lead to two with ten minutes left in the half but Kai Ishimaru's penalty kick was rejected by the Hill goalkeeper.

Seven minutes later the Rebels produced the equalizer on a laser from approximately twenty-two yards to beat the Cougars' keeper Marco Seyfert to the near post.

Privitera countered two minutes later with his own pinpoint shot, working his way through a pair of Rebel defenders into the eighteen before launching a rocket to the far post for the lead with 1:09 left.

Hill would get the game tied again with twenty-six minutes left in the contest on a shot to the upper-90 far post but the Cougars took the lead for good just six minutes later.

Executing a give-n-go from midfield, Valdyslav Peretyatko caught up with Privitera's pass down the right flank before returning the favor finding Privitera cutting into the eighteen. With a one-touch through ball traveling across the eight, Sebastian Kennedy crashed the weak side to pound in the game winner center net.

Winning its fifth straight opening day game, Barton will now turn its attention to its home opener taking place on Wednesday in a 1:00 p.m. kick-off versus Northeastern Junior College.

The Cougars will then begin their quest for their 10th Jayhawk West title on September 4th with a road trip to Garden City Community College.