OK, let’s get down to it folks. Who’s playing in the Final 4 this weekend and what can we expect from them. And for everyone who can’t make the game tonight, remember you can catch it live via the internet on the MSHSAA Internet Broadcast Network.
Let’s start with Kickapoo’s opponent this evening, courtesy of Joe Toigo, Coach of the Park Hill South. Coach Toigo has one player, Katie Mergenhagen, on the MSU Lady Bear’s squad (he coaches the boys and girls team) as well as being assisted by a former Lady Bear.
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Rockhurst Hawks
This is a team that finished 3rd last year and has a strong tradition in the Final 4.
They are a solid team, the core of which has been together for 2-3 years. They have played some of the best teams in the Midwest this year with much success.
Leaders are Justin Koehler, Peter O’Neill, and Alex Male.
The Hawks play a Dutch style 4-3-3 that with their skill allows the front players to be interchangeable and their backs to get involved in the attach down the flanks.
The KC Star offers some background as well. And the story of their Quarterfinal win over Oak Park.
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The other side of the bracket features a pair of St Louis area teams. I asked Coach Dave Robben, of the Oakville Tigers , to profile the other public school to reach the Finals. Oakville has a history of sending talented players across the state, including MVC 2nd Team player Andy Cooper of the MSU Bears. Brooke Inman and Megan Flecke of the Lady Bears are also products of Coach Robben’s Oakville girls squad.
Mehlville Panthers
We played Mehlville twice this year. Early in the season we beat them 3-0 although 4 of their starters did not play. The key player that did not play is
#10 - Eldin Kandzetovic (6 goals and 12 assists)
I point that out because I watched him set up the tying goal to Ivan Milicevic against Lindbergh in the district semi-final. He later scored the game winner in that game, in overtime. It was a real Golden Goal.
I think Mehlville’s ‘post season jump start’ began with these two goals in the Lindbergh game. In the district Final against us Eldin had an assist on both of the goals. He redirected a pass to an open player on the first goal and kept the ball alive in the corner and blasted a shot off the near post that some how found one of his teammates - who buried the shot and put the ‘dagger’ in any hopes we had of winning and moving on.
#19 - Ivan Milicevic (20 goals, 5 assists)
These two players up top can be a handful - Ivan and Eldin. It was Ivan who scored the game winner in the last 20 seconds of the second overtime in the sectional game against Hazelwood Central. These two players are technically solid–both are good with the ball at their feet — they are both capable of taking on defenders and going to goal — and finishing as well.
The goal keeping is a question mark (as to who will play) because of an injury to one of the keepers, senior Josh Johnson I think, in the Hazelwood Central game. The other kid, junior Bobby Peters I think, stepped up and did the job against Vianney. Playing well in regulation and stopping two pks in the ’shoot-out’.
#2 Jon Brinkman is the anchor in the backfield. He has good size, plays in the middle of the back four and likes to go forward, with and without the ball. He moves up on set pieces and is very good in the air. He is a ‘rugged’ defender very good at breaking up attacks.
In the midfield there are two players worth mentioning, the center midfielder is #6 Naser Mustafic. He is the midfield general, the motor on the team. He has great touch and excellent field vision. The other midfielder is # 7 Ryan Keevin. Ryan plays out wide, he is an excellent flank midfielder with great speed and excellent service. He is also good at taking on defenders and getting the service to Eldin and Ivan up top. He sometimes moves into the center midfield spot and because of his speed, he is dangerous
One other midfielder # 17 Zac Kittrell, can be dangerous. He scored against us on the first goal and kept the ball alive to get it to Eldin on the second goal. A strong solid player.
Mehlville has been labeled a ‘team of destiny’ by Vianney Coach Dave Gauvain, after their game. Mehlville is certainly peaking at the right time. The question now is how they match up against SLUH, a team we also saw twice. Once in the CYC Tournament, they beat us 7-0, and in their SLUH Tournament. We gave them a great game and only lost
1-0.
If Mehlville can survive SLUH’S anticipated early ‘onslaught’, they may be able to frustrate
SLUH and take them off their game. Ror what ever reason SLUH does get ‘out-a-focus’ when a public school keeps the game close–Oakville and Edwardsville this year–Oakville last year.
Post Dispatch weighs in with a story
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St Louis University High School Junior Billikens
I had some communication problems reaching out to Coach Terry Michler of CBC who has written for this site in the past. The emails bounced so I’m going to point you to some St Louis Post-Dispatch articles on the SLUH Jr Billikens.
Position swap puts SLUH in line for title
But this has been far from a dream season for SLUH.
The Junior Billikens “really didn’t have a team identity,” coach Charlie Martel said, when the season started. Graduation had left the team with holes to fill. All-America defender Tommy Meyer missed the first seven games because he was playing in the Under-17 World Cup in South Korea, and then he struggled with nagging injuries. And Chris Haffner missed time at the end of the regular season with a stress fracture of the foot.
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