A Saturday morning visit to the Cougar Soccer Complex was not for the faint of the heart as 5th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team survived and advanced past the first round of the Region VI/Plains District on a fourteen round shootout over Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Setting up the shootout, the Cougars trailed with eighteen minutes to play before their constant offensive attack and near misses off the post finally resulted in the break they needed. Going to the penalty kick stripe following a Blue Devil hand-ball in the box, Tajay Grant delivered a tying goal with just 1:32 left.
Playing a pair of scoreless ten minute periods, the over three hour long battle finally came to a close in the 14th round as Dennis Bottcher produced the lone keeper save of the shootout setting up Arthur Seelig-Orth's big man on campus role driving the winner to the back of the net.
Next up for the now 14-4-1 Cougars is a Thursday trip to Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex for a 1:30 p.m. kick against 18th ranked Johnson County. The Cavaliers, who knocked off Barton 2-1 last Tuesday to secure the East's second seed, won Sunday 2-1 at home over Dodge City. KCK completes the 2022 season at 3-10-1.
Following a scoreless first half with Barton owning a 9-4 advantage in shots, the Cougars broke through with the contest's first score fourteen minutes into second half play as Victor Lucca settled Nicolas Galanis' pass at the top of the eighteen before striking top shelf for his fifth of the year.
The lead lasted just seven minutes following the Cougars being whistled for a foul in the box resulting in Pedro Faria going to the penalty kick line. Bottcher blocked the shot to his right but before he or any other Cougar could get to the ball, Faria hammered in his own shot to tie it up.
Just over six minutes later KCK pulled ahead as Jacob Thomas' cross was met by the half volley from Hewnrique Sant'Anna.
With their backs to the wall, Barton attacked the Blue Devil defense for the next eighteen minutes with shots off the post and just missing its mark. The relentless pursuit eventually paid off with KCK called for a handball sending the Cougars' leading scorer to the line. Following a long delay of discussions, Grant used the full size of the goal in banging off near post before rattling the net.
An uneventful first overtime period was followed by six shots in the second, Barton putting two on frame while KCK had one as both keepers held firm in forcing the shootout.
The attackers flip the script in the deciding kicks, running through a roster of thirteen players each until Bottcher's save and Orth's conversion set off a mass celebration and sighs of relief in advancing.
