Raiders Come for a Visit

Game 8: (7-1-0)
26 September at STA vs. SM South (3-0)

We reached the mid-point of the regular season tonight. It seems as if we just finished the summer league. Time is flying.

I am trying to remember another Saint who had a hat trick by halftime. Surely there is one, but I can't come up with a name right now. But Parker Stoecklein did it tonight. He scored his first on some good BWhite scouting, the second on one of his famous are-you-kidding-me shots, and then he finished the scoring on an STA ball—Nen t-ed it, DJ dummied it and Parker just grounded it in from the slot. 

Honestly, I thought we played better soccer in the second half when we almost scored a few more goals, but didn't, than we did the first half.  

Barrett found Ethan through on a ball that put Ethan in front of the goal with the keeper coming right at him as he beautifully chipped it over him, but it bounced once and just over the goal. We had a few of those—so a lot better soccer I thought.

SM South is a very well-coached team that plays with extreme discipline. They were a tough out.

Next week will equal one-fourth of a Kansas soccer season as we play BV Southwest, the 5A favorite at home on Tuesday, before heading to the National tournament to meet up with some of the best in the country—4 games.

Quite a week.

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 7 (5) Corners: 2 (Eames, Morrisette)

38:05 Stoecklein

13:23 Stoecklein

2:12 Stoecklein (Matlock t's it through a DJ dummy)

SM South 

Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 0

Second Half: 

Saints: Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 5 (Welch 2, Stoecklein, Morrisette, Eames)

Raiders: Shots: 2 (2) Corners: 1

Interviews

Back Home for EKL Vs. Bishop Miege

Game 7: (6-1-0)
24 September at Saint Thomas Aquinas vs. Miege (3-0)

Miege did a nice job of frustrating us during the first half, playing a deep sweeper and defending excellently on all of our throw-ins. Only Parker being special got us to halftime with the 1-0 lead.

Second half we did a lot better job of controlling the ball and the tempo. We changed up our throw-in a bit, and we did cash a goal. And then Ethan Young, one of our three varsity freshman, just did an amazing job of flashing his speed and his ability to finish.

DJ White spent most of the second half in the back at centerback. He did very well, well enough to go Co-BWhite Player of the Match with Ethan Young. DJ just plays well wherever we put him. 

Miege moves the ball well, and they can make the final pass that puts them in the front third. Tonight was a night when our backline had to play well.

Shae Wirt chalked up another clean sheet.  I know he has a very good defense in front of him, but he also does a nice job of directing them. He's giving up .400 goals a match. That says a lot about him and Zayveon, Max, Gabe, DJ, Jacob, and Mitchell.

We are back in action quickly as this Thursday we will take on SM South from the Sunflower League.

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots 6 (5) Corners: 0

37:14 Stoecklein (unassisted as Parker nabbed the ball, took a couple of touches and launched it)

Stags: Shots 4 (2) Corners: 0




Second Half:

Saints. Shots: 13 (5) Corners: 3 (Young 2, Bryson 1)

37:37 Farrar (Parker heaves it for a Farrar header down and off a defender and in)

11:26 Young (Zayveon one-touches his win of the ball sending Ethan to goal)

Stags: Shots: 3 (0) Corners: 0

Miege Interviews: Click Here:

Road Trip to Wichita

Game 6 (5-1)
21 September vs Wichita North at 1:00 at Walmart Chita North (3-0)

Wichita presented substantial wind this afternoon. So when we lost the toss, we thought we were in for a defensive first half. The boys, however, pinged the ball around pretty well, defended in layers, and we have Parker. So 3-0 at half. 

Second half we did have some we probably should have finished, but we played much better in the first. So, the 3-0 final score wasn’t that surprising. 

Also, BWhite selecting Parker Stoecklein the BWhite Player of the match wasn’t too surprising either. He scored both goals (his second one requires viewing) and his long throw produced the third goal. 

Nen Matlock made is varsity debut, and he was solid. 

