Shootout ends Barton Soccer season for third straight year, Cougars dropped in District Semifinals #GoBarton
The third time was not the charm as once again the end of the Barton Community College men's soccer team was decided by a shootout. The No. 16 ranked Cougars were just seventy-five seconds from victory in Thursday’s Plains District semifinal against Ranger College, but a surrendered late goal in regulation play sent the teams to overtime. Two scoreless extra periods later led to a dreaded shootout where the Rangers scored on each of their first four shots sending Barton home from the Topeka Sports Complex with a 4-2 score and season ending 14-5-2 mark. Receiving votes in the latest NJCAA poll, Ranger improved to 10-2 on the season in advancing to Friday’s noon championship game with a national tournament bid on the line.
The third time was not the charm as once again the end of the Barton Community College men's soccer team was decided by a shootout. The No. 16 ranked Cougars were just seventy-five seconds from victory in Thursday's Plains District semifinal against Ranger College, but a surrendered late goal in regulation play sent the teams to overtime. Two scoreless extra periods later led to a dreaded shootout where the Rangers scored on each of their first four shots sending Barton home from the Topeka Sports Complex with a 4-2 score and season ending 14-5-2 mark. Receiving votes in the latest NJCAA poll, Ranger improved to 10-2 on the season in advancing to Friday's noon championship game with a national tournament bid on the line.
Barton took a late regulation lead coming with 10:03 remaining as Gabriel Arraes De Almeida punched in his sixth goal of the year in putting away a free kick from Ezra Armstrong's 4th assist of year.
With the Cougar defense on lockdown mode on the Rangers' leading scorer Kyle Edwards, a long pass intended for Edwards at the top of the eighteen flew too high landing on the back side allowing Chris Harrison to one-time the game tying goal to the far post upper-90.
Outshooting the Rangers 9-8 in the first ninety-minutes, the Cougars dominated the overtime periods with a 6-1 shot differential but unfortunately couldn't find the net as Jaun Cediel was stellar in net saving four shots on frame.
Headed to the shootout with the season on the line, both teams connected on their first two attempts Julio Vicente and Almeida rattled the net for the Cougars with Azinho Soloman and Mohamed Saleh delivering for Ranger.
In round three Hiroo Kimura's shot was blocked by Cediel as the Rangers would take the lead as Matheus Pedroso found the net. Boris Nana Tonzi was next in line for Barton but again came up empty setting up Kyle Edwards net shaker setting off a celebration sending the Rangers to the championship game 4-2.