EL DORADO, Kan. - Behind three first-half goals, No. 4 Butler took down No. 10 Navarro in a 4-1 home victory Sunday at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.
Winners of seven consecutive games, Butler (7-2 overall, 3-0 conference) jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals from Lexi Clark, Katie Hartman and Michelle Palfrey.
Clark scored the game's opening goal on a free kick just 1:07 into the contest, then Hartman slipped a shot inside the right side of the net in the 30th minute.
With two minutes before halftime, Palfrey scored from outside the left side of the goal with a high leg kick, knocking the ball over the Navarro keeper.
In the 62nd minute, Navarro's Aaliyah Nolan managed to work through a pair of Butler defenders and hammered a left-footed shot into the net for the Bulldogs' only goal.
Grizzly sophomore Colleen Howland quickly answered with a goal of her own just 22 seconds later on an assist from Ky Kreemer. Howland was able to score easily with a ball inside the left side of the goal.
Goalkeeper Jami Reichenberger made 14 saves on 15 shots to record her seventh win of the season.
Butler will return to action on Friday with a road game against Kansas City Kansas at 6:00 p.m., then play at home Sunday night against Coffeyville at 5:00 p.m.
NOTES: Butler is 2-4-2 overall all-time against Navarro... The Grizzlies are 2-2 this season against NJCAA-ranked opponents.
