CHANUTE — With the chances of a home playoff spot all but gone, the Barton Community College women’s soccer team is playing out the season for playoff positioning.
The Lady Cougars improved that positioning greatly with a 1-0 win over Neosho on Sunday at the Chanute Sports Complex.
Barton put themselves in good position for that fifth spot with the win. Neosho is another team battling for that spot along with Coffeyville.
The Lady Cougars still have an outside shot at playing at home, but it would take a pair of losses by Allen County to give the Lady Cougars a shot.
Barton is currently sitting with a 5-4-1 mark and 16 points in the conference with one game left at Pratt Thursday and a chance to get to 19 points.
Coffeyville is also at 16 with one game left but the Red Ravens have a very good Butler team left. Neosho has 13 points with two games left but those games are against second-place Hutchinson and Allen County.
Allen County is the wildcard to Barton hosting.
Allen has 17 points with two games left. The Red Devils have games with Neosho (4-4-1) and Cowley (1-7) remaining needing just one win to secure the final home spot.
Chances are good Barton and Allen will play in the opening round – most likely at Allen. The Lady Cougars dropped a 2-0 decision at Allen earlier this year.
Sunday, in Neosho it was a Millie York goal early in the contest that held up for the win.
York took a free kick from 20 yards out and put the ball just over Neosho keeper Breanna Williams and just under the crossbar 10:03 into the game for the 1-0 lead.
“It was a good win for the girls,” Barton head coach Aaron Avila said. “We played well and kept Neosho under control for the majority of the game.”
The Barton defense was good throughout as the Lady Cougars limited Neosho to just seven shots of which only three were on goal. Barton keeper Kacee Walsh saved all three for the shutout.
Barton had more opportunities with 17 shots.
The Lady Cougars put nine of them on goal but could only muster the one York goal – her second of the season.
“We still need to do a better job of finishing opportunities,” Avila said. “But we did enough to win the game.”
Barton will travel to Pratt Thursday for the 2 p.m. kickoff.