by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Twice burned by late goals this season, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women’s soccer team got one of their own Tuesday.
Jessica Hill, a sophomore from Shawnee Heights, beat a bevy of players to a deflected ball and kicked in the game’s only goal in a 1-0 over Fort Scott. The game-winner came with just 6:30 remaining.
The win boosted the Blue Devils’ overall record to 4-4-3 and 3-4-3 in the Jayhawk Conference heading into the final two games of the season.
At league-leading Butler County (9-1) Thursday at 2 p.m., the Blue Devils finish regular season play at home Sunday, hosting Coffeyville at 5 p.m. in the first half of a men’s-women’s doubleheader.
Hill’s game-winning goal came after a sluggish first half in which neither team mustered any serious scoring threats.
“The first half was basically at stalemate but we were able to put together a much more productive second half,” KCKCC assistant coach Sara Matthews said.
“The second half we definitely controlled the tempo but just couldn’t produce any scoring until the game-winner. Sometimes goals come easy but most of the time they don’t and this was one of those times. I was just proud of how our players stayed patient and ground out a win.”
The late win was especially gratifying because Johnson County twice had scored in the final six minutes to gain ties – ties that prevented the Lady Cavaliers from tying Butler County for the conference lead.