BOYS SOCCER: Friday, Oct. 9, 2020
It’s been a season of near-misses for the Garden City Buffaloes’ boys soccer team.
A youthful roster has provided a crystal ball into a future full of high hopes, and in the 2020 season that inexperience has resulted in a series of narrow setbacks for the Buffs and first-year head coach Jose Vital.
Thursday, Oct. 8, was another example as the Buffs dropped a 1-0 decision on the road to the Great Bend Panthers to close out their Western Athletic Conference season with a 3-5 record. They’ve lost a pair of 1-goal decisions to Liberal, one to Great Bend and a 2-goal setback earlier to Dodge City.
Despite out-shooting the Panthers 18-9, the Buffs couldn’t find one into the net and that followed a 1-0 loss on Tuesday to Liberal in much the same fashion.
“I have high hopes for my underclassmen,” Vital said. “We’re improving, but need to find a way to score when we have the opportunities.”
Great Bend was limited to nine shots by the Buffs’ defenders, but the Panthers scored the lone goal by benefit of a penalty kick in the opening half. Buffs’ keeper Angel Guevara had 8 saves.
The loss dropped the Buffs to 6-6 overall and they will be on the road twice next week to complete the regular season. Tuesday, they are at Wichita Trinity where the varsity will make the pitch at 5:30 p.m., preceded by the JV at 4 o’clock. Trinity, a Class 4A school, owns a 6-5-1 record after losing to Bishop Carroll on Thursday night. On Thursday, Oct. 15, the Buffs will return to Wichita to face Bishop Carroll, a Class 5A school that is currently 6-5-0. That game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. pitch.
Garden City High School 