Grizzlies score two goals in final minutes to defeat Blue Devils on sophomore night

Butler Soccer completes undefeated season in conference play with two goals in final two minutes against KCK  

Butler Soccer's run for an undefeated season in conference play looked like it was in jeopardy as the game entered the 88th minute. The Grizzlies trailed Kansas City Kansas 1-0 and had not been able to capitalize on any of their chances up to this point. The Grizzlies had gotten plenty of chances to score, outshooting the Blue Devils at a near 2 to 1 ratio in the match, but the Grizzlies just could not find the back of the net.  

"I thought we created a lot of chances to score more tonight," said head coach Adam Hunter. "Sometimes our shots just don't go in." 

That changed just as the game entered the 89th minute as the Grizzlies came flying down the field and Kenzee Godwin fired a ball at the keeper that she handily saved, but fortunately for the Grizzlies it rolled right onto the foot of Kim McAlpine who fired the ball off the head of a Blue Devil defender and into the net. The Grizzlies bench erupted with excitement having found the hard-fought equalizer, but the Grizzlies weren't done yet. Just 73 seconds later, the Grizzlies would find a game winning goal. Emma Kolbe launched a ball from the midfield stripe that took one hop towards the sprinting Kenzee Godwin who was just outside the 18-yard box. Godwin bounced the ball off her head, over the KCK keeper, and the ball just barely rolled into the net for the game-winning goal.  

Coach Hunter summed up the match by saying, "The kids were really excited after Kenzee's goal. I tried to find some excitement in the final 30 seconds after the first 89 minutes and 30 seconds of frustration tonight."  

The win caps off an undefeated season in conference play for coach Adam Hunter and the Grizzlies at 12-0-1 with the only non-victory being a 1-1 tie against Coffeyville on September 14th in El Dorado. The Grizzlies finish off the regular season overall at 16-2-1, the best mark since the 2016 season where the Grizzlies went 21-3. 

The Grizzlies quest for another Region VI title starts on Saturday the 29th, likely against the Dodge City Conquistadors who the Grizzlies defeated 2-0 in Dodge City on September 17th. 

Even if the Grizzlies falter in the Region VI postseason, they will finish the year on a 13-game non-losing streak and will be ranked at least #5 in the NJCAA Poll which means they would have a good shot at receive an at-large bid to NJCAA National Tournament. 

NOTES: Adam Hunter is now 17-3-0 against KCK all-time…Butler sweeps the season series with KCK, but KCK has won 3 of the last 5 matchups…Butler Soccer wins the KJCCC East by three games and finishes the season with the best overall and conference record of any team in the KJCCC…Butler Soccer has won 14 straight home conference matches…