We are back in home, EKL action Tuesday against Bishop Miege. 

STATS:  

First Half 

Saints: Shots:  17 (7). Corners. 5 (Nen 2, Kitts, Eames, Kanakares). 

19:55 Stoecklein (Kitts slides it)

11:25 Stoecklein (Martin chips it diagonally forward)

5:25 Bryson (Stoecklein heaves it in for a Kraft flick)

WN. Shots. 1 (0). Corners. 0. 

Second Half:

Saints. Shots: 12 (7). Corners: 2 (Bryson, Wirt)

WN. Shots. 1 (0). 

Game Interviews:  Click Here. 

Mill Valley Visits for the Last Time

Game 5 (4-1-0)
17 September at STA vs. Mill Valley (4-0)

We brought energy again, and so we played hard, playing better soccer as the game moved on.  Eames did a nice job of attacking the baseline tonight, earning us a couple of corners and a PK.  His push into the box midway through the first half earned the PK that got us on the board. We took off after that goal.

As coaches, it is fun to watch us fly around defensively. It is not just our back four (yes, they have been awesome), but we are putting immediate pressure on the other team all over the field. Jacob Muckerman stepped in at right back tonight, and he slowed down anyone Mill Valley sent down that flank.

In fact, Mill Valley, who has some very impressive front runners and midfielders, only got two shots off the whole match. 

Parker continues to win so many balls up top to go along with that throw-in that seems good for at least one goal a match.  And he hit a couple of strikes that the Mill Valley keeper made some nice saves on.

Shae did not have to save much tonight, but he directs so much from his vantage point in the back that he is part of almost all passing sequences.

BWhite gave Jack Martin the BWhite Player of the Match. Jack had his best match of the year, and it was not just because he cashed another goal and contributed a nice assist, but he was getting back behind the ball defensively all night—and, he kept finding feet on our attacks

We moved to 4-0 in the EKL now, halfway through the race. 

We will head to Wichita on Saturday to take on Wichita North before returning home for an EKL match against the Stags.

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 10 (7) Corners: 2 (Welch, Farrar)

23:00 Farrar (Eames is fouled in the box, creating the PK)

22:36 Stoecklein (Martin slots the perfect through ball over the top)

Jags: Shots: 1 (0) Corners: 1

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 11 (4) Corners: 4 (Eames 2. Farrar, Kanakares)

29:47 Martin (Parker heaves one to the back post where it squirts out to Konnesky who squares it to Martin)

2:28 Schroeder (Stoecklein chips it forward)

Jags: Shots: 1 (0) Corners: 0


Interviews: Click Here

Saints Travel to SwiDAC

Game 4 (3-1-0)
14 September vs. BV North at SwiDAC at 2:30 (4-1)

We jumped on the board quickly and often in the first half. We scored once more than we had scored for the entire season. Well done.

Make sure you watch the video on 3 of those goals: Parker, Drew, and Jack all strike a nice ball.

We were able to rest Drew, Luke, and Shae second half—two are pretty banged up, and we just needed to get Carter some meaningful time.  He did make one heck of a save towards the end of the match. North did score late on a long deadball, but the one guy, Souder, who we always needed to account for on set pieces roamed free. He and Carter did meet at the top in a huge collision. Both will need some Advil tonight.

BWhite went back to the well to award Gabe Kraft his second BWhite Player of the Match. He just wins so many balls in the back, and he keeps so many balls alive in all of our set-pieces. 

Unlike our other matches this season, the Mustangs did get quite a few shots off in the match. Now, most of those shots did come in the second half. North fired 11 times, with seven shots on goal. 

For the second straight match, we only rang up two corners for the entire game. Our first two matches of the year had us creating 9 corners both matches.  So we need to turn that around a bit.

BTW: after 4 matches, our keeper, Shae Wirt, is tied for the team lead in assists. And it's his second straight game-winning assist.

We play, yet another, EKL match this coming Tuesday against Mill Valley. It will be our last league match-up against them as they head for the Sunflower League next season.

