Barton Soccer cruises to shutout victory over Hesston College

The Barton Community College men's soccer team scored two goals in five minutes tacking on another just seconds before the first half horn Thursday at the Cougar Soccer Complex cruising to a 4-0 regional victory over Hesston College.  The victory, in addition to notification earlier in the day of receiving a forfeit win over Pratt Community College, moves the Cougars into the second spot of the Region VI standings at 8-2 clinching at least a first round home playoff game while Hesston falls to 1-7-1 in region and 3-9-1 on the season.  With just two games remaining in the regular season, the 10-2 Cougars travel to third place Dodge City Community College on Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. kick against the 4-3-1 and 4-6-2 Conquistadors.  Barton will wrap up the regular season Saturday, October 22, hosting Northwest Kansas Technical College in a 3:00 p.m. kick.

An executed throw-in got the Cougars going twenty minutes into the contest with Maxime Noel getting his first collegiate assist beginning the play hitting Jose Escobedo in stride near the byline.  Taking a one-touch Escobedo sent a chip into the box where Alexander Kay split two defenders sending the header to the net.

Five minutes later it was time for Teppei Negami to earn his first collegiate assist sending a perfectly placed through ball finding Escobedo.   Just beating the on rush of Lark goalkeeper Luke Hertzler, Escobedo toe-touched over the sliding Hertzler for his third assist of the season as Kay easily scored past a sliding defender for his fourth goal of the year.

With time running out on the first half clock, Angel Lopez sent a ball to towards the corner where speedster Pierre Cherubin caught up to it beyond the defense line.  Taking it to the box, a toe poke sent it out of Cherubin's possession but the Larks were unable to clear winding up on the foot of Lopez.  Finding Sergio Ribeiro on the left wing, Ribeiro's attack was rejected by Hertzler but again the Larks weren't able to clear and again Lopez found possession at the top of the eighteen.  Juking a defender right, Lopez sent a short pass to his left where Mario Ramirez settled before placing a left foot strike under Hertzler with just seven ticks left on the clock.

The teams locked up in a second half stalemate until just under eighteen to play as freshman Seny Gueye found the net for the first time in the Frenchman's collegiate career.  With Lucas Alves putting the play in motion out of the corner, Lopez' shaping shot towards goal was met in the six by an airborne Gueye who pounded header past Hertzler and a Lark defender.