Eight Barton women's soccer players earn post season recognition #GoBarton

Eight members of the 15th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team earned post season recognition following the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Headlining the selections were defender Nina Norshie and goalkeeper Nia Baker in being chosen to the first team of both the conference and region post-season teams. Joining the pair on the All-Region team were second team selections Aya Saiki, Rin Sato, and Hinata Kojima.

Of the conference selections, the West Champions had five on the first team with three others garnering second team honors. The five from the all-region team were joined on the conference list by second team members Hinano Nakagawa, Olivia Allen, and Belen Guerrero.

The selections help lead the Cougars to their fifteenth straight winning season, the program's fifth conference title with an 11-2 record, and the program's first ever Region VI and Plains District title. Concluding the season making their NJCAA National debut, the Cougars were 1-1 on the big stage concluding the season 17-4-2.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Cougars are scheduled to return five of the eight for a sophomore campaign giving Plains District Coach of the Year Ousmane Camara a solid base for another title run.

KJCCC West Division Selections     Region VI Division I Selections

Nina Norshie – 1st Team All-KJCCC West Division/All-Region Division I
Norshie not only led the conference and region in scoring but was also atop the leaders on the national stat lines.

Posting consecutive hat tricks to begin the season, Norshie followed with a seven goal outburst tying Great Bend native Yesenia Garcia's 2007 program high single game performance.

Scoring three or more goals nine times during the season, Norshie's 43 total posted the program's 2nd best single season performance and jumped into the 4th placing on the all-time career list. Distributing a team third best 8 assists, Norshie totaled the 3rd best single season achievement of 94 points to also rank 7th most in a career.

As Norshie spent time along the frontline, the freshman from Accra, Ghana, also dropped back to the defensive line when the situation warranted which limited her attacks but proved pivotal in Barton's defensive success.

Nia Baker – 1st Team All-KJCCC West Division/All-Region VI Division I
Standing guard between the pipes most of the season, Baker's third season on the pitch due to Covid exemptions earned the second year sophomore her second all-conference accolades after receiving a 2nd team selection her inaugural season.

The Wichita Northwest High School product capped her career with a 14-4-2 record, contributing to eight of the Cougars' ten shutouts during the year. Allowing just .84 goals per contest in league play, Baker led the West's full-time goalkeepers additionally in save percentage at .771 and five league shutouts with another two coming in post-season.

Rin Sato – 1st Team All-KJCCC West Division/2nd Team All-Region Division I
Sato was a critical component of Barton's midfield possession and controlling the game leading to the Cougars' offensive and defensive successes.

The freshman from Asaka-Shi, Japan, began her collegiate career with a goal, provided an assist in her second game, then five games later into the season set up her teammates for five goals in victory at Dodge City to tie two former Cougars for top single game distribution achievement in program history.

Leading the Cougars with 12 assists and contributing 4 goals for a team fourth best 20 points, Sato's assists tied for 9th best in program single season history and 11th overall in a career best on the chart.

Aya Saiki – 1st Team All-KJCCC West Division/2nd Team All-Region Division I
Saiki gave the Cougars a formidable 1-2 punch on the attacking front, second only to Norshie in ringing the bell.

Beginning her collegiate career with two goals and two assists, Saiki followed that performance with a hat trick, going on to score two or more goals six times during the season including three game winning goals.

Rattling the net 14 times, the freshman from Nishinomiya, Japan, distributed two or more assists in three games to finish second on the squad with 9 assists for 37 total points.

Hinata Kojima – 1st Team All-KJCCC West Division/2nd Team All-Region Division I
Kojima not only led the backline athletically but more importantly assessed the game to prevent opponents' attacks.

Helping the defense to nine shutouts, the freshman from Konosu, Japan native also contributed on the offensive end with an assist and 3 goals, one being a game winner in knocking off 12th ranked Cowley with another coming late to help knock off 17th ranked Hutchinson.

Hinano Nakagawa – 2nd Team All-KJCCC West Division
Teaming with Saiki and Kojima, Nagakawa was also a key component to Barton's strong midfield play throughout the season.

Transferring to Barton from Southeastern Community College, the sophomore from Komatsu, Japan, was also an offensive threat in setting up her teammates including taking most of the Cougars' corner kicks.

Nagakawa tied Norshie for a team third best 8 assists and contributed 3 goals during the season including the game winner at Neosho County and two net shakers coming in the Cougars' 3-0 win in NJCAA National Tournament pool play over Motlow State.

Olivia Allen – 2nd Team All-KJCCC West Division
A two-year starter, Allen was the backbone of the Cougars and the captain of the squad from her defensive position.

The sophomore from Wichita, Kansas, and Maize High School product, helped keep the backline intact through the challenges of each match and solidified one of the best defenses in the Region VI.

Offensively Allen contributed to the Cougars' first goal of the season with the first of her three assists during the year then capped the '22 opening day victory with her lone net shaker of her two-year career.

Belen Guerrero – 2nd Team All-KJCCC West Division
Arguably one of the most improved Cougars throughout the season, Guerrero was in the starting lineup nineteen of her twenty-two games played.

Giving Barton their third backline player to receive a post-season award, the Odessa, Texas, native completed her freshman season with 5 assists.

The freshman from Odessa, Texas, joins Kojima and Allen giving Barton three backline defenders on the post-season list.

Like Allen, Guerrero also had a goal and three assists throughout the season.