Dodge City men's soccer continued to push opponents as they challenged #3 Barton to the wire, falling 1-0 in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Conquistadors' season ended with the road loss as the Conqs finished 3-11-3.
While the opportunities were limited compared to their opponent, the Conqs managed some solid chances in the first half. Barton outshot the Conqs 14-5 in the first 45 minutes, but the Conqs defense stepped up and stymied the Cougars to leave the game scoreless at halftime. In the second half, it was similar, as Barton controlled possession but the Conqs again managed some solid looks. In the 57
th minute, Barton intercepted a Conqs back-end pass, and quick movement of the ball opened an avenue to the goal; the Cougars pounced on what would be the only goal of the game. Four minutes later, Barton sprayed the goal with several shots as Conqs goalie
Leonardo Acquarone made three strong saves. A corner kick was awarded, and then, after a tough-luck handball in the box, Barton was awarded a penalty kick in the 62
nd. Acquarone stood tall and made the save, keeping the score at 1-0. The Conqs managed a few looks, including two shots on goal in the 85
th and 88
th minutes, but couldn't score and fell 1-0.
Conqs were outshot 28-11 but pushed Barton to the wire with quality chances. Acquarone finished with eight saves.
