GAMES
RANKINGS
Seven Lakes boys soccer coach Jimmy Krueger talks to his team after its 3-2 Region III-6A area playoff win over Cy Ridge on Tuesday at Legacy Stadium.
Stasic lifts Spartans past Cy Ridge in area round
KATY—Seven Lakes’ boys soccer team is young. Sophomores and juniors pepper the roster.
Still, the Spartans are playing beyond their years during these playoffs.
“It’s fun to watch,” coach Jimmy Krueger said.
Krueger’s kids are growing up right in front of his eyes. Tuesday’s Region III-6A area playoff game against Cy Ridge was another example of prominent progress, as the Spartans rallied twice from one-goal deficits to ultimately pull away, 3-2, at Legacy Stadium.
“The big thing is we will never count ourselves out in any match,” Krueger said. “We’ve got a lot of talented goal scorers and the ability to put the ball in the back of the net, so we can take our bumps in the run of the game. They (Cy Ridge) scored against the run of play, and we stay calm. The same thing happened when they tied it up. It’s one of those things where it’s only a matter of time, and it’s just being patient and trusting what got us here and trusting our play style and trusting our ability.”
Sophomore Noa Stasic found space in the box and drilled a go-ahead shot with 15 minutes left to snap a 2-2 tie. It was particularly rewarding for the precocious striker because of how he had struggled up to that point.
“It was just a stressful game,” Stasic said. “I kept my cool and finished it, but … a lot of pressure just got to me. I missed, like, two or three chances in the beginning, just bad touches. But to get that score revealed all the stress and I let go of the stress. It felt great. I’m not going to lie.”
.@SLsoccer sophomore Not Stasic discusses tonight\u2019s Region III-6A area playoff win over Cy Ridge. Stasic scored the go-ahead goal in the 65th minute of the 3-2 win. @LethalSoccer @SLHSABC @SpartanCrazies_ @tascosoccerpic.twitter.com/fLEM3AZtXN— VYPE Houston (@VYPE Houston) 1648608030
Sixteen minutes before Stasic’s goal, freshman Kortay Koc launched a shot from 25 yards out to tie the game, 2-2.
Those last two Seven Lakes shots, far and near, were indicative of the Spartans taking advantage of any opening, no matter where or how slight.
“We’re used to teams sitting in and trying to counter off of us,” Krueger said. “It’s been that way for the last 3-4 years, where teams are low blocking and looking to catch us in transition. For us, it comes down to experience in it and being patient. Attacking the pockets of space that do exist. Teams try to keep lines tight, so we’ve got to find the space on the field and attack that space.”
The first Seven Lakes goal was a Hunter Merritt shot off a centered pass from Koc that evened the game in the 39th minute, resulting in one of the finer celebrations of the playoffs with his version of "The Griddy" dance afterward.
.@HunterJMerritt evens it up for @SLsoccer in the 39th minute, 1-1. Awesome strike. @LethalSoccer @SLHSABC @kfinnesand @KatyISDAthleticpic.twitter.com/3HxMdoFeuj— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1648603319
State-ranked and a projected favorite out of Region III-6A, Seven Lakes (17-1-3) has had a rocky postseason.
The Spartans beat Fort Bend Clements, 1-0, in the bi-district round last week. Tuesday, they were down 1-0 late in the first half and 2-1 in the 48th minute.
Stasic said the team thought those first two games were going to be “quite easy.” They weren’t.
“I know we can play much better, and I feel like we play down to the level (of some teams),” Stasic said. “I know we can play better. We have better players in the midfield. We have to step up way more. That’s the main thing. We have to play more. We have to combine more. No long balls … no game’s going to be easy. That’s what we’re realizing.
“Everybody’s competitive and obviously no one wants to lose. This is the playoffs.”
Pressure is a daunting thing. Seven Lakes is a marked team. A perennial regional power and winners of three consecutive district championships in a loaded Katy ISD district, the Spartans get every team’s best shot every time they line up.
The young Spartans are being forced to grow up quickly.
“It’s hard,” Stasic said. “It’s hard. We have to keep up. We have to step up every single game. We have to prove every night that we’re Seven Lakes and can compete against all these good teams and win some championships.”
Seven Lakes boys soccer coach Jimmy Krueger, left, talks to his team after its 1-0 win over Taylor on Saturday at Seven Lakes High.
Region titan Seven Lakes shows grit in showdown win over Taylor
KATY—District championships mean something to Seven Lakes boys soccer coach Jimmy Krueger. So much so, Krueger said, “anything else feels like a bonus.”
