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By BRANDON SMITH
Barton Sports Info
The 7th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team snagged perhaps one of its biggest wins of the season Sunday afternoon at the Cougar Soccer Complex defeating 10th ranked Hutchinson Community College 3-2.
Notching their 10th victory of the season and avenging its' earlier season 1-0 loss in Hutchinson, the Cougars maintain their lead in the conference standings at 10-1-2 and on the season while the loss drops the second place Blue Dragons to 9-2-3 in league play and 12-2-3 overall.
Barton will make their final road trip of the regular season on Wednesday, traveling to Arkansas City for another key Jayhawk Conference battle against 17th ranked Cowley College in a 5:00 p.m. kickoff. The Cougars then return home for a pair closing out the regular season beginning next Saturday against Garden City Community College and Monday, October 23rd hosting Seward County Community College.
Barton opened the scoring in the 18th minute as Ivanna Faria's fourth setup of the season came on a near-side cross to find the head of leading goal scorer Nina Norshie on the backside for her 14th goal of the season.
Moving into sole possession for third most points in a career following her opening goal, Norshie climbed into a tie for second most just 23 minutes later as the sophomore carried Beatriz Baldi's setup through ball, converting the 1-v-1 battle with Blue Dragon keeper Karsyn Slothower for a 2-0 advantage.
Set pieces would hinder the Cougars on the afternoon as Hutchinson sliced the lead in half just 1:13 later on Kaitlyn Edwards first of two goals headed in on Emma Hoffman's delivered in kick.
Despite battling the 15-20 mph north wind in the opening stanza, the Cougars would outshoot the Blue Dragons 5-2 in the opening period while adding to the advantage in the final frame holding a 5-3 edge in the second half.
Rin Sato provided Barton a 3-1 lead in the 55th minute, placing a perfectly struck 40-yard free kick just beneath the crossbar over Slothower for the sophomore's second net shaker of the season and first collegiate game winning goal.
Hutchinson countered back just ninety seconds later as Adriana Delgado's sent corner found Edwards' head for the second time on the backside trimming the margin to 3-2 with 56:28 remaining.