by Alan Hoskins
While the Kansas City Kansas Community College’s winningest women’s season came to an end Tuesday, the Blue Devil men will be moving on to first round Region VI playoff action despite a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Barton County.
Finishing 8-7-1 overall and 4-5-1 in Jayhawk Conference play, the Blue Devils will open playoff action against Cloud County Thursday at 3 p.m. in Concordia. It will be the second meeting of the two teams, KCKCC taking a 1-0 decision at home in the Blue Devils’ second game of the season.
A second explosion carried Barton to a 7-1 win in women’s play, closing out the Lady Blue Devils overall record at 4-10-1 and Jayhawk record at 2-8-1. The four wins are the most in the three-year history of the KCKCC women’s program.
The Blue Devils led 1-0 and 2-1 in the men’s game only to have Barton score three times in a span of nine minutes including the game-winner with seven minutes remaining. The win enabled the Cougars to finish second in the Jayhawk at 8-2 and 14-2 overall.
KCKCC took a 1-0 halftime lead on a goal by Great Ubochi and kept the Cougars scoreless until Lucas Alves tied it with 16:20 left with his 13th goal of the season. The Blue Devils, however, bounced right back, retaking the lead with 15:45 left on a goal by freshman forward Jonathan Rodriguez of Harmon. The lead would last less than two minutes as Kota Endo tied it off a corner kick and then Sergio Ribeiro added the game winner with seven minutes left.
Barton’s women scored twice in the final 12:25 of the first half for a 2-0 lead and then exploded for three goals in the first five minutes of the second half for the 7-1 win that left then in a tie for fourth in the Jayhawk (7-4) and 8-6 overall.
A pair of Tonganoxie sophomores teamed up for KCKCC’s lone goal, Emily Soetaert scoring on an assist from Madison Simmons. Two other sophomores also played their final game for KCKCC, Chase Holle of Topeka West and Cynthia Conchas of Lincoln Prep.
Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at KCKCC.