Grizzlies nab 1st home win this season with offensive onslaught vs. Garden City

EL DORADO, Kan. – There was no doubt left at the end of 90 minutes on Saturday evening as the Butler Grizzly soccer team pummeled Garden City 5-1 for the Grizzlies first home win of the season at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.

The Grizzlies (7-5-5, 6-5-3 KJCCC) picked up their second straight KJCCC win, scoring four second half goals to defeat the Broncbusters (7-7-4, 2-7-4 KJCCC). Butler remains undefeated all time over Garden City, moving their record to 16-0 since 2002.

Sakiko Manabe continued her offensive prowess with two goals in the second half, upping her season count to eight which leads Butler.

Butler and Garden City went into halftime tied at 1-1. Garden City scored first in the 25th minute as Andrea Aguilar scored unassisted. Butler answered in the 39th minute as Macie Windsor netted a goal, putting the ball in with a left foot shot from the middle of the field off a nicely placed pass from Giselle Nash.

The tie did not last long as the Grizzlies exploded for four goals in the second half, the most in a half for them all season.

Nash scored unassisted in the 59th minute after she followed up a ball with her left foot as a collision ensued with a Grizzly and the Garden City goalkeeper. Nash broke the tie and put Butler ahead 2-1 for her second goal this season.

Manabe scored her first of the game in the 70th minute to make it 3-1 as Emma Kolbe found Manabe all alone in the box from the right side of the field and Manabe stopped the ball, set, and planted for a right foot shot into the bottom left corner of the net.

Alex Robson netted her second goal of the season in the 76th minute when Saki Matsumoto placed a ball directly in front of her in the box and Robson tapped the ball in past the outstretched arms of the Broncbuster goalie.

Manabe capped the scoring off a little over a minute later in the 77th minute as Matsumoto found her open in the middle of the field and Manabe took a shot from just outside the box that went in the top right of the goal to make it a 5-1 game.

Freshman Rylie Schiffelbein played all 90 minutes in goal for the first time this season and finished with four saves and the one goal allowed. Manabe and Nash each had four shots to pace Butler. Matsumoto paved the way with two assists. Butler outshot Garden City 15-8.

The Grizzlies have just two regular season games left this season, both at home. The first comes vs. Seward on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. CT.