Butler soccer has 24-game home win streak snapped

Butler soccer had its school-record 24-game home winning streak snapped Sunday evening with a 3-2 loss to No. 16 Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa.

The No. 7-ranked Grizzlies (2-1 overall) led 2-1 at halftime behind goals from sophomore forwards Ky Kreemer and Kennedy Weaver, but Tonkawa scored two second-half goals in a 12-minute span to hand Butler its first loss. Mavericks freshman forward Megan DeShazo had the game-winning goal on a header in the 84th minute.

The defeat was Butler's first at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex since a 2-1 overtime loss to Hutchinson back on Oct. 17, 2014 and the third overall since the stadium opened in 2012.

Kreemer put Butler up early after finishing a loose ball in the box in the fifth minute. With Butler on a corner kick, Melonie Baca had a shot deflect off the right post to the left side when Kreemer crashed in for the score.

Tonkawa quickly answered with an equalizer three minutes later on a header goal by Gifty Ayew Asare, which was assisted by Megan Mayfield.

Butler went back in front in the 20th minute when Taylor Martinez passed upfield to forward Zion DeWerff. Tonkawa keeper Jo McCray came out of the box to challenge the pass, but DeWerff beat her to the ball and fed a long pass to an open Weaver, who tapped the ball in on an uncontested net.

The Mavericks would evenutally tie the game up at the 74-minute mark when Rebekah Brantley slipped through the defense and put a shot past Butler keeper Elena Garcia and inside the left post.

Both teams had several chances in the final 15 minutes, but DeShazo came through with a header on a Rachel Brantley pass into the box from with 5:16 remaining in the game.

Butler will travel to Tyler, Texas this weekend for a pair of non-conference games against ranked opponents. The Grizzlies will play No. 10 Navarro on Friday at 2:00 p.m., then battle No. 3 Tyler on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Butler then returns home for the Jayhawk Conference opener against Coffeyville on Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:00 p.m.

NOTES: Butler is now 12-4-1 overall against Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa. The Mavericks, who snapped an eight-game losing streak against Butler last year, have won the last two meetings... Tonkawa became the first opponent to score three goals at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex since Otero (Colo.) did in a 5-3 loss to Butler on Sept. 6, 2013.