Helping lead the march into the Region VI playoffs, Larissa Fagundes and Reyna Gonzalez of the Barton Community College women's soccer team were rewarded with the naming of the weekly KJCCC Kansas MTXE Division I Women's Soccer Player and Goalkeeper of the Week for week nine of the season. The awards were the second of the season for each of the freshmen as Fagundes won her first in week four while Gonzalez earned the week two distinction.
The duo's performances along with Head Coach Ousmane Camara and their Lady Cougar teammates won both of their games last week which included last Wednesday's 5-2 upset victory over No. 20 Northwest Kansas Technical College. Barton followed the victory with a 7-1 pounding of Pratt Community College in Saturday's home finale propelling the Lady Cougars into a critical regular season finale in Goodland, Kansas. Needing another win over the Mavericks, Barton again took care of Northwest as Gonzalez and the Lady Cougar defense turned back four shots in a 2-0 shutout victory to earn the fourth spot in the upcoming playoffs.
Fagundes had an eight point week leading Barton to the pair of victories including registering five points in the big win over Northwest. Weaving past three Maverick defenders, Fagundes netted her first of two goals on the day by sending rocket to the near post caroming into goal with 17:25 left on the first half clock. As momentum had shifted to the Mavericks following two early second half goals, a determined Fagundes answered Northwest's go-ahead less than three minutes later pounding a penalty kick to the back of the net for the equalizer. The conversation sparked three more Lady Cougar net shakers as the Brazilian freshman helped put the cherry on top of the victory setting up Tressa Becker's rocket from twenty-three yards out with twelve to play. Fagundes concluded her week with a three point effort in the Lady Cougars' home finale victory over Pratt as the team's assist and goal scoring leader distributed her sixth assist of the season for a three goal lead before halftime then netted her fourteenth goal early in the second half play to push the lead out to 4-0.
Gonzalez tended goal in just one of the games last week but the Liberal freshman continued to display her best against stiff competition turning back six shots in helping the Lady Cougars to the win over Northwest. Gonzalez' performance yielded just the two goals, both coming against Adrijane Felix, the week's reigning conference and national player of the week. Felix drilled an early second half penalty kick then seven minutes later connected on a back post net shaker finishing off a perfectly placed through ball.
Fighting for their playoff lives down the stretch, the Lady Cougars' four game win streak earned the West Division's fourth playoff position, finishing the regular season at 6-4-2 in region play and 9-5-3 overall.
Barton's next opponent will come in the first round of the Region VI playoffs as the region seventh seeded Lady Cougars have a Saturday trip to Overland Park, Kansas, to take on the second seeded and No. 18 ranked Johnson County Community College. Earning the region tie break over No. 17 Butler Community College, the Lady Cavaliers finished tied atop the East Division standings at 11-1 with a 14-4 overall mark. Kick-off slated for 2:00 p.m. with live streaming and social media updates available.