Momentum heading into the post season is a good thing. The Barton women’s soccer team has lots of it.
Barton made it five straight wins as it closed out the regular season in Kansas City Monday afternoon. The Cougars scored a flurry of goals to start the second half and cruised to a 7-1 win over Kansas City Kansas.
Barton ends the regular season with a 7-4 Jayhawk Conference record and an 8-6 overall mark. KCK ends its season at 2-8-1 and 4-10-1. The Blue Devils will not be headed to post season, finishing 10th in the conference. The top eight teams move on.
“We had a strong finish to our regular season,” Barton Coach Aaron Avila said. “Our girls played well the entire game against KCK.”
Barton will take the fifth seed to the post-season. That puts Barton on the road at Dodge City Saturday. Dodge City is the only team not ranked to beat Barton this season. The two teams tied for fourth but the Conquistadors earned the higher seed with a win over the Cougars. Dodge City is 10-4 overall.
Monday in Kansas City the game was scoreless for most of the opening 45 minutes. Dominique Milsap finally broke the scoreless tie with 12:25 left in the opening half with a goal on a pass from Denise Cuenca. Cuenca made it 2-0 just prior to intermission with an unassisted goal.
The second half started much like the first half ended – with Barton scoring in bunches.
Just 36 seconds into the half the Cougars gave a preview of what was to come. Maria Munoz beat the KCK goalkeeper on a 1-on-1 situation off a pass from Jennifer Mendez. Mendez made it 4-0 just three minutes in on another assist from Cuenca. Mendez scored again less than one minute later as the freshman scored her 14th goal on a pass from Natalie Espino-Kennedy.
Barton’s flurry of three goals in the first four minutes of the second half put any doubt as to the winner away as Barton built a 5-0 lead.
Barton added goals later in the half by Samantha Thompson and Brooke Russell to cap the scoring. Russell’s goal came on an assist from Sydne Harpenau.
Now on to the post-season and a rematch with Dodge. In the first match-up Barton outshot Dodge 15-6 but the Conquistadors put five of its six shots on goal while Barton put just four on goal as Barton lost a tough 2-1 decision back in September.
Since that time Barton has gone 6-2.
“We have even more confidence heading into the playoffs and rematch with Dodge City on Saturday,” Coach Avila said. “Our girls are looking forward to the game.”
The winner of that contest will more than likely get the opportunity to take on No. 6 Butler in semifinal action.