The Barton Community College men’s soccer team took a step toward its goal to repeat as NJCAA Region VI champions by roughing up Kansas City 9-1 on Tuesday afternoon at Cougar Field.
“We played really well today,” Cougars head coach Oliver Twelvetrees said. “We played them on the pitch and it was a great effort. I’ve never had a first-round game in a tournament be this one-sided. It was a great game.”
The Cougars controlled every aspect, leading to 40 shots on KCK goalkeeper Carlos Arruda, who had 18 saves in the game.
Cougars goalkeeper Nathan Garrison had no saves with only one goal allowed as the Blue Devils only recorded one shot.
“That has to be some kind of record, doesn’t it?” Twelvetrees said of the 40 shots taken by his offense. “That’s how we’ve been playing lately. We’ve been playing really well just at the right time.
“It has taken us a little bit of time to really get us going, and now we’re scoring goals and keeping the ball out of the net.”
The Blue Devils played more than half the game down one player after Andre Braithwaite received a red card for striking a Barton player after the play was blown dead, but the Cougars put two points on the scoreboard before the foul.
Kevin Ellis found the back of the net for the Cougars’ first goal.
The play started on a Barton corner kick that went came up short and KCK’s defense cleared it to Barton’s Igor Barbosa, who was playing in the middle of the field. Barbosa put a pass into the box past the defense for Ellis to score.
Ahmad Bah scored five minutes later, assisted by Barbosa, to put the Cougars up 2-0.
“Ahmad got two today, and he got two in the last game as well,” Twelvetrees said. “If he starts scoring goals, as well as Richie (Ricardo Yeverino) and Sam (McCrillis), then no team can stop us.”
Barbosa and Ayub Baker also scored in the first half to give the Cougars a 4-0 lead at halftime.
Yeverino and Dula Fadis got past the defense into the goalie box eight minutes into the second half. Fadis passed the ball to Yeverino for what should have been an offside call.
Yeverino took the pass and buried the ball into the net.
The missed call prompted KCK, which saw its season counting down in minutes and seconds on the scoreboard, to protest to referees every time Barton scored.
The Cougars’ defense, which remained strong throughout most of the game, let one goal slip by. Diogo Ferreira scored just 15 seconds after Yeverino’s goal to save the Blue Devils from being shut out.
The Cougars responded with four goals. Bah scored his second goal to be the only Barton player with more than one.
McCrillis, Dula Fadis and Aaron Appel each scored to raise the Cougars’ lead, 9-1.
The win moves the Cougars on to the Region VI semifinal game, which will be held at Hummer Park in Topeka on Saturday morning at 11.
The Cougars will either face No. 4 seed Cowley or No. 5 seed Johnson County.
“It will be interesting,” Twelvetrees said. “We’ve had a couple of tight games. We beat Cowley, 4-1, and Johnson, 2-1.
“So whoever it is, it’s going to be a close game and it’s going to be in the tournament atmosphere. It’s going to be a tough one.”