The tall order of taking on the No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team proved too much for Barton on Tuesday afternoon.
The Lady Blue Dragons won 2-0 at the Barton soccer and track complex.
“They were a good team, so we knew we were going to have our hands full,” Barton head coach Aaron Avila said. “We played with them pretty well. I think the girls see that they can play with the top teams.”
Hutch forward Melissa Hetherington caught Barton goalkeeper Cecilee Horlacher on one side of the goal, and placed a long shot to the far corner with 33:03 remaining in the first half.
Jamie Smith gave the Lady Dragons a 2-0 advantage heading into halftime on a corner kick.
The kick was placed in the goalies’ box. The first shot ricocheted off the goal’s crossbar, but Smith played the ball off her head and into the goal on the rebound.
Hutch finished with 12 shots, while Barton finished with nine.
Bianca Barron led the Lady Cougars with five shots.
“We had some chances, but we missed our chances,” Avila said. “That’s what hurt us at the end of the game. If we had gotten one or two of those, it would have opened up the game a lot more.”
Barton travels to Chanute to challenge Neosho County on Saturday, starting at 4 p.m.
On Sunday, the Lady Cougars hit the road again, heading to Independence for a 1 p.m. game.