PRATT — It wasn’t the finish the Barton Community College women’s soccer team wanted to close out the regular season, but in the end it probably didn’t affect the postseason picture.
Barton traveled to Pratt in the season finale and left town with a scoreless tie with the Beavers. The draw kept the Lady Cougars in fifth place in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference — the same place a win would have kept them.
The only way the draw will drop Barton to sixth place would be if Coffeyville pulls out an upset win over Butler today.
Either way chances are good that Barton will open Region VI play on the road at Allen County.
If Coffeyville does beat Butler it would most likely mean Butler would fall to fourth place and Allen County would end in third. If Butler wins the game and Barton remains fifth, the Grizzlies would finish third and Allen fourth — again putting the Lady Cougars in Iola to face Allen in playoff opener.
“The game was frustrating,” Barton head coach Aaron Avila said. “We missed too many opportunities. The girls controlled the entire game but could not finish any of the chances they created.”
The Lady Cougars finish their season with a 5-4-2 mark in the Jayhawk and an 8-6-3 overall record. Pratt, which will miss the playoffs, finished with a 2-7-2 record in the conference and a 3-9-2 overall mark.
That opener will take place Saturday with the winner moving to quarterfinal action in Topeka Nov. 6.