Kojima and Norshie lead nine 8th ranked Barton women's soccer players on post season award list #GoBarton

Nine members of the 8th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team earned All-KJCCC/Region 6 post-season recognition following the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.

Headlining the selections were forward Nina Norshie and defender Hinata Kojima earning the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards respectively. The pair were joined on the first team by forward Aya Saiki and midfielder Rin Sato as defender OceAne Deslauriers was the lone second team selection. Defender Siaomee Bagnost, forwards Fiona Jolly and Ivanna Faria, and goalkeeper Mio Tanaka earned honorable mention distinction.

The selections helped Barton to a 12-1-3 record to win its second straight and sixth KJCCC title, the third under Head Coach Ousmane Camara's guidance, before extending its season in its second straight national tournament appearance where the Cougars went 0-1-1 in pool play finishing 14-3-4 for the program's 16th straight winning season.

Norshie added to her post-season accolades in also being named to the thirteen member NJCAA Championship All-Tournament team.

Complete list of 2023 All-KJCCC/Region 6 Division I Post-Season Selections

Nina Norshie – Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team
The focus of defenses for the past two seasons, the sophomore from Accra, Ghana, becomes the fourth Cougar in program history to earn the Offensive Player of the Year award in ranking as one of the KJCCC's top ten scorers of all-time.

This season Norshie scored a league and region best 48 points coming on 4 assists and a nation 5th best 22 goals, two of the assists and eight of the goals providing game winners.

Recording a pair of hat tricks during the year, Norshie's first was a four-goal effort leading to a 5-0 win at Seward County. Norshie capped her Barton scoring career with seven goals in a three-game stretch, two versus Seward County to wrap up the regular season, and three coming in the Region VI playoffs versus Coffeyville followed by another pair of net shakers against Butler in the semifinals.

Norshie leaves Barton second on the program all-time list in career points (142), goals (65), and single season goals (43) while landing in the third spot of points scored in a season (94). Norshie also produced in just her third collegiate game the highest scoring output in program history with a 7 goal, 2 assists for a 16 point performance on August 27, 2022.

A first team selection following her freshman season as well, Norshie's two-year career also left Top-10 performances on the KJCCC record book. Some of the accomplishments include 2nd most hat-tricks in a season (9) and career game winners (15), 4th most single game goals (7) and points (16), 4th most goals in a season (43) and game winners (8) in a season, 5th most career goals (65) and career hat-tricks (11), 9th most career points (142), and 10th most single season points (94).

Hinata Kojima – Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team
Kojima is just the third Cougar to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors, the first since goalkeeper Reyna Gonzalez in 2019 and the lone other defender in joining Olympia Bonilla's 2013 honor.

The sophomore team captain from Konosu-Shi, Japan anchored a relatively inexperienced back line for the Cougars, helping the squad to a league leading six shutouts and a mere .76 goals against average.

Kojima was a big part of holding four of the league's other top scorers to just two goals in six matchups this season, Garden City's Samantha Medina, KCK's Jordan Bedard, and Hutchinson's Adriana Delgado being shutout with the Blue Dragons' Kaitlyn Edwards being the lone to break thru with two net shakers.

Dishing out two assists this season, Kojima's lone goal was of spectacular fashion from 40-yards out in striking upper-90 during first half action of the District Championship to tie the contest.

Aya Saiki – 1st Team
Saiki was in the conversation for the player of the year, putting together a solid sophomore performance keying the Barton offense while helping control the midfield.

The native of Nishinomiya, Japan, was second on the team in three offensive categories, scoring a league 3rd best 14 goals and added 5 assists for a league 4th best 33 points produced.

Saiki recorded a pair of hat-tricks on the season, a four goal effort with an assist October 4 versus Coffeyville followed by a three goal and an assist performance October 23 against Seward County.

Two-year accomplishments leave Saiki in numerous spots on the program all-time career list including 10th in goals scored (28), 12th in assists (14), and 11th in total points (70).

Rin Sato – 1st Team
Along with Saiki, Sato also helped control the midfield in triggering the offense while limiting opponent's attacks.

Sato led the Cougars with 12 assists for the 9th best performance in program history, accumulating 21 over her two-year career for a 6th most achievement including distributing five assists September 7 of last season at Dodge City to plant her name in a three-way tie atop the program single game performances.

The Asaka-Shi, Japan, native also added two goals during the season including a highlight strike from 40-yards out for her first collegiate game winner over 10th ranked Hutchinson.

OceAne Deslauriers – 2nd Team
Another piece of Barton's success was the addition of defenseman Deslauriers in solidifying the Cougars' backline.

Originally from Laval, Quebec, Canada, the sophomore transfer from Salem University helped the squad limit the opposition's scoring chances in being the league's top rated defensive unit.

Dishing out both of her season's assists in a September 20 trip resulting in a 4-0 win at Garden City, Deslauriers would score her lone goal as a Cougar in the regular season finale on a six-yard strike against Seward County.

Ivanna Faria – Honorable Mention
Sophomore from Valencia, Venezuela, dished out a team 2nd best five assists with 3rd best 5 goals and 15 points. Had a two game stretch of 3 goals and assist with the game winner coming on the second of her consecutive goals at Garden City on October 21.

Siaomee Bagnost – Honorable Mention
Sophomore from Moussy, Marne, France, played opposite of Deslauriers as a key component on the backline. Scored a goal and dished out an assist, finishing her career with five net shakers and two assists.

Fiona Jolly – Honorable Mention
Freshman from Trecon, Marne, France, finished tied with Faria on a 3rd best 5 goals for the season. Jolly's first collegiate net shaker provided the September 9 game winner over 17th ranked KCK. Two additional game winners came against nationally ranked Butler, striking for two goals September 30 at the then 17th ranked Grizzlies in the 4-2 win and the other coming in the District semifinals giving Barton a two-goal halftime edge to eventually end the 18th ranked team's season. Jolly also dished out two assists on the season for a team 5th most 12 points.

Mio Tanaka – Honorable Mention
The freshman goalkeeper from Himeji-Shi, Japan, also had a strong initial collegiate season, leading the league with a .840 save percentage and a .81 goals against average for a 12th nationally team ranking. Tanaka and the defensive line pitched sis shutouts while only allowing more than one goal just twice, both coming against nationally ranked teams.