| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barton County |
2
|
2
|
4
|
| Hesston |
0
|
0
|
0
|
1st half: 1 BC Jay Harris (unassisted); 2 BC Andre Batista (unassisted)
2nd half: 3 Jay Harris (unassisted); 4 BC Zack Roberts (unassisted)
Shots: HC 3 (3 SOG); BC 35 (18 SOG)
Saves: HC 14 Danny Yoder; BC 3 Nathan Barnett
Yellow cards: 2 HC Michael Armstrong; Craig Mast; 1 BC Joel
Bergt
Coach's Summary: It was good English weather for a soccer match
– drizzling and chilly. The only problem was that we're not in
England. But the rain would not dampen the spirits of either side as
Barton traveled to Hesston to take on the Larks. “We played very
poorly the first time we played Barton at their place so we decided
to go all out and with the attitude that we had nothing to lose. Plus,
our guys are always excited to play soccer at home under the lights
with our terrific fans.”
Barton started very aggressively
from the opening kick off putting the ball into Hesston’s half
and putting on tremendous pressure. Hesston was able to weather the
attack for the most part. However, Barton did manage to strike the first
blow 18 minutes into the contest off a corner kick. The Larks were unable
to clear the ball. Jay Harris made nice work of the rebound by striking
a laser into the net. Six minutes later the Cougars would strike again.
Barton worked the ball into the 18. Andre Batista ripped a shot that
deflected oddly off a Lark defender and spun awkwardly into the side
netting. “For the most part we were playing solid defensively.
They just had it in our end so much of the time that it was just a matter
of them capitalizing on opportunities and they did. They weren’t
the prettiest goals but they earned them through hard work and nice
passing.”
Although the Larks were down two
goals at the half they were certainly not out. Hesston was able to hold
it’s own for the first 20 minutes of the second half before Barton
would get the third goal. Danny Yoder made a fantastic save to keep
the score at 2 – 0, but a long range dribbler surprised everyone
as it found it’s way into the bottom left corner of the net. “That
goal was really strange it looked like it was wide and then maybe took
a deflection off of somebody. It’s one of those that both sides
just shrug their shoulders.”
Barton finished off their scoring
by putting in a poorly cleared ball from a free kick. “Our defense
was just under too much pressure. They did a really good job of moving
the ball quickly, changing the point of attack, and keeping possession.
None of their goals were highlight material but they were all a result
of constant pressure. They had so many shots, most of which weren’t
that dangerous, but you only need a few to go in the goal.”
Hesston’s best opportunity
to score came in the waning minutes of play. Brett Brand stole the ball
in Barton’s end, threaded a ball to Eric Bixler who put a hard
shot on goal from about 20 yards out that Barton’s keeper had trouble
handling. “We moved some guys around a bit and we were able to
get a couple of scoring chances which is interesting. At this point
in the season it’s hard to move players into new positions but
maybe that’s what we need. We’re just not possessing the ball
and creating enough good attack in our opponents half. Granted Barton
is a very talented team, but I still believe that we can play better.
Overall, I was really pleased with the effort our guys put into this
game. It’s a real credit to their character that they never gave
up. And in the long run we will be better for it.”
Hesston won’t get much of a
break as they battle perennial powerhouse and the #12 ranked team in
the country Johnson County in Overland Park on Saturday at 3 p.m.