Fresh off a dramatic, thrilling 2-1 victory over Western Texas in the regional championship, the Barton County Community College men’s soccer team is heading to Tyler, Texas for the national championships.
Barton drew the similar sounding Darton College in the first round. They will play at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Here’s a link to watch the game live.
The Cougars are coming into the championship riding a school record 18-game win streak. Barton began 1-3-1 this season, but has been unbeatable ever since. That includes a last-minute heart-pounding win Saturday to punch the Cougars third ever trip to the championships.
With the game tied at 1, Italo Arcelino scored off a loose ball with 15 seconds left in regulation to give Barton the victory.
Barton had trailed 1-0 after an early second half goal by Western Texas. And the Cougars had a couple of potential game tying goals nullified. With the clock under 7 minutes, Barton defender Adrian Alvarez smashed a wind-aided free kick that ended up going into the goal to tie it.
Eight teams qualify for the NJCAA championships. To win the title, a team must win three straight games. A quarterfinal loss drops teams into the consolation bracket. The semifinals are Friday and the championship game is Sunday along with the third place and consolation final matches.
Darton, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, is the southeast champion. The Cavaliers come in with a 17-5 record. They beat No. 8 Spartansburg Methodist 3-0 in the southeast title game.
Darton is located in Albany, Georgia. This is the Cavaliers first championship appearance.
“To have a chance to go to the national championships where anything can happen is a great opportunity for these guys,” Darton College Athletic Director Mike Kiefer told the Albany Herald. “We’re going into uncharted waters so it should be real exciting for the next few weeks.”
Mynor Perez scored the first goal for Darton. Her has 28 goals this season, which is the third highest total in the NJCAA.
A year ago Barton had to travel to New Jersey for the championships. The Cougars lost to Schoolcraft Michigan 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Barton and Tyler are the only teams to make it in consecutive years.
The tournament favorite is the hosts. No. 1 ranked Tyler Junior College is 17-0-1 this season. Also keep an eye on Monroe College from New York. They also haven’t lost all season.
The other colleges that qualified are Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, Lincoln College in Illinois, Iowa Western Community College and Otero Junior College in Colorado.
Comments
can i watch barton vs darton live anywhere??
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!