Maria becomes latest Barton women's soccer player receiving conference honor #GoBarton

A collegiate first hat trick helped Laura Maria of the Barton Community College women's soccer team earn the KJCCC player award for week six of the season.

Maria continued to be Barton's silent attacker this week compiling eleven points in netting what proved to be both game winners. In Wednesday's home victory over Northwest Kansas Technical College, the freshman from Brazil recorded her first collegiate hat trick to help power the Cougars to the 14-2 win. The next game on the pitch Maria scored Barton's first goals in getting the Cougars off to a two goal lead just 11:32 into the contest Saturday in a 6-0 win at Garden City Community College. Maria would later add an assist in the contest increasing her team lead to 11 while compiling 41 points to rank second in the KJCCC in both categories.

The Cougars have now won honors the past four weeks as Maria joins two-time recipients Reyna Gonzalez and Rayssa Neres. Neres also was rewarded last week by being named the NJCAA player of the week having netted ten goals and distributing four assists.

The honors are the third consecutive week the Cougars have been awarded, the second time for each as Gonzalez earned week three's goalkeeper award while Neres makes it consecutive weeks earning the player awards.

Receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division I poll, Barton controls its destiny for the Jayhawk West crown sitting at 7-0-1 and 8-2-1. The perch will get a huge test on Wednesday as perennial conference power Hutchinson Community College comes to the Cougar Soccer Complex for a 2:00 p.m. kick-off in a rematch of the September 8th 3-3 double overtime draw in Hutchinson. The Blue Dragons, along with Cloud County Community College, are trying to chase down the Cougars in a tight race for the top with a 6-1-1 conference mark and 8-1-1 overall.