STATS:

First Half:

STA: 14 (9) Corners: 2 (Morrisette 2) 

35:17 Stoecklein (Wirt punts a bomb that PArker heads over the keeper)

26:57 Welch (Martin slips it weak side to Welch who touches it forward before striking a rope)

16:32 Russell (Parker puts the deadball right on the back post for the header)

6:08 Martin (Arquez is fouled leading to the free-kick)

BVN: 6 (3) Corners: 2

Second Half:

STA: Shots: 6 (1) Corners: 0

BVN: Shots: 11 (7) Corners: 1

5:17 Souder (Springer hits the long chip that Sauder leaps and heads in through Diggs)

Interviews: Click Here

Back to the EKL

Game 3: (2-1-0)
12 Sept. vs. BV Northwest at STA (1-0)

Despite a very good offensive performance, we only cashed the winning goal with a first in Saint Thomas Aquinas history—we pulled Shae Wirt out of goal with less than 20 minutes left, and we inserted him in at the "9." I am not sure he was on the field a minute before he created a goal. He is big; he is intense; he is fast, and he is unselfish—he drew the keeper out to slide the ball to Owen Kanakares for the game-winning goal. And yes, it was Shae's mom's birthday, and yes his brother Landon, also on Mom's birthday a couple of years ago, cashed the golden goal to beat Mill Valley.  So, lots of history, lots of good Karma, but still a first.

—And his performance was good enough for the BWhite Player of the Match. Shae got the shutout with the help of Carter Diggs, and he got the game-winning assist. I am thinking of a movie script. 

The big goal starts with Max, winning a header, Zayveon fighting for a 50-50 ball before Farrar, realizing Shae is played high on their back centerback, hits a perfect one-touch ball over the back line. 

After drawing the keeper out, Shae nicely slides it to Kanakares for the goal. Owen made quite a run to stay onside and available before beating the defender, near post. 

And the night did highlight a great night defensively on the field. I believe we allowed 3 shots all night by Northwest. And Northwest is a very good side. They entered tonight's match, 4-1. 

We now head to SwiDAC Saturday to take on Blue Valley North. We hope to build off this nice win tonight, and we hope to keep our EKL slate clean.

STATS:

First Half:

STA: Shots: 10 (5) Corners: 0

Huskies: Shots: 2 (1) Corners:2

Second Half:

STA: Shots: 11 (1) Corners: 2 (Arquez, Eames)

12:20 Kanakares (Farrar hits the one-touch counter to Wirt who pushes it forward to draw the keeper before sliding it square)

Huskies: Shots: 1 (1) Corners: 0

Interviews: Click here!

We Travel to Columbia

Game 2:  (1-1)

Vs. Rock Bridge at Rock Bridge (1-2)

Well, we were missing that crazy energy we had in the first game as we pretty much had expected. Those last ten to fifteen minutes, though, we did come close to finding it again. 

And we made it interesting, coming from down 2-0 almost to tie it several times. So we do applaud our closing effort. But to statistically dominate a game this dramatically and to lose—well, we probably need to look at a few things.

JJ Johnson was as good as advertised. He scored the first goal ringing one up from just off the baseline. He then pushed the ball across to assist on their second goal. 

BWhite named Gabe Kraft the BWhite Player of the Game. He played very well defensively, and he headed in our lone goal. 

We have two games next week as we go back to the EKL to play Northwest and North.

STATS:  

FIRST HALF. 

Saints. Shots: 6 (3)  Corners: 2 (Stoecklein, Martin)

Bruins:  Shots: 1. Corners: 0

SECOND HALF:

Saints:  10 (6). Corners: 7 (Parker 4, Farrar, Kitts, Kankares)

4:31 Kraft (Stoecklein throws it into the box with Gabe heading the ball back and low towards the front post)

Bruins:  Shots: 4 (4). Corners: 0

34:16 Johnson (Fancher runs a simple give-and-go)

9:04 Pico (Johnson slides it across)

Game Interviews