The 8th ranked Barton Community College dominated 8-1 over an undermanned first-year Seward County Community College program Monday afternoon at the Cougar Soccer Complex to wrap up the regular season slate.
The victory improves the first place Cougars to 12-1-3 in conference and on the season while Seward County concludes their inaugural season at 1-13-2 in the KJCCC and 1-13-3 overall.
Barton will open up its Plains District title defense at 1:00 p.m. Sunday hosting Coffeyville Community College as the Red Ravens finished 8th in the conference standings at 3-13 and 5-13 on the season. The 5th ranked Barton men's squad will also face Coffeyville in the first round, playing a day earlier on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. kick.
Due to unfortunate late season injuries to the Saints squad, Seward County fielded just nine players while the Cougars put just 10 on the field as the contest was halted after the 70-minute minimum time.
Taking advantage of the man-up situation and a sustained 25-30mph wind, Barton utilized its full bench in piling up seven goals in first half action before each team put a tally on the board in the 25-minute second frame.
Aya Saiki chalked up her second game of the year scoring three or more goals, registering her third career hat-trick by scoring two in the game's first 26-minutes before closing out Barton's scoring with her third net rattler coming just 3:05 into the final period.
Saiki opened the scoring 16:37 into the contest on Yulisa Valdez' first of a career high assist day, adding her second nine minutes later putting away Siaomee Bagnost's first assist of the season pushing the lead out to 5-0. Valdez' cross to Nina Norshie for a one-touch through-ball to Saiki completed the Cougars' scoring and eight goal lead.
Norshie doubled up Barton's early lead, following up Saiki's first tally two minutes later by netting Ivanna Faria's cross. Faria would then extend the margin less than five minutes later striking far post the first of Rin Sato's two assists for a 3-0 lead.
Defenseman OceAne Deslauriers got into the scoring column for the first time in her sophomore season 60-seconds later, pounding in Saiki's through ball from just outside the six.
After Saiki's netting of Bagnost's through ball increasing the lead to five, Norshie pounded in Sato's saved shot from outside the eighteen for her conference leading 17th lamp lighter of the season pushing the gap to six.
Valdez closed out the first half scoring with just under fifteen minutes left sending a laser to the top shelf from 22-yards out for the sophomore's second straight game of punishing the net.
Mio Tanaka faced just two shots in goal, both coming in second half action and drawing the unfortunate end of the high winds and over 35mph gusts ruining the clean sheet.
With just over 12-minutes to play, the Saints enjoyed a rare moment in soccer as goalkeeper Sydney Williams' punt from the box rode the wind with its second hop bouncing over Tanaka into goal spoiling the shutout.
The Cougars launched 36 shots on the afternoon, 26 coming within frame as Williams' added 18 saves to her memorable trip to Great Bend.
Barton Scoring:
16:37 Aya Saiki (12); Assist: Yulisa Valdez (1)
18:27 Nina Norshie (16); Assist: Ivanna Faria (5)
22:13 Ivanna Faria (4); Assist: Rin Sato (7)
23:18 OceAne Deslauriers (1); Assist: Aya Saiki (5)
25:40 Aya Saiki (13); Assist: Siaomee Bagnost (1)
28:09 Nina Norshie (17); Assist: Rin Sato (8)
30:48 Yulisa Valdez (2)
48:05 Aya Saiki (14); Assists: Nina Norshie (4) and Yulisa Valdez (2)
Series Notes:
- Barton has won both of the series' meetings in Seward County's inaugural season
Record Book Watch:
Nina Norshie
- 17 single season goals – Tied 15th all-time with Flavia Bernardes (2008) – 1 behind Theresa Crane (2009) and Richelle Galeaz (2003) *Scored program 2nd best last season (43)
- 60 career goals – 2nd program all-time – 14 behind Shala Giardini's 74 (2009-2010)
- 12 career assists – Tied 13th program all-time – tied with Daniela Paez (2019-2021), Nataleigh Cliff (2008, and Sarah Whiteside (2007-2008) – 2 behind Aya Saiki (2022-2023)
- 132 career points – 2nd program all-time – 35 behind Shala Giardini's most all-time 167 (2009-2010)
Aya Saiki
- 28 career goals – Tied 10th program all-time with Danielle Saucedo (2010) – 2 behind Flavia Bernardes (2008-2009)
- 14 career assists – 12th program all-time – 1 behind Mariana Poveda (2012-2013)
- 70 career points – 11th program all-time – passed Laura Maria's 64 (2018) – 6 behind Elaine Fontes (2005-2006)
Rin Sato
- 20 career assists – 6th program all-time – passed Shala Giardini's 19 (2009-2010) – 2 behind Larissa Fagundes (2017-2018) and Laura Maria (2018)