Matsumoto scores twice, Grizzly Soccer grabs first KJCCC win at Garden City

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – Freshman defender Saki Matsumoto scored twice to help the 16th ranked Butler Grizzly soccer team to a 3-0 win over Garden City at Broncbuster Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Grizzlies (2-2-4, 1-2-3 KJCCC) picked up their first conference win of the season. Butler had been piling up ties with the rule change this season to no extra time, but they broke through on the road in a big way at Garden City (5-2-2, 1-2-2 KJCCC).

Matsumoto (Chiba City, Japan) and her fellow Japanese Grizzly teammate Sakiko Manabe (Tanabe, Japan), are tied for the team lead with three goals each this season.

Matsumoto made it a 1-0 Butler lead at the 5:20 mark when she got past a Broncbuster defender and kicked a left-footed shot from the left side of the field to the top right of the net, over the Garden City goalie, to put Butler ahead. Manabe was credited with the assist.

Her second goal saw freshman Ruby Kilden (Harwich, England) make a tremendous sliding pass in front of the goal to the left side where Matsumoto followed with a sliding tap in to make it 2-0 at the 38:20 mark.

The Grizzlies added one last goal in the 73rd minute as freshman Rose Loyle (Andover) raced up to a ball placed out in front by Kaitlin Erwin (Goddard). Loyle swung out wide and took a left-footed shot from the left side that crossed in front of the Broncbuster goalie and into the net. It was Loyle's first career goal.

Butler took 11 shots to Garden City's 10 and had seven corner kicks to the Broncbuster's two. Sophomore goalkeeprer Carla Apodaca (Chihuahua, Mexico) had five saves with no goals allowed on the night.

Butler stays on the road for its next match as they travel to Liberal, Kan. and Redskin Field to take on Seward County on Friday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. CT. Seward County women's soccer is in its inaugural season. The game will be streamed on sewardsaints.com.