The post-game celebration Wednesday afternoon at the Cougar Soccer Complex indicated a win for the Barton Community College women's soccer over the No. 16 Blue Dragons of Hutchinson Community College. On the scoreboard it was actually a 1-1 double overtime draw as the Lady Cougars recorded its first positive result on the home turf against Hutchinson since 2005 as the teams battled through light rain putting up lone goals in each half of the 110 minute contest. The conference and region result moves Barton to 2-3-2 in the Jayhawk and 3-3-2 in Region VI play with a 4-4-3 overall record while Hutchinson remains unbeaten but slightly blemished atop the standings at 5-0-1 in conference, 7-0-1 in region play, and 10-0-1 overall. Barton's next action comes Saturday on the home pitch as the Lady Cougars will have to remain focused as Garden City Community College arrives in search of their first season victory.
Shots were tough to come by in first half action with a combined seven shots as a defensive miscue resulted in the lone Hutchinson shot on frame in the first forty-five minutes. In an effort to clear a loose ball, a defensive errant header put the ball in the lap of Hutchinson's Mikayla Moresco deep in Barton territory, making the Lady Cougars pay with a net rattler with 23:02 left on the first half clock. The Lady Cougars were able to send two on frame but Ashley Main kept the net clean for the blue clad Dragons.
Barton controlled possession a good portion of the second half and finally got the break it needed with 20:46 left as the Dragons repaid a defensive miscue allowing Jessica Simental to get behind the defense deep in the right hand of the box. Settling the ball on a tight angle, Simental's blast beat a recovering Main to the net tying the match in recording the Texan freshman's fourth goal of the year.
Despite Barton controlling most of the possessions, the counter attack by the Dragons was relentless in having multiple opportunities for a game winner. Barton net protector Reyna Gonzalez was up to the task in perhaps the Liberal freshman's best game of the year turning back five shots in second half play with three more coming in the overtime frames including a pair of 1v1 situations. Gonzalez finished the contest with eight total saves while Main was stout for the Dragons in turning away three Cougar shots.
Taking a 6-0 loss to the Dragons in early September in Hutchinson, the draw snapped Barton's six game losing streak to Hutchinson with the Cougars' last win coming during the 2013 season.