Grizzlies Drop 1st Game of Season in Top-10 Battle With KCKCC

EL DORADO, Kan. – Two second half goals from the No. 9 ranked Kansas City Kansas CC Blue Devils gave the No. 6 ranked Butler Grizzlies their first loss of the 2024 season, falling 2-1 at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex Saturday evening.

Butler (9-1-3, 9-1-1 KJCCC) and KCK (10-0-3, 8-0-3) entered the game as the lone undefeated teams in the KJCCC D1 and the Blue Devils used a two goal second half to hand the Grizzlies their first loss of the season.

The Grizzlies had the wind at their backs in the first half as it blew to the north. They used that to their advantage holding possession and field position for a majority of the first half. Butler took a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute as sophomore Sakiko Manabe booted a corner kick that freshman Tyesha Nelson easily headed in for her third goal of the season.

SOC vs KCKCC | 12:45 1H

Grizzlies strike first‼️

Sakiko Manabe places a corner kick right in front of Tyesha Nelson who heads it in to give the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead#RoarGrizz�� pic.twitter.com/V0SyAOAE0B

— Butler Grizzlies (@ButlerGrizzlies) October 5, 2024

KCK scored two goals within two minutes of each other in the second half. With 28:08 to play, the Blue Devils got a clean shot off a corner kick to tie it 1-1. Just two minutes later KCK's leading scorer, Kiara Carr, took a shot from the right wing that went right through Grizzly keeper Rylie Schiffelbein's legs and rolled in giving KCK the 2-1 lead.

Butler outshot KCK 17-15 in the game. Nelson, Manabe and London Ingram all had four shots for Butler with Ingram leading the way with three shots on goal. Schiffelbein finished with five saves while KCK's Maria Heuman had seven saves.

The Grizzlies turn their attention to the Hutchinson Blue Dragons on Wednesday, traveling to the Salthawk Sports Complex for a 6 p.m. game.