The Barton Community College women's soccer team opens up the 2016 season today as the Lady Cougars travel to take on No. 20 ranked Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa in a 2:00 p.m. non-conference game.  

The Lady Cougars, picked third in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) West Division pre-season coaches poll under first year Head Coach Ousmane Camara, begin the season with the nationally ranked Mavericks before hosting Northeast Community College on Friday in the home opener. 

Barton returns five players from last season's 9-7 Region VI semifinal team with defender Hannah Knaak the lone returner having earned 2015 All-Conference honors.  Knaak will be joined by fellow sophomore Adriana Reyes as the duo started all sixteen games in the backline for the Lady Cougars.  Also returning is Brooke Russell who scored four goals along with Rachel Craft's two and Megan Martinez's one.

Coach Camara's initial season is loaded with freshman talent ranging from Kansas in-state talent Nicole Budke (Salina South), Amber Miller (Garden City), Sara Smith (Junction City), Kassandra Herrera (Dodge City), Courtney Carron (Bishop Carroll), and sophomore transfer Kayla Metheny (Junction City).

Joining out-of-state product Alexandra Capalbo (Melbourne, FL), will be a variety of international players with Ana Luiza Rodrigues hailing from Brazil, Abigail Elliott from England, and dual sport athlete Maddison Schofield from Australia joins the squad for the fall season before returning to the softball diamond.