Comeback Cougars score late goals winning 3-2 at KCK

The Barton Community College men's soccer team exploded for three goals in nine minutes Monday for a come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The Cougars were kept off the scoreboard for the first seventy-four minutes trailing by one but fast forward nine minutes and Barton flipped the one goal advantage leaving the remaining seven minutes to the defense for their third comeback victory of season.   Closing out the regular season winning four straight including three in conference play, the Cougars finish 8-2 in conference play and 13-2 overall while dropping KCK to 4-5-1 and 8-7-1 on the year.   Barton's victory aided by Cloud County finishing tied with Johnson County in their respective regular season finale, moves the Cougars into second place in the Jayhawk and more importantly the No. 2 seed which ensures consecutive home matches in the upcoming Region VI playoffs.   The Cougars will play first round action at 3:00 p.m. Thursday against Cowley College before a hopeful semifinal match on Sunday.  

In a defensive first half, KCK grabbed a one goal lead to the locker room scoring in the final seven minutes.  

The Blue Devils kept the Cougars in check until 16:20 remained in the contest when the nation's fifth best setup man Renan Sousa connected on his fourteenth assist finding Lucas Alves for thirteenth goal of the season.   However KCK would answer the call less than a minute later retaking the lead with 15:45 remaining.  The comeback Cougars would tie it back up in the next minute and a half as freshman Kota Endo rattled the nets off a corner kick situation giving Alves his third assist of the season. 

As the clock ticking close to the seven minute mark, a freshmen duo provided the heroics as Sergio Ribeiro unleashed a rocket from a through ball just inside the 18 to the lower 90 from Vinicius Monteiro's second assist of the year giving Barton its first lead and ultimately the game winner.

Coming off consecutive shutouts, the Cougar defense tightened the screws for the final seven minutes securing the victory.

Barton will open Region VI play against Cowley College, a team the Cougars defeated 5-1 in Arkansas City on September 12.  Should Barton win, the Cougars will host a semifinal game on Sunday against the winner of Cloud County's first round game.   The top seeded Pratt Community College will host the first round and possible semifinal game as winners of the semifinal round advance to Topeka on November 5 for the Plains District semifinal against the top two Region II teams.