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BY ALAN HOSKINS

For the fourth time this season, Kansas City Kansas Community College has knocked off a nationally ranked soccer team.

Coming from behind twice, the Blue Devils added No. 17 ranked Iowa Central to its list of upsets with a 3-2 win Sept. 30.

However, the Blue Devils had a five-game winning streak snapped Saturday, losing a 1-0 heartbreaker to Cowley County just hours after blanking Fort Scott 3-0 Friday night. At home against Garden City Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Wizards Practice Facility in Swope Park, the weekend conference split left the Blue Devils (9-4-1) in third place in both the Jayhawk (4-1-1) and Region VI (5-1-1).

Turning in one their best halves of the season, the Blue Devils got two goals from Diogo Ferreira and one from Arnaldo Miranda in the first half while Kyle Joseph and Andy Miller shared halves in the 3-0 shutout of Allen County Friday night.

However, the four-hour bus ride to Cowley County Saturday morning took its toll and playing a man short, KCKCC gave up a goal with 15 minutes remaining in the 1-0 loss. “The energy level and focus from the night before was not there,” said Coach Dayton Owens.

Reon Thomas scored on a pass from Travis Roberts in the 3-2 win over Iowa Central, which led twice only to have KCKCC tie on goals by Mirando and Ferreira, whose mother from Florida was watching. The win avenged a loss to Iowa Central a year ago.

Other wins over ranked teams have included No. 8 Garden City, No. 11 Barton County and No. 19 Parkland while three of the four loses have been to No, 3 Illinois Central, No. 12 Northern Oklahoma and No. 14 Maple Woods.