The Barton Community College women’s soccer team’s valiant effort Wednesday at the Cougar Soccer Complex came out short in a 2-1 loss to No. 14 Hutchinson Community College.
Barton (3-4-1, 2-2 Jayhawk) nearly handed Hutchinson (9-1, 5-0 Jayhawk) its first league loss. The Cougars start a three-game road stretch at 2 p.m. Saturday at Pratt Community College.
The Dragons scored two second-half goals for a 2-0 lead before holding off the Cougars’ late charge for the Jayhawk West victory.
The Dragons controlled first-half action keyed by a 10 to 20 mph north wind as they launched 11 shots, including five on goal.
The Hutchinson game plan of chipping against the wind worked to perfection as Emilee Krehbeil’s chip over the defensive back row found a sprinting Jazmin Hartshorn who punched it past goalie Alexandra Capalbo.
Eight minutes later, the Dragons executed the chip play again. Victoria Padilla dished the pass over the defense. Jordan Downing, the nation’s leading NJCAA scorer, chased it down sending a perfect strike across the box just inside the far post doubling the lead with 36:25 to play.
Outshot 19-7 in the contest and 5-2 on goal, the Cougars fought back with under 14 minutes to play.
Following a Hutchinson foul, Analia Torres’ free kick from near 30 yards out was saved by leaping deflection by keeper Caroline Howard. Shanai Jackson-Brown one-timed the rebound for her first collegiate goal after the ball bounced off the crossbar.
Jackson-Brown’s strike from a Maddison Schofield cross was deflected by a Hutch defender in the box, ending Barton’s last golden opportunity with four minutes left.