Butler Soccer clinches Jayhawk East Title with dominating win on the road at Coffeyville

Story by Wyatt Ebersole 

A game that was expected to be another tense, defensive oriented, showdown against Coffeyville was anything but as the Butler Grizzlies Soccer team put on an offensive showcase in a 6-1 victory over the Red Ravens in Coffeyville on Wednesday. 

Prior to the game, the Red Ravens were the only team in the Jayhawk Conference to play the Grizzlies and not suffer a defeat this season. The Red Ravens drew a 1-1 tie against the #6 ranked Grizzlies at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on Wednesday, September 14th. 

With the win, the Grizzlies improve to 14-2-1 overall and 10-0-1 in conference play and clinched their 13th KJCCC East Title in program history.

The Grizzlies came out swinging with four first-half goals, the most goals the Grizzlies have scored in a first half this season. After a slow start for both sides, the Grizzlies got things started on the scoreboard in the 13th minute when Emma Kolbe sent a ball in from outside the numbers on the right side of the field into the goalie box, and off the head of Brooke Sullivan for a sensational, momentum grabbing goal. Kolbe showed off her passing abilities again in the 18th minute in a very similar fashion this time finding the head of Kenzee Godwin to make it 2-0 Grizzlies. Coffeyville found their first and only goal of the contest in the 23rd minute when a ball got behind the Grizzly back line and was knocked past Kyrah Klummp. Sullivan doubled her goal total in the game when she blasted a ball off the hands of the Red Raven keeper and into the net. Butler got their fourth goal of the half when Emma Kolbe added a goal to go with her pair of earlier assists to make it 4-1 in favor of the Grizzlies heading into the locker room.

Things slowed down with the Grizzlies turning to a more defensive formation in order to prevent a Red Raven comeback, but the Grizzlies weren't done scoring. Sophomore Kim McAlpine would find the back of the net twice in six minutes to give the Grizzlies a 6-1 victory. The most goals the Grizzlies have scored in a game this season. McAlpine's first goal was another fantastic header on a phenomenal pass from Morgan Fischer. McAlpine's second goal came in the 84th minute when she aggressively fought for a 50-50 ball and pushed through some hard contact to rifle the ball in for a top-shelf for a goal. 

To cap off the incredible performance, the Grizzlies clinched their second consecutive Jayhawk Conference title and the thirteenth in program history. 

NOTES: Head coach Adam Hunter is now 26-1-1 against Coffeyville all-time…6 goals is the most goals the Grizzlies have scored in a game against Coffeyville since October 4th, 2017…