It just doesn’t get more exciting. Not just overtime. Not just double overtime. But penalty kicks. In fact penalty kick overtime, so to speak.
That is how the Barton Community College women’s soccer team moved to the semifinals of Region VI action Saturday afternoon against Allen County Community College. Barton won on the third round of overtime penalty kicks after the game ended in a 1-1 score.
The win advances the Cougars to Topeka and a date with top seeded Hutchinson Thursday. Barton moves on with an 8-6-4 mark as the game is officially scored as a tie despite the PK win for the Cougars. Hutchinson is 14-1-1.
“The girls went on the road and played a team that lost 2-0 earlier in the season,” Coach Aaron Avila said. “The girls wanted the rematch. They did their part to get a better result this time around.”
The Cougars, the No. 5 seed in the Region, fell behind in the 15th minute but were able to tie the contest in late in the first half. Barton evened the score at 1-all with a Maria Munoz goal with 5:12 to play in the opening half.
That is how the game stayed through the 45-minute second half. And the 10-minute overtime. And the second 10-minute overtime. That sent contest to penalty kicks. The format for that is each team has five PK’s. The team with most goals during those five kicks advances.
Both team made their first kick. Both team made their second kick. Both teams made their third kick. After matching successful kicks through three rounds both team missed the fourth kick – and the fifth kick.
With PK’s not being able to determine the winner it went to a sudden death format with each team getting one kick until one team was successful and the other was not.
It wasn’t until the third round of extra kicks that Barton finally broke through. After an Allen miss, Barton freshman Scarlett Real beat the Allen keeper and advanced Barton the semifinals.
“It took a PK shootout but the girls got it done,” Coach Avila said. “The girls outplayed Allen and were able to step up when it counted.”
The Cougars will now have their hands full in the semifinals. Hutchinson obliterated Hesston in the opening round by an 11-0 score. The Blue Dragons have not lost since Sept. 3 – a double overtime loss to Paris Junior College in their only loss of the season. Hutchinson did tie Allen 0-0 in mid-September.
But the Cougars do know they can play with the Blue Dragons, losing a 2-1 overtime battle at the Barton Sports Complex just a month ago. The opening kick in Topeka’s Hummer Park is set for 4 pm Thursday with the winner advancing to the finals Friday.