The No. 20 ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team placed two on the board in first half action to win 3-1 Wednesday over Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa at the Cougar Soccer Complex. The Cougars improve to 10-3-1 on the season while dropping NOC to 7-8-0. With only one regular season conference game remaining, Barton controls its destiny for at least a share of the Jayhawk Conference crown. The 8-1-0 Cougars will be scoreboard watching on Thursday as fellow top spotter Coffeyville Community College travels to Johnson County Community College. A loss by the No. 15 Red Ravens followed by a Barton win against 3-10-1 Pratt Community College on Saturday would give the Cougars the outright title. Kickoff for Saturday's game at the Cougar Soccer Complex is 4:00 pm. or fifteen minutes after the conclusion of the No. 18 ranked Lady Cougar's game should it run long.
Quietly ascending in the Barton historical records, Ebu Camara added two goals in the first half to give Barton a 2-0 intermission lead. The sophomore from Hays, Kansas, was setup for his first goal by the executed passes of Mariano Gelso to Juan Correa. Racing past two defenders Camara one-touched Correa's pass just outside the 18' past the onrushing Maverick goalkeeper Chris Brown. Camara added his second goal of the half with 2:35 remaining leaping above the crowd just outside the 6' to get a header on Christopher Hogg's 23' boot.
NOC had a solid shot to cut the deficit to one eight minutes into the second half as the Mavericks' Rickardo Oldham was taken down in the penalty box. Oldham's penalty kick was blocked by the reigning and 5-time KJCCC Goalkeeper of the Week Mauricio Vargas to preserve the shutout. However with only 16:40 remaining, Oldham got revenge on Vargas by setting up teammate Anthony Walker's far post goal thwarting the shoutout while drawing the Mavericks to within one.
The Cougar defense held on the rest of the way while the Cougar offense went on limited attacks the rest of the contest. Juan Correa's unassisted goal with only thirty-eight ticks on the clock sealed the Barton win as the freshman West Palm Beach, Florida, recorded his sixth goal of the season.
Scoring his 31st and 32nd career goals, Camara moved into the third spot on Barton career list. Camara's first goal passed former Cougar and reigning MIAA Athlete of the Week Ricardo Yeverino's mark set in the 2009-2010 seasons while his second goal leaves him within two of the top spot. Kevin Ellis' achievements in the 2009-2010 seasons reigns in the top spot while Sam McCrillis stands next on Camara's climb to the top.