I'll tell you who isn't the Wildcat of the Week. That would be me, Sports Information Director Luke Reid. I asked Public Address Announcer (and so much more) Jeff Kragel to congratulate Jennie Barto on her hat trick following Monday afternoon's 4-2 win against Cal State Monterey Bay. Turns out it wasn't a hat trick after all. Barto kicked the first of three apparent goals after it had been ruled by the assistant referee to have already crossed the line. Guess I should have asked him before the announcement.
Still, even my incompetance cannott diminish what Barto accomplished by scoring her first two collegiate goals during a six-minute span that lifted the Wildcats to victory. Barto headed home Blake Lopes’ corner kick at the near post in the 70th minute and then drilled home a failed clearance from 12 yards in the 76th minute as the Wildcats turned a 1-1 deadlock into a 4-1 lead. In case you haven't guessed it, she is the Wildcat of the Week.
"She was the X factor," said Wildcats Head Coach Kim Sutton.
Want proof? Barto entered as a first-half sub in the 22nd minute. Less than two minutes later, the Wildcats were on the board, knotting the score at 1-1, She entered the second half as a substitute in teh 67th minute. Less than three minutes later the Wildcats had a 2-1 lead. Fifty one seconds after that Barto notched her first goal, which proved to be the game winner. And less than six minutes later she scored again.
