Experiencing the ultimate highs and lows in a span of approximately thirty minutes, the 5th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team had its run come to an end Wednesday at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament falling 1-0 on a golden goal strike to 2nd ranked Salt Lake Community College.
The result of a three-way tie in Pool C of the tournament set up golden goal, tie-breaker extra games, with Barton taking on Indian Hills in the first mini-pool matchup.
Playing through two, ten minute first-score-wins periods, neither team was able to rattle the net sending the playoff to penalty kicks.
Barton shot second in the alternating series of 12-yard strikes, Maxence Voinier, Lucas Constante, and Nicolas Galanis answering the Warriors' first three connected attempts.
Barton goalkeeper Dennis Bottcher turned the tide in round four, blocking the Warrior attempt in giving the Cougars the advantage.
Henrique Cruz, who missed yesterday's victory over Salt Lake having to serve a yellow card accumulation suspension, provided what would be the game winner on Barton's next attempt by rattling the net putting the Cougars up 4-3.
Down to their last attempt, Indian Hills' strike doinked off the near post setting off a modified brief celebration putting Barton into the next round.
Following a twenty minute warm-up period for the next mini-pool match-up, a tired but spirited Cougar squad took the field looking to knock-off the 2nd ranked Bruins for the second straight day.
The high hopes dropped to its lowest 2:44 into the contest as Barton's season was over after 216 minutes of tournament pitch time.
Following a defensive foul, Carles Zomeno's 22-yard free kick was perfectly shaped into a slight breeze finding the far post upper-90 just past the leaping Bottcher sending Salt Lake into the National semifinals.
Making the program's sixth national tournament appearance and third in six years, Barton concludes the season at 18-4-4, the most victories since the 2018 national runner-up team and the 6th most program wins in a single season.