(By Steve Carpenter HCC Sports Information)
The unranked Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team took a huge step toward defending its Jayhawk Conference championship on Sunday with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over No. 5-ranked Butler Community College at a soggy USD 308 Athletic Complex.
With a steady rain falling throughout the entire game and in front of the second-biggest crowd in HCC women’s soccer history of approximately 200 fans, freshman Melissa Hetherington tied the HCC single-season and freshman goal-scoring record with her 26th goal of the season which turned out to be the go-ahead goal in the 77th minute. From there, the Lady Dragons held off several Butler offensive threats and knocked off the last remaining unbeaten Jayhawk Conference women’s soccer team.
“It was a heck of a game and (Butler is) a good team,” HCC head coach Sammy Lane said. “It was everything I thought the game would be. It was a game with adrenaline and emotion. That we came from behind to win, it shows great character of this team. This sophomore group embraced our tradition and they are committed to winning every time out.
“It means a lot to defend this field and defend the conference title. It was a great game.”
HCC defeated Butler for the fifth-straight time in a tightly played series between two of the Jayhawk Conference women’s soccer powers.
“Everyone is so hyped up right now because Butler is one of our biggest rivals,” Hetherington said.
Hutchinson (11-2, 8-1) and Butler (12-2-1, 8-1) are now tied for the lead in the Jayhawk Conference with 24 points, but has the direct head-to-head tie-breaker with the Grizzlies after Sunday’s victory.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Sunday’s comeback victory was only the second time in team history that the Lady Dragons trailed at halftime and won a game. Now 2-14 when trailing at halftime, the only other comeback from a halftime deficit came on Oct. 15, 2007 when HCC trailed Garden City 1-0 at intermission and won the game 5-1.
Butler grabbed that 1-0 lead in the 30th minute when the Grizzlies took advantage of some Hutchinson defensive confusion and Megan Snyder blasted a shot into the upper left corner of the goal.
“We kept possession for most of the game,” sophomore All-American Alicia Robinson said. “When they scored, it was a bit of a shock to the system, but we digested it, didn’t panic and went on with the game.”
The Lady Dragons had several late rushes in the first half, but Butler goalkeeper Aisling Dyer made five of her seven saves in the opening half and preserved the Grizzlies 1-0 lead.
Hutchinson continued its offensive push to start the second half and finally got a break when a Robinson shot was deflected by a Butler defender with her hand in the penalty box, which led to a penalty kick for HCC.
Sophomore Pearl Slattery calmly blew the penalty kick past Dyer to tie the game at 1-1 in the 54th minute. Slattery is now 4 of 4 on penalty kicks and she scored her 16th goal of the season.
With a little more than 23 minutes remaining in regulation time, the Lady Dragons were called for a foul in their offensive end. On the ensuing free kick, Butler’s Dyer miss-hit the ball, which wound up right on the foot of Hetheringon, who took one touch before lobbing a shot from about 22 yards out over Dyer and the entire Grizzly defense into the goal for a 2-1 Hutchinson lead with 23:43 remaining in the game.
“I didn’t know what was happening,” said Hetherington, who had her fourth game-winning goal of the season. “She kicked it right at me. I just calmed my nerves and just kicked it over her. I was very happy.”
“With that much pressure and the game on the line, to gently guide the ball over her head, that’s a high-quality finish,” Lane said of the goal. “Most girls would take a swing or trap it, Melissa has that talent. That was a fitting goal to win the game.”
Butler made one more push late in the game. HCC goalkeeper Eunice Figueroa (9-1) made one save on a Mari Ruvalcalba shot. HCC defenders also blocked two other shots. Butler also had two scrambles in front of the Hutchinson net that didn’t result in shots.
Hutchinson out-shot Butler 19-8 and 8-3 in shots on goal. The Lady Dragons had five cornerkicks to Butler’s two and were called for 13 fouls to Butler’s five.
Figueroa had two saves for the Lady Dragons.
Hutchinson plays another huge Jayhawk Conference game on Friday at No. 15 Johnson County in Overland Park.
GAME NOTES – Sunday was the final regular-season home game for the Lady Dragons. … HCC is now 5 of 5 on penalty kicks this season. … Melissa Hetherington tied Steph Franz for both the single-season and freshman goal-scoring records at 26. … Pearl Slattery tied teammate Alicia Robinson for fifth place on the career points list at 73. Slattery is now fifth on the career goals list with 25. … The Lady Dragons are now 6-3 all time against Butler.