Barton’s Vargas selected for third straight conference weekly award, fifth of season

For the third straight week and fifth time this season, Barton Community College men's soccer goalkeeper Mauricio Vargas has been named the KJCCC Verizon Wireless Goalkeeper of the Week.  Vargas and his Cougar defense earned the award for the fifth time this season.  The honor marks the second consecutive week Vargas and the Cougar defense have been selected for the achievement.  Vargas saved eleven shots on goal last week with only two goals against, both coming via the penalty kick.  His continued solid play in goal has helped the No. 20 nationally ranked Cougars rebound from an early conference loss to climb back up to a first place tie at 8-1-0 and improve to 9-3-1 overall.

Earning the honor for the ninth time in his Barton career, Vargas was also named the NJCAA Goalkeeper of the Week in week four earlier this season.  The first team all-conference goalkeeper posted ten shutouts his freshman season and this season has added sixty-three saves and four more shutouts to rank fourth on the Barton history charts, just one away from matching the efforts of Trevor Laborda in the 2001-2002 seasons. 

Barton will step away from conference play Wednesday for the first of two remaining home games as Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa comes to the Cougar Soccer Complex for a 4:00 p.m. matchup.  The Cougars' final regular season home contest will come three days later on Saturday against Pratt Community College with upcoming playoff games yet to be determined.