Butler soccer has conference winning streak ended at Johnson

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Butler soccer had its school-record 33-game regular season conference winning streak come to an end Friday with a 2-0 loss at Johnson County.

The Cavaliers scored two second-half goals to hand No. 11 Butler (8-4 overall, 6-1 conference) its first regular season loss in Jayhawk Conference play since Oct. 17, 2014. The Grizzlies' loss creates a first-place tie atop the Jayhawk East standings between Butler and Johnson County at 6-1 with five conference games remaining.

Butler kept pace with Johnson in the opening half, as the Cavaliers' best opportunity came on a Paige Downey penalty kick in the ninth minute. Butler goalkeeper Elena Garcia dove to her left to tip Downey's shot out of bounds.

Butler had two solid looks on goal in the first half from Michelle Palfrey and Ky Kreemer, but both were denied by Johnson keeper Vanessa Silva.

Johnson went up 1-0 on a Millie Hopkisson goal in the 50th minute, as the Cavaliers went down the far sideline on a throw-in. Morgan Hill put a shot on goal inside the penalty area from the left side, which went off the hand of Garcia and right to a trailing Hopkisson, who chipped the ball into the goal with the right foot.

The Cavaliers then added their second goal on a 25-yard free kick from Georgia Vernardakis in the 61st minute. Vernardakis took the shot from the right side, putting it into the upper right-corner of the goal.

Johnson outshot Butler by a 12-11 margin, while the Grizzlies had an 8-7 edge on shots on goal.

Butler will next be in action on Wednesday with a road conference game at Coffeyville. Kickoff from Coffeyville's Veterans Memorial Stadium is at 5:00 p.m.

NOTES: Johnson snapped a 14-game losing streak against Butler. The Grizzlies lead the series 20-7-1 overall against the Cavaliers and have a 5-4-1 edge in games played in Overland Park... The shutout marked the first time the Grizzlies were blanked in a conference game since a 0-0 tie at Allen County on Sept. 26, 2014... Butler suffered its first conference shutout loss since 2010, ending an 87-game regular season conference streak of avoiding a loss without a goal.