The No. 4 Barton Community College men's soccer team opened play at the newly renovated Cougar Soccer Complex in winning fashion Wednesday afternoon, advancing to its third consecutive Plains District/Region 6 Championship with a 2-0 semifinal victory over Crowder College.
Held scoreless entering the later stages, the Cougars finally broke through with two goals in a two-minute span to pull away for the victory and set up a familiar postseason rematch against No. 5 and top-seeded Cowley College in the Plains District/Region 6 Championship, after the Tigers edged Garden City Community College 4-3.
The 10th straight win moves Barton to 16-3-2 on the season, while the loss ends the Region 16 champion Roughriders' campaign at 8-6-4. Saturday's championship will mark the latest installment in Barton and Cowley's postseason rivalry, with the Cougars seeking their first Plains District title since the 2020-21 season, when they defeated the Tigers 4-1.Kickoff for Saturday's championship match is slated for 4:30 p.m. at the KCKCC Soccer Field in Kansas City, Kansas, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the 2025 NJCAA National Tournament, held November 16-22 at Daytona State College in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Despite battling against a 20-mile-per-hour south wind in the opening half, the Cougars controlled possession for much of the period, outshooting the Roughriders 17-4 but unable to capitalize on multiple opportunities. Barton's best chance came on a penalty kick with 22:06 remaining, but Crowder keeper Pablo Exposito denied the attempt, keeping both teams scoreless at the halftime break.
With the wind at their backs and the breeze reduced to 5-10 mph over the second half, the Cougar attack finally broke through in the 81st minute on their 17th corner kick. Rafael Calmon's delivery found an unmarked Kotaro Kimura just outside the 18', with the freshman quickly dialing up a far-post missile for his first collegiate goal gifting Barton a 1-0 lead.
Just two minutes later, the Cougars added insurance from the penalty line. After being denied from the mark in the opening half, Masaki Tsuji calmly regrouped and converted on his second attempt after being taken down inside the box, notching his team leading 15th goal of the season to seal the 2-0 result.
Barton's defense stifled the Crowder attack throughout the afternoon, limiting the Roughriders to just six total shots with three on frame. Goalkeeper Gabriel Bergamin turned away each attempt, including a crucial save midway through the second half to keep the match scoreless.
The shutout marked the Cougars' seventh of the season and Bergamin's third solo clean sheet.
BARTON SCORING SUMMARY
79:36: Kotaro Kimura (1); Assist: Rafael Calmon (4)
81:36: Masaki Tsuji (15)