JCCC upsets No. 18 Cloud County in playoff opening round

Kayla Brashear's goal led to a 2-1 win over No. 18 Cloud County
Kayla Brashear's goal led to a 2-1 win over No. 18 Cloud County

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College sophomore Kayla Brashear scored her Kansas Jayhawk Conference leading seventh game-winning goal to propel the Lady Cavaliers 2-1 upset over No. 18 Cloud County Community College, Saturday in the first round of the Region VI playoffs, snapping the Thunderbirds 14-match win streak. 

Brashear scored the game-winner with six minutes left in regulation. Sophomore midfielder Aina Blanch-Lopez played the ball through and Brashear ran it down and fired a shot past Thunderbirds goalkeeper Thaynara Soares. Brashear leads the Lady Cavaliers with 15 total goals and 34 points. 

Johnson County got on the board first in the 18th minute of the first half.  Sophomore forward Megan Nugent crossed the ball to the far post in traffic in the front of the goal, and sophomore forward Millie Hopkisson blasted it for a 1-0 JCCC lead. 

Cloud County evened the score a one apiece in the 77th minute off a goal from Franciele Cupertino. It was only the Thunderbirds second shot on goal for the match. 

Freshman keeper Olivia Ways, a two-time KJCCC Goalkeeper of the Week, improved improved her record to 9-5-1. 

Johnson County (12-6-1) will now travel across town to take on Kansas City Kansas Community College (13-3-0) in the second round on Friday, November 1.  KCKCC picked up its their first-ever playoff win when they defeated Barton Community College 3-1 in the opening round. The winner advances to the Plains District Tournament, November 6-7, at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

Earlier this season, Kansas City Kansas picked up its first-ever win over the Lady Cavaliers with a 3-2 win on Sept. 18. They completed a sweep with a 2-0 win on Oct. 11. JCCC leads the all-time series 7-2-3.