WICHITA, Kan.—
Kapaun Mt. Carmel varsity soccer advanced to state in Kansas City this past weekend. The team played the Blue Valley Stilwell Tigers on Friday Oct. 4 and the Topeka Seamen Vikings on Saturday, Oct. 5.KMC lost to the Tigers on Friday 1-0. Senior captains Brenden Bombardier, Kobi Mashnouk and Austin Williams said the game should have been another victory for the team.
"All four teams competing at state were really good," Mashnouk said. "I felt like we should have won, we just didn't take advantage of our opportunities."
KMC took third after beating Topeka, 1-0 in penalty kicks. The winning kick was scored by freshman Austin Flores.
Having a solid defense was KMC's strength, Mashnouk and Williams said. Senior Bombardier said it was more than the Crusader defense.
"Our possession and our passing were really strong," Bombardier said. "Our biggest strength was our desire to win."
The captains reminisced over their soccer career while at KMC. Mashnouk said he would miss their head shaving tradition, when the seniors have the opportunity to shave the underclassman's hair. Each of them said they would miss the boys because of the bond they have developed over the years.
"I'm really going to miss joking around with the guys," Bombardier said. "I'm going to miss playing competitively."
Williams, Mashnouk and Bombardier said they were proud of their accomplishments in soccer, from winning the City League championship their freshman year or playing in the semi-finals their junior year where they came close to beating St. Thomas Aquinas, a nationally ranked team. Williams said his proudest moment occurred at state this year.
"Taking third at state has to be one of my proudest moments," Williams said. "And making my penalty kick against the Vikings."
Although the year is over and KMC is losing some of its key players, the captains said to look out next year for a few of the underclassmen. Future senior Ian Daley, future juniors Daniel Kelly and David Ewer, and future sophomore Austin Flores are all key players to watch on Varsity next year.
"They will excel next year," Bombardier said. "I know they will work hard in the summer and be ready to pick up where they left off."
