The Barton Community College women's soccer team had victory within grasp Saturday in Hutchinson but instead had to settle for a 3-3 double overtime result against unbeaten Hutchinson Community College.
Having also battled to a tie in the teams' previous meeting last fall in Great Bend, the Jayhawk Conference opening result for both leaves Barton at 1-2-1 while Hutchinson sits at 3-0-1.
It was a firework beginning under the lights at the Salthawk Sports Complex as two goals lit up the scoreboard in the first two minutes. The Blue Dragons put the first on the board just thirty seconds from kick-off as Naomi Waithira punched in Brailey Moeder's shot off the post.
1:12 later Laura Maria drove in the equalizer on her second goal of the year in putting away Larissa Fagundes first assist of the season.
Ariadna Ramirez split the defense five minutes later from a Rayssa Neres pass to net her first of the season putting the Cougars ahead with 38:29 still to play in the first half.
The duo would later double up the lead seven minutes into the second half, with Nerres on the receiving end of Ramirez' first assist of the year to rattle the net for the fourth time of the season.
Hutchinson, which outshot the Cougars 30-9, was the beneficiary of a Barton own goal to cut the deficit in half with thirteen minutes remaining. Another mistake costs the Cougars with 2:20 remaining as a foul on the wide edge of the box resulted in Moeder burying the equalizing penalty kick into the upper-30.
The Cougars possessed most of the first overtime period with two prime opportunities to pick up their first win in Hutchinson since 2013 but missed a break-away 1v1 situation mid-way through the frame while a late attack just missed wide.
Hutchinson also missed a few great opportunities to keep its record unblemished, first getting a goal wiped off the board late in regulation on an offside call then in the second overtime period missing a 1v1 second overtime breakaway in part to the hustling recovery by the Barton defense before getting stymied on a Reyna Gonzalez diving save on the far post with thirty seconds left on the clock.
Barton's next action on the pitch comes this Wednesday in a 2:00 p.m. kick hosting Hesston College.