The Barton Community College men’s soccer team had its 2015 season come to an end Thursday at the Cougar Soccer Complex in the first round of the Region VI playoffs coming up on the short end of a 4-2 score in shootout kicks to Cowley College. The Region’s second seeded and No. 17 ranked Cougars end the season at 14-2-1 while Cowley advances to the semifinal round improving to 5-9-2.
In a physical defensive game, each goalkeeper came up with big saves throughout the 110 minutes of play as the Tigers outshot Barton 15-13 with a 8-5 shots on goal edge.
Cowley drew first in kicks sending Barton goalkeeper Bruce Turner to guard the net. The Tigers’s Leonardo Armando was first up striking just inside post off the gloves of Turner getting Cowley off to the early lead. First up for the Cougars was two-time player of the week Renan Sousa but his strike sailed high of the crossbar.
Joshua Berite’s bid to put the Tigers up two went high of the bar setting up Jamie Cox‘ opportunity to tie the game. As if an illustration of the Cougars’ frustration throughout the day, much like Sousa and Berite, Cox’ shot also sailed high keeping the Tigers in the driver’s seat.
Taking a page out of Armando’s book, Alex Salinas struck an almost identical shot near post that again glanced off of Turner’s gloves adding more pressure to the second seeded Cougars. Freshman Lucas Alves gave Barton hope drilling the center of the net as the Tigers’ Gabriel Rose dove near post.
Totally confusing Turner in the fourth round, Andre Cunha drilled near post inching Cowley closer to a victory but freshman Daniel Weaver kept the Cougars on the heels with a left foot strike down the middle.
Coming in to the final round with Barton needing a Tiger miss to stay alive, Pero Dzakic put the dagger in the Cougars season striking mid-90 far post setting up a frenzied Cowley celebration.
