Seven seconds from a W, No. 20 Lady Cougars settle for tie at No. 14 Johnson

The No. 20 ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team came within seven seconds of upsetting No. 14 Johnson County Community College but settled for a hard earned 2-2 result Saturday in Overland Park, Kansas.  The Lady Cougars built a 2-0 first half lead but gave up a game-tying goal with 7.1 seconds remaining as neither team was able to score in the two ten minute overtimes.   The result keeps both teams tied for second in the Jayhawk Conference at 9-1-1 with two games remaining as Barton moves to 9-3-1 overall while Johnson is now 12-2-1.  Barton will step away from conference play on Wednesday for the first of two remaining home games as Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa comes to the Cougar Soccer Complex for a 2:00 p.m. matchup.  The Lady Cougars' last regular season home contest will be Saturday against Pratt Community College.

Catlin Simon gave the Lady Cougars an early lead, heading in a corner kick off the foot of Olimpia Bonilla.  Bonilla, getting her fourth assist of the season from her defender position, left foot launched a kick from the southwest corner of the field to front of the goal where Simon rose above the crowd to head it past Johnson's goalkeeper Janay Stone with 29:29 left in the first half.

Barton added a second goal via the corner kick later in the half, as midfielder Mariana Poveda created the shot of the day.  Aided by a north wind, Poveda utilized the southeast corner of the field to launch a perfectly placed arcing shot into the north wind to find the inside back post to give Barton a 2-0 lead with 12:25 to play.Jenn Howell helped the Lady Cavaliers cut the deficit to one with 30:35 to play as her backside header off defender Carsyn Beard's free kick snuck in past the outstretched arms of Barton goalkeeper Stephanie Lomas.

A shuffling of the defense due to a defender's injury and counteracting Johnson's second half 10-25 mph second half wind advantage, Coach Aaron Avila placed more emphasis on defense for the last forty-five minutes.  The strategy nearly worked despite the Howell goal as the Lady Cougars fought off numerous attacks by the Lady Cavaliers.

Barton, with numerous counterattacks of its own throughout the second half, had its best opportunity to secure the win in the closing moments.  After a solid steal in the backfield by Hallie Tasset, she passed forward to Aliya Marshall as the clocked ticked under the minute mark.  Marshall, outracing the Lady Cavalier's Katie Blevins, put herself in a one-on-one situation with second half goalkeeper Maddie Waner.  Entering the 18' from the right wing and with a rapidly closing Waner, Marshall's right-foot kick just missed the far post with forty-five seconds remaining that would have sealed the victory.    As time ticked off the clock, Waner immediately received a ball from the Johnson sideline ball shagger and put the ball into play as the Lady Cavaliers quickly moved the ball up the far sideline but were met by Barton's Ronnie Johnson who immediately booted the ball out of play.  Again the Johnson ball shaggers were at the top of their game, as Carissa Kemnitz quickly inbounded but with an opportunity to gain possession, the Lady Cougars were unable to clear giving Johnson another opportunity.   The loose ball found Johnson's Howell who took two uncontested dribbles and found Brooklyn Meinke streaking down the right side.

As the clock ticked under fifteen seconds, Meinke's cross from deep in the southwest corner of the field, was just high enough to sail over the head of a leaping Bonilla and find an open Christy Tran camped out on the back side.  Settling the pass, Tran punched in the game-tying kick with 7.1 seconds remaining as a stunned Barton team could only react in disbelief.

Having to regroup, the Lady Cougars were again on the short side of the wind advantage for the first extra frame but had more of an offensive mind with numerous attacks, the best coming early in the frame from a Millie York free kick outside the eighteen and similar free kick situation coming off the foot of Poveda.  The Lady Cavaliers best opportunity came midway through the period as Courtney Hughes split two Barton defnders to launch a shot just inside the 18' that sailed high and wide of goal.

Neither team produced high percentage scoring opportunities in the second extra period with the best opportunity again coming off the foot of Hughes as her boot was corralled easily by Lomas.

The tie will most likely keep the teams in a second place gridlock barring Sunday's result of first place Butler Community College playing at 7-1-1 Coffeyville Community College.  Should the Grizzlies win, Barton and Johnson all but assure themselves of finishing tied for second as both have two games remaining against lower standing opponents.