By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SPRINGFIELD – The Kickapoo boys soccer team is coming off a historic 20-win season that saw the Chiefs come within inches of advancing to the Final Four.
And they were probably even closer than that sounds.
Kickapoo’s title hopes ended with a 1-0 loss to Blue Springs in the state quarterfinals, a game in which the Chiefs generated at least four quality scoring chances — but just missed each of them.
“We hit the post three times and the crossbar once and (the ball) would not bounce in,” Kickapoo coach Phil Hodge recalled. “It maybe wasn’t our best played game of the year, but we still felt like we played well enough to win. We hope moving forward for this season, that when we create opportunities to score we must find a way to finish those chances.”
With the roster that Kickapoo returns, there will likely be plenty of scoring opportunities.
“We have more returning players from last year’s team to this year’s team than the previous year,” Hodge said. “We have high expectations for our program every year and we always expect to be in the hunt for a conference and district title. We hope that we can bring both of those titles to Kickapoo this fall.”
The Chiefs narrowly missed out on winning the Ozark Conference title last season, as Glendale cruised through the conference unbeaten. Kickapoo finished second at 9-1, but won its first district championship since the 2017 team placed fourth in the state.
The Chiefs went 20-7-1 overall, their highest single-season win total since 2014.
“They had their sights set on a district championship from day one of our summer workouts and the chemistry of that group all had the same goals in mind,” Hodge said.
Hodge added that last year’s team was filled with “true competitors” – and many are back this season. Five Kickapoo seniors earned postseason honors during standout junior campaigns.
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“We always pride ourselves on playing hard and this group will undoubtedly do that,” Hodge said.
Leading the way is all-state forward Landon Keisker.
With 26 goals and 12 assists, he directly was involved in 38 of Kickapoo’s 92 total goals. But with a high soccer IQ and the ability to make his teammates around him better, his contributions go well beyond the box score. Coaches voted him the district player of the year and the co-offensive player of the year of Kickapoo’s conference and region.
Fellow senior forward Corbin Clay has gotten bigger and better after a 15-goal junior year that also earned him all-district, all-region and all-conference honors.
“He has gotten stronger and wants to do nothing but win,” Hodge said. “He has a win-at-all-cost mentality and will look to be a big factor in our success this fall.”
Standout defenseman Miles Elliott wasn’t a starter at this time last season, but he worked his way into the lineup and never gave the coaches a reason to take him out. He also landed on the all-district, all-region and all-conference teams.
“Miles is a ball winner and guy that will not shy away from a 50/50 ball,” Hodge said. “He is an anchor for our back line and was a big factor in our successful run in the district tournament.”
After earning some varsity minutes as a sophomore, Bradley Prost thrived in an expanded role as a junior. He helped anchor a Kickapoo defense that held opponents to an average of just one goal per game and returns to the lineup after earning all-conference and all-district honors.
Midfielder Noah Marsh has battled injuries, but he’s been a part of some important moments when healthy. He was another all-conference honoree.
“We look for him to be a leader in the middle of the field for us this season and do big things for our team,” Hodge said.
Kickapoo is expecting big things from three other seniors.
Defender Dayne Brown played several different positions last season, but is settling into a role on the Kickapoo back line. Hodge is excited to see him lead the team this fall.
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“He is an energy guy and will always bring the intensity,” Hodge said.
Hodge credited defender Zach Hamilton as another reason that Kickapoo’s defense was so successful last fall.
“He has done a great job in the weight room and will be a physical presence for us again this year,” Hodge said.
The coach added midfielder Grant Tyndall could be a factor as a center midfielder or outside midfielder as the Chiefs adjust their formations to their strengths.
“Grant has a nice first touch and understanding of where his teammates are,” Hodge said.
Those eight seniors will be tasked with leadership roles vacated by a six-player graduating class that included all-state goaltender Dawson Sozio, who won or shared keeper of the year honors in Kickapoo’s district and region.
“Dawson covered a lot of ground in front of that goal,” Hodge said. “He was able to make a game-changing save to keep our team still in the game and give us a chance.”
Hodge said the Chiefs had yet to identify a new starting goaltender as of mid-July.
Other notable departures include all-conference midfielder Kai Jaeger, who scored 15 goals as a freshman. Hodge said Jaeger is moving to St. Louis “to pursue soccer at the academy team level” for the St. Louis City SC, the Major League Soccer expansion team set to begin play in 2023.
Zach Clark, Tim Morris, Ethan Arroyo, Luke Courtney and Nick McDiarmid also graduated. Courtney (defender) and McDiarmid (midfielder) were both all-conference and all-district players.
Those departures create an opportunity for junior midfielder Liam Olson, who primarily played as an outside midfielder last season. With Jaeger and McDiarmid gone, he’ll transition back to center.
“Liam started out of his natural position for us last season as a sophomore, but made our team better by him being on the field,” Hodge said. “We played him as an outside mid last year, but will look for him to do big things for us in the middle of the field this season.”
Sophomore Dane Prost is another candidate for a varsity roster spot after scoring 40 goals in an injury-shortened junior varsity campaign.
Kickapoo will host Nixa and southside rival Glendale in an August 23 jamboree.
The Chiefs begin the regular season on August 26 at Rock Bridge, the first of five straight road games. That stretch includes their Ozark Conference opener, which is August 30 at Hillcrest.
Kickapoo’s first home game is scheduled for September 6 against Glendale.
“This is a group of guys that are fun to be around that ultimately all want one thing,” Hodge said. “It will be an eventful journey that we hope we can reach our potential at the right time of the season.”
