Late goal sinks Lady Cougars 2-1 at Cloud County #GoBarton

A late goal handed the Barton Community College women's soccer team a 2-1 defeat today at Cloud County Community College. Trailing by one at halftime, the Lady Cougars tied it up midway through the final frame before a critical defensive misplay provided the game winner coming with just over four minutes remaining. The loss sinks Barton to 1-2-1 in conference play and 2-3-2 on the season while Cloud County improves to 3-1 in the Jayhawk and 3-2 overall. Next up for the Lady Cougars will be 5-2 Hesston College as the Larks come to the Cougar Soccer Complex on Tuesday for a 2:00 p.m. kick.

Playing without its leading scorer, Barton had little offensive possession in first half play resulting in just three shots. Two of those went on frame but the Lady Cougars missed out on a potential goal after pulling the Cloud County goalkeeper out of net but couldn't get the shot on frame.

On the other end of the field Barton keeper of the net Reyna Gonzalez was keeping the Lady Cougars in the game coming up with eight saves in the first half including a handful of big time plays. The T-brids launched seventeen shots in the half overall, finally breaking through with thirteen minutes left. Following a Cloud County corner kick, a miscue on the clear left the T-birds' Angie Vergara to launch a shot on goal caroming off the crossbar with Maria Barbosa hammering in the go ahead net shaker from the backside.

The Lady Cougars were more offensive in the second half but the T-birds still had good chances of their own including a free kick attempt banging off the side post just ten minutes into the frame.
Barton would produce the tying goal seven minutes later as Sydney Sulzman's twenty-five yard free kick struck the crossbar and spun back into goal for the Hays freshman's 1st collegiate goal.

Cloud County picked back up the tempo after the deadlock, again sending multiple shots in the air with more saves by Gonzalez and another shot ricocheting off the post. Coincidentally enough, the third shot off the post in the game would help set up the T-bird game winner as Abigail Conway chased down her own shot off the far post before sending a weak cross back into the box. In a momentary misplay the ball was allowed its path towards the back post with Maria Barbosa putting just enough cleat on it to sneak the game winner under the diving Gonzalez.

Barton was outshot in the contest 30-7 in just four on frame while Gonzalez recorded a career high thirteen saves.