The No. 4 Barton Community College men’s soccer team secured its 13th Jayhawk Conference regular-season championship and first since 2023 Saturday afternoon, using a four-goal first half to power past Seward County Community College 6-0 at the Cougar Soccer Complex.
Rafael Calmon and Guilherme Leuenroth each found the back of the net twice to lead the six-goal performance, while Masaki Tsuji and Shun Imai added a goal apiece.
Extending its winning streak to nine matches and completing the season sweep of Seward County, Barton improved to 8-1-0 in Jayhawk Conference play and 15-1-0 overall, while Seward County falls to 0-7-1 in league action and 6-8-1 on the season. The Cougars step out of conference play Wednesday, hosting Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff before concluding the Jayhawk slate next Saturday against No. 6 Cowley College at the Cougar Soccer Complex.
Barton opened the scoring with 33:23 remaining in the first half as Tsuji controlled a pass out of the backline before finding Samuele Mailer, who slipped a thru ball behind the Seward County defense. Calmon collected the pass and fired an eight-yard strike inside the near post for his 11th goal of the season and a 1-0 Cougar advantage.
Kotaro Kimura helped double Barton’s advantage with 28:17 remaining in the first half, working a give-and-go with Calmon before slipping a thru ball across the box to Imai, who finished at the back post for his seventh goal of the season and a 2-0 edge.
The Cougars pushed their advantage to 3-0 with 26:29 remaining in the opening half as Kimura played a quick pass to Mailer outside the box, who then threaded a thru ball toward the far side. Tusji charged onto the pass and finished from four yards out for his team-leading 14th goal of the season.
Calmon struck again just 4:11 later, capitalizing on defensive pressure that forced a turnover along the Seward County backline. The reigning conference and national player of the week collected the loose ball and fired a right-footed strike past the Saints’ netminder for his 12th goal of the season, sending Barton into the break with a 4-0 advantage.
Utilizing more than 30 players throughout the contest, the Cougars continued adding to their advantage in the second half as Leuenroth accounted for both goals after the break. The freshman extended the lead to 5-0 with 24:34 remaining, taking a well-placed thru ball from Shoma Komata before maneuvering around a defender and firing a left-footed strike inside the near post for his fourth goal of the season.
Leuenroth completed his two-goal afternoon with 6:43 remaining, forcing a turnover along the Seward County backline before putting away the rebound of his initial saved attempt for his fifth goal of the year.
By the Numbers:
Barton held a commanding 19-5 advantage in shots, including a 14-0 margin in shots on goal. Mailer and Kimura each dished out two assists, while Calmon, Tsuji and Komata added one apiece. Pedro Lisboa and Reece Renteria combined for the shutout, marking the Cougars’ seventh clean sheet of the season.
Game Notes:
– Barton leads the all-time series 8-0-0
– Barton is 3-0-0 all-time in Great Bend
– Barton has scored multiple goals in five straight games and seven of its last eight contests.
– Saturday marked Barton’s eight game of the season with four or more goals.
Record Book Watch:
Masaki Tsuji
– 6th: Most Points in Career (71); 3 away from 5th Leandro Reis 74 (2008-09)
– T-5th: Most Goals Scored in Career (30); 1 away from 4th Ricardo Yeverino’s 31 (2009-2010)
Rafael Calmon
– T-13th: Most Goals Scored in Career (21); 3 away from 10th Leandro Reis (2008-09) & Desmond Yankey (2004-05) 24
BARTON SCORING SUMMARY
11:37: Rafael Calmon (11); Assist: Samuele Mailer (4), Masaki Tsuji (6)
16:43: Shun Imai (7); Assist: Rafael Calmon (5), Kotaro Kimura (6)
18:31: Masaki Tsuji (14); Assist: Samuele Mailer (5), Kotaro Kimura (7)
22:42: Rafael Calmon (12)
65:26: Guilherme Leuenroth (4); Assist: Shoma Komata (5)
83:17: Guilherme Leuenroth (5)
