Strong first half carries Barton women to 5-0 victory over McPherson in home opener #GoBarton

A trio of first half goals on Saturday afternoon at the Cougar Soccer Complex carried the Barton Community College women's soccer team to a comfortable 5-0 victory over McPherson College in the home opener.

The Cougars improve to 2-0 on the year while the contest counted as an exhibition for the Bulldogs of McPherson College.

Barton will return to the pitch for a friendly match Tuesday evening at Friends University with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. The Cougars will then open up conference play September 1st in an early season Jayhawk West tilt with the Blue Dragons of Hutchinson Community College at 12:00 p.m. from the Cougar Soccer Complex.

Fresh off a three-goal outing in Thursday's season opener, Annika Gerdau sustained her hot start to the season opening the scoring at the 14:39 mark placing a 20-yard free kick just inside the upper-90 for her fourth tally of the season.

Just 4:34 later Francesca Martella rattled the nets for the first time this season cleaning up Seulgi Lee's header attempt ricocheting off the crossbar setup by Gerdau's free kick stretching the Cougar lead to 2-0.

Martella added to her scoring output with just 37-seconds left in the opening stanza taking Vanessa Rivero's pass launching a 30-yard blast over the outstretched hands of the Bulldog keeper Lauren Kunda, sending Barton to the locker rooms in control 3-0.

Battling a gusty 20-mph northern wind in the second half, the Cougar offense was silent until the 14:23 mark when Gerdau carried Nicole Thorp's pass inside the 18' firing a bullet far post for her second tally of the afternoon.

The pair would team up again with 1:12 remaining as Gerdau notched the assist setting up Thorp's first collegiate goal putting the final touches on the victory.

Net finders Nia Baker and Maria Gutierrez teamed together a perfect slate between the pipes rejecting seven shots on target with Baker collecting six saves in 71:56 of action and Gutierrez stopping her lone target over the final 18:04.

Offensively the Cougars outshot the Bulldogs 21-15 while holding a 10-7 advantage with shots on frame.