Matsumoto’s second half penalty kick helps Butler Soccer to draw with Kansas City

EL DORADO, Kan. – Butler soccer forced a draw, its third of the season, for a 1-1 result in a match with Kansas City Kansas on Wednesday evening at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.

Butler (0-1-3, 0-1-2 KJCCC) is still in search of its first win in the 2023 season. The last time a Grizzly soccer team started its season off without a win in its first four matches was 2014 when they began 0-3-1 before defeating St. Louis CC 8-0 to get in the win column in the fifth match.

The Grizzlies have battled some tough opponents thus far while trying to get this 2023 squad gelled and KCK (4-0, 3-0 KJCCC) was no different as they entered the match 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the KJCCC, sitting in first place.

At halftime it was tied 0-0 with KCK outshooting Butler 8-3 and each team having three corner kicks and three fouls.

The Blue Devils struck first in the second half as Mia Hurt and Jaycee Schumann worked to get behind the Grizzly defense. Schumann set up Hurt with a pass to the front center of the goal and Hurt punched it in, delivering the first goal of the game in the 59th minute.

Grizzly keeper Carla Apodaca finished with a season-high eight saves as she was put to the test for most of the night.

Butler received a big opportunity when the Blue Devils fouled Saki Matsumoto in the box, awarding Matsumoto and the Grizzlies a penalty shot in the 75th minute. Matsumoto got the best of Blue Devil goalkeeper Karli Angle, putting the ball in the left side of the net while Angle went right to tie the game at one-all.

KCK outshot Butler 19-10 while having seven corner kicks to Butler's five.

The Grizzlies will hit the road for a neutral site match in Overland Park, KS on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT vs. No. 5 Monroe CC (NY).