District 19-6A, otherwise known as the Katy ISD contingent, is notable for its soccer. Three boys teams are ranked among the best in Region III, per Lethal Enforcer Soccer: Seven Lakes (No. 1), Tompkins (No. 2) and Taylor (No. 5). Paetow, which will join the 6A ranks next year, is ranked No. 1 in Region III in 5A.
Krueger knows his team will be tested anytime it’s a 19-6A club on the other side of the field, and that was the case Saturday afternoon in an intense 1-0 win over Taylor at Seven Lakes High.
Seven Lakes improved to 9-0-0 overall, 2-0-0 in district. Taylor suffered its first defeat of the season, dropping to 6-1-1 overall, 1-1-0 in district.
“Once we hit district, anybody can come out and compete any given night,” said Krueger, who notched his 201st career win. “Taylor is big, physical, well-organized, and well-coached. The biggest thing we’ve had over the years is competing with big, physical teams, and it was good to see our guys do the dirty work, challenge in the set piece game, and really give up no pockets of space.
“Technically, we have the ability to move the ball around quite well. But today was more about grit and determination, so it was good to see that out of our guys.”
The Spartans, seeking a third consecutive district championship and fourth in the last six years, got the winner on a breakaway strike from the left wing by sophomore midfielder Noa Stasic in the 76th minute.
“I saw the space open,” Stasic said. “I saw the defender fall down and felt it was a good chance. I saw him go for my left, so I just moved away from it. Finished it. It was really emotional. It was a great moment, a great memory.”
4:33, 2H: Seven Lakes 1, Taylor 0. Noa Stasic on a breakaway from the left side. Dagger. @SLHSABC @SLsoccerpic.twitter.com/gs4IVEzuoc— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1643488825
Up until then, each team had its chances on the attack but the defenses starred, particularly senior goalkeepers Anthony Gonzalez of Seven Lakes and Aidan Bousleiman of Taylor. The Spartans’ senior defensive backline of Ty Koc, Keegan Sneedon, Ben Galloway, and Ved Maharaj was stellar.
Eventually, Stasic, who has five goals and five assists this season, snapped the stalemate with 4-minutes, 33-seconds left. Krueger was confident it was just a matter of time for the precocious striker.
“The thing about Noa is his work rate is second to none,” Krueger said. “He is a grinder. Add it to the fact that he’s so technical and has the ability to score goals in every different facet, he’s just a weapon. If you have a guy that’s that technical and that intelligent with his movement, and is that hard-working, it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through.”
Koc said there was conjecture from outsiders prior to the season that this was going to be a rebuilding year for Seven Lakes, following the graduation of standouts like Matt Stewart, Bryan Egba, and 2021 district MVP Diego Lazo.
What the Spartans showed Saturday, Koc said, was a testament to culture and program player development.
“To start off so strong shows how much this program has been on the map and been able to produce year in and year out,” Koc said.
It was also indicative of mental toughness from a group of players accustomed to premier matches.
“We’re all big-game players, and we all know how to handle ourselves in moments like 0-0 with a few minutes left,” Koc said. “It takes a lot to stay mentally composed, and I think we keep proving why we’re the team to beat when we can knock off a great team like Taylor.”
.@SLsoccer senior @tkoc3 discusses today\u2019s 1-0 district win over Taylor in a battle of 6A Region III powers. Seven Lakes is ranked third in the state and No. 1 in the region. The Spartans are 9-0-0 overall, 2-0-0 in 19-6A. @SLHSABC @KatyISDAthletic @LethalSoccer @tascosoccerpic.twitter.com/PQjdY8SJvx— VYPE Houston (@VYPE Houston) 1643491911
With playmaking talents like Stasic, Aidan Morrison, Hunter Merritt, Javier Rivas, and Alexis Matute, this year’s Spartans are a bit different than years past. They’re more technical, opposed to the direct, physical attack they have typically employed.
“The way we can move the ball and our runs off the ball, from every single player. … Every one of us can showcase ourselves like that, and that’s what we’ve been able to build off of,” Koc said.
Entering Saturday’s game, Seven Lakes had outscored opponents, 32-2. It is capable of dominance more often than not. Against Taylor, however, the Spartans also showed they have the resilience and moxie to persevere when pressure tightens.
“Every year, you want to have that year that breaks through what we’ve done in the past,” Krueger said of a Spartans program that has yet to surpass the regional semifinals. “There’s no reason why this group can’t take us to where we haven’t been yet. But we have to stay healthy, the ball has to roll in the right direction at certain moments. It’s always fun to think big picture, but with this district, we pride ourselves in competing for a district title every year. Outside of that, anything else is a bonus.”