Cougars drop 2-1 defensive battle to No. 17 Cloud County

In a defensive battle between two heavyweights of the Jayhawk Conference, the Barton Community College men's soccer team came up short in knocking off No. 17 ranked Cloud County Community College falling 2-1 Wednesday afternoon at the Cougar Soccer Complex.   With each team's defense choking the offense for only six combined shots, two decisive Cloud County on frame was the difference while the Cougars lone shot to rattle the net was too little too late.  The loss for the Cougars drops Barton to 5-2 on the season and behind the T-birds in the standings at 2-2 while Cloud County solidified its spot at the top sweeping the season series staying unbeaten at 6-0-1 and 8-0-1 on the year.  Barton will next embark in a three game road stretch beginning with a 4:00 p.m. kick at Pratt Community College.

With neither team even able to get a shot off in the first forty-five minutes, the T-birds finally broke through midway thru the second half.  Receiving a pass from the midfield, James Nbudueze outraced and broke down the defense before passing to Luiz Felipe just inside the eighteen.  Felipe then dribbled to the right side of the box drawing four Cougars before sending a cross back to the unmarked Nbudueze for a one-touch net shaker past keeper Juan Parente with just under twenty-eight minutes to play.

A turnover in front of the Barton bench proved costly just under nine to play as Marcos Gomes stole an errant pass then weaved in and out of four Barton defenders before beating Parente far post for the game winner at the 8:46 mark.

The Cougars just got one shot off towards frame but it made things interesting late cutting the Barton deficit in half with 1:07 to play.  Midfielder Vinicius Monteiro created space handling off to Luca Perez who then sent a thirty-yard missile top thirty near post for his third goal of the year on Monteiro's fourth season assist.