Butler women’s soccer back in NJCAA semifinals

As the momentum around him built toward something big, Butler Community College women’s soccer coach Adam Hunter stuck to his guns.

He kept recruiting the best in-state players. He kept putting them on the field. He kept winning his way.

Hunter always thought the sky was the limit for the Grizzlies.

Butler’s second NJCAA Tournament semifinals in three years, where they’ll play Iowa Central at 7 p.m. Friday in Melbourne, Fla., is as good of proof as any that he was right.

“It just kind of manifests itself, year after year,” said Hunter, who is in his ninth season. “We get good kids in there, the best from the area with the best coaches, and they come here, have success, and that word spreads. The kids that come here want to be part of something, and we started to get the best kids from around the area on a regular basis.”

Butler (21-2) ran the table in the Jayhawk Conference this season on the way to making the national tournament for the fifth straight year and fifth time under Hunter. They did it with 10 of 11 Kansas natives as starters, with sophomore midfielder Amy Strath, from Aberdeen, Scotland, the only outlier.

Butler is led this season by a pair of City League products — freshman forward Paige Achey, from Northwest, was an All-Jayhawk selection and leads the Grizzlies with 21 goals.

Freshman goalkeeper Jami Reichenberger, from Bishop Carroll, was a second-team All-Jayhawk pick and has set school records with 21 wins and 18 shutouts. She also led the Jayhawk with a 0.39 goals-against average.

“(Reichenberger) is one of the best keepers we’ve had in my nine years,” Hunter said. “We’ve had Carroll kids in the past, too, that have come in and made big impacts. She’s the latest.”

Butler defeated Schoolcraft (Mich.) 3-0 in its tournament opener, then defeated Darton State (Ga.) 3-0 on Wednesday to earn a spot in the semifinals.

Iowa Central (17-1) is in the semifinals for the first time.

“(Iowa Central) has a very talented central midfield,” Hunter said. “They’ve got some international kids that are very savvy on the ball, and they can do some damage if we’re not organized defensively.”

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Butler women’s soccer back in NJCAA semifinals."