GCCC's inaugural season ends

By JOEY SPRINKLE
jsprinkle@gctelegram.com

The Garden City Community College men's soccer team has turned heads all season. It is a first-year program with players from as far north as Michigan to as far south as New Mexico, and from as far away internationally as Cameroon. The Broncbusters had lost just two of 15 games heading into Region VI play by counting on its high-powered offense and strong defense.

Tuesday at Memorial Stadium, GCCC's inaugural season came to an end, as the fourth-seeded Busters were dropped by No. 5 Neosho County 2-1. Garden City had chances throughout the game to strike, but whenever the Busters would attack the goal, nothing seemed to fall their way.

"We just ran out of time - it's just what it was," GCCC coach Jeff Huffman said.

"I think the big thing is we have to carry this into the offseason and just remember this loss."

After Garden City goalkeeper Josh Ermey and Neosho keeper Andrew Turley each made a save in the opening five minutes, the Panthers' Louis Dos Santos scored the initial goal 8:12 into the game. It was the only goal of the first half.

As in the first half when the Busters had just two shot attempts, the second stanza started out much the same way. Neither defense would allow much through.

The Busters seemed to have gotten a break when, on an attack in the 55th minute, Steve Shaw took an open shot that missed just right of the goal.

Neosho extended its lead to 2-0 at the 69:56 mark when Victor Ibarra took a pass 10 feet from the net and knocked it past Ermey.

Garden City's lone goal came when Shaw got a shot past Turley in the 88th minute. The Busters had one more opportunity as they went on the attack, but a Kyle French shot attempt sailed right with 3:30 remaining.

"I think we're in the beginning stages of starting something special here," Huffman said after the Broncbusters finished their first season at 12-3-1. "I think were starting to become one of the top Division I in junior college soccer programs, and I don't think this will diminish that at all. It doesn't diminish the fact that we know that we can get there."