The start to the 2015 season has not been an easy one for the Barton Community College women’s soccer team.

Barton opened the season with No. 17 Iowa Central. Since that time Iowa Central has shot up to No. 6 in the NJCAA. The Cougars second game – an apparent breather against the Kansas Wesleyan JV was cancelled.

That meant the first two games of the season would be against ranked teams as No. 11 Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa came to campus Wednesday afternoon with a 3-1 mark.

The Mavericks left with a 4-1 record after posting a 5-0 shutout of the Cougars. So far the 0-2 Cougars have lost to teams with a combined 9-1 record.

“It was a very tough second game against another nationally ranked opponent,” Barton coach Aaron Avila said. “We improved a lot from last game but the speed NOC possessed was very hard for our girls to handle.

“They were by far the fastest team we have played in my four seasons at Barton.”

That speed allowed the Mavericks to take a 1-0 lead 15 minutes into the game on a header by Alma Figueroa. NOC improved the lead to 2-0 14 minutes later when Memory Phiri was able to poke in a loose ball in the box after a scramble.

The speed of NOC provided a knockout punch to the Cougars early in the second half. Caroline Loyd found BreAnn Tolleson racing behind the Barton defense for a 3-0 lead just 29 seconds into the half.

From there the Mavericks added two more goals for the 5-0 blanking of Barton. NOC got off 27 shots during the track meet to just five for the Cougars. Barton put just one shot on goal while the Mavericks put 10 between pipes.

“We will continue to improve and get ready for our first conference game over the weekend,” Avila said.

Barton will open Jayhawk Conference play Saturday in Arkansas City. The Cougars will face a Cowley team that is 0-2 as well. Cowley has losses to Hesston College and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Kick for the game is set for 1 p.m.