The ball just didn’t want to find the net.
Barton Community College and Johnson kept battling but to no avail.
The two men’s soccer clubs went through 90 minutes of regulation without a goal, then did it two more times through 10 minute overtimes before setting for the scoreless tie.
“We played a good game against a good team,” Barton head coach Aaron Avila said. “Both teams had their chances throughout the game.”
The 0-0 contest left Barton and Johnson in a large mix of teams with just one loss in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. Barton is now 2-1-2 in the Jayhawk and 2-3-3 overall. Johnson is 1-1-2 and 6-4-2.
The two are among six teams with one loss during the early stages of the Jayhawk Conference race. Coffeyville is the lone unbeaten team with a 3-0 conference mark and a 6-2 overall record.
The two clubs kept things pretty even during the opening half as Johnson got off six shots, two on goal, and Barton five, one on goal.
During the second half and the two overtimes, Barton controlled the game for the most part but could not break through. The Cougars got off 17 shots during the 65 minutes of action but could only put five of those on goal. Johnson, meanwhile, got off just five shots but put four of them on goal.
“During the second half we had the better chances and couldn’t take advantage of them,” Avila said. “We put pressure on them but couldn’t convert our chances into goals.”
Barton keeper Austin Kail saved all six of Johnson’s shots on goal and the same goes for Johnson keeper David Bartalos on all six of the Cougars shots on goal.
“Defensively we had a much better performance that the last time out,” Avila said. “We will have to keep improving before our next conference game this weekend.”
Barton will step outside of the Jayhawk when the Cougars travel to Hesston to play under the lights tonight with a 7 pm kickoff.