No. 7 Butler soccer struggles in 2-0 loss to No. 10 Navarro

No. 7 Butler soccer struggles in 2-0 loss to No. 10 Navarro

TYLER, Texas – In a match-up between two NJCAA preseason Top 10 programs, No. 7 Butler struggled on the pitch in a 2-0 non-conference loss to No. 10 Navarro, Texas on Friday afternoon at Pat Hartley Field.

Butler (2-2 overall) was held without a goal for the first time in two years, while Navarro (3-0) picked up its second victory this season over an NJCAA ranked opponent. The Grizzlies had a string of 28 straight contests without being shutout come to an end, as their last shutout loss came in a season-ending 2-0 NJCAA National Tournament semifinal defeat against eventual champion Iowa Central on Nov. 20, 2015.

During a hot, muggy contest in 90-degree Texas heat on Friday, Navarro dominated the possession while Butler's inability to get the ball out of the defensive end eventually led to a pair of second-half goals by the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs broke the scoreless tie in the 72nd minute on a goal from Andrea Rabanales, who slid a ball past Grizzly keeper Elena Garcia into the right side of the net. Navarro then added an insurance goal in the 87th minute when forward Wasila Diwara one-touched a Laura Duran pass over the head of Garcia.

Butler never pressured offensively in the second half and managed just three shots on net midway through the first half.

The Grizzlies will next face No. 3 Tyler on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Pat Hartley Field, located on the Apaches' campus. Tyler (3-0) defeated No. 16 Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa 4-0 following Butler's loss to Navarro. Tonkawa handed Butler its first loss of the season on Sunday in a 3-2 contest in El Dorado.

NOTES: Butler falls to 2-5-2 all-time in the series against Navarro. The Grizzlies are 0-3-1 against Navarro in neutral sites... Sunday's game against Tyler will be Butler's fourth contest in five games against an opponent who was ranked in the NJCAA Top 20 preseason poll.