By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
The 5th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team produced offense early and often Wednesday afternoon in the Region VI/Plains District Semifinals defeating Kansas City Kansas Community College 6-1 at the Cougar Soccer Complex.
Moving to 17-1-3 on the season and punching its ticket to Sunday's 3:30 p.m. Region VI/Plains District Championship held at Johnson County Community College, the top-seeded Cougars await 2nd seeded Cowley College for the third time this season after the Tigers notched a 7-0 victory over Crowder College in the other semifinal result. The Blue Devils complete their season at 7-6-3.
Despite facing sustained 20-25mph winds in the opening 45-minutes, Barton played the aggressors needing just 5:36 to take the lead as a loose ball finding Maxence Voinier to then send a through ball fashioned a 1v1 Lucas Constante net shaker.
Nearly ten minutes later Henrique Cruz initiated Constante's second twine finder of the afternoon as the leading goal scorer struck for his 19th of the year with a upper-90 turn and deliver shot attempt gifting Barton a 2-0 advantage into the halftime break.
The Cougars increased the lead just 4:19 into the second half with Lucas Dos Santos' delivered throw-in making its' way to the backside of the box finding the unmarked boot of Nicolas Galanis for the first of his three second half goals.
KCK would spoil the shutout opportunity 7:53 ensuing with Ajay Stewart sneaking behind the Barton backline laying in Noah Conover's setup pass cutting the margin back to a two-goal deficit.
Loic Kanku lengthened the Cougar lead back to three in the 77th minute with a back foot heal touch going far post from Constante's through ball sent across the box.
Showing up at the right place and right time, Galanis would deliver two more times in a span of 4:20, rebounding Kanku's and Constante's blocked shot attempts in fabricating the sophomore's first collegiate hat-trick.