With the glow of the 2018 season in the rearview mirror, the Barton Community College women's soccer team opens the 2019 campaign Thursday as the Cougars embark on three games in four days.
Receiving votes in the NJCAA Division I preseason polls, Barton kicks off its season at 2:00 p.m. at the Cougar Soccer Complex with a non-conference match versus Central Christian College.
After finishing 15-4-1 and coming off a runner-up finish in the NJCAA Plains District Semifinals a year ago, the Cougars look to reload in defense of their first Jayhawk West title since 2008.
This season the Cougars will see a mix of new players on the pitch, with 16 newcomers called up to make significant contributions right out of the gates. Head Coach Ousmane Camara, now in his fourth season at the helm, brings in his biggest freshman class of his tenure.
"The team is very young with only two starters returning," said Camara. "They've been working hard and adapting to the style of play and playing quicker college pace soccer. I'm very excited for the first game Thursday to see how we are."
The Cougars return just four players who saw time on the field last season. Additionally, 14 incoming freshmen will wear Barton jerseys for the first time, with a couple of transfers from fellow conference schools completing the roster.
Alondra Alvarado comes from Garden City Community College where she accounted for a goal and two points in 14 games with Kadin Stinson making the transfer to Great Bend from Butler Community College after sitting out the 2018 campaign.
Barton will look to fill the offensive void created by the departure of its top five leading goal scorers from a year ago which triggered one of the most prolific offenses in program history finishing second in goals scored with 122 and a third best 94 assists. The Cougars out-scored their opponents 122-31 last season aided by a 431-201 shot advantage. This year, the Cougars front line will rely heavily on sophomore Larissa Modesto, who earned second team all-conference honors last season after controlling the midfield and contributing four goals.
Other notable returners for the Cougars are the back line anchoring from Georgia Lawton, Alexsandra Fernandes, and Diana Lara which should give the young Cougars stabilization on the defensive end of the pitch.
Following the Cougars' opener, Barton will head to Council Bluffs, Iowa, for a pair of games beginning on Saturday versus Western Nebraska Community College before taking on host No. 3 ranked Iowa Western Community College on Sunday. The Cougars will then have one final tune-up before conference play with a Friday, August 30, hosting of Southwestern College JV with a September 4th date at Garden City Community College to begin the league slate.