No. 6 Butler handles Hesston 4-1 in Region VI quarterfinals

No. 6 Butler handles Hesston 4-1 in Region VI quarterfinals
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October 31, 2015

The Butler soccer finally allowed a goal on their home field, but still scored enough to handle Hesston 4-1 in the Region VI quarterfinals at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.

Butler went through 10 home games in the regular season without allowing a goal on its home turf. Hesston became the first visiting team to find the net when Mika Matsuda scored on a free kick in the 51st minute following a Butler foul.

By that point, however, the Grizzlies had already scored three goals in the first half. Butler opened the scoring when a shot by Courtney Yochum bounced off the hands of the Hesston goalkeeper. Jaclyn Means was there to redirect the ball into the net in the 19th minute to make it a 1-0 game.

In the 32nd minute, Butler was awarded a corner kick and Madison Zimmer knocked the ball across the end line on an assist by Lauren Allan that made it a 2-0 game.

Allan scored a goal of her own in the 39th minute, kicking a perfectly placed shot in the upper-right 90 from 20 yards out to give Butler a 3-0 lead.

The Grizzlies would get another goal in the second half when Jaclyn Means took the ball around the defense and placed the ball in front of the net for an easy goal by Paige Achey in the 63rd minute.

Butler is now 17-2-0 on the season and will advance to the Region VI semfinals. With the quarterfinal win, Butler has advanced to at least the semfinal round of the regional tournament in each of the 14 years in program history.

The top-seeded Grizzlies will face fifth seed Barton on Thursday at 11 a.m. at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka. Barton beat Dodge City 3-0 on the road on Saturday to advance. The Butler-Barton winner will play in the championship tilt on Friday in Topeka at 10 a.m.