Rocori leans on seniors, improve to 6-0 in win vs. Sauk Rapids
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SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. — Rocori senior Nolan Sussenguth broke through in the 23rd minute with a goal to put the Spartans in the driver’s seat for the rest of the game, but in a physical Central Lakes contest, that would certainly not be enough.
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As the first half matured, shot after shot came flying at Sauk Rapids goalkeeper Calvin Le, but to no avail.
The senior had the net on lock and kept his team in it with seven saves at halftime.
Then 6-foot-6 senior defender Leighton Becker made his presence known. Well, of course, aside from towering over the other 21 players on the pitch and sticking out like a sore thumb.
Within a minute, Becker found the net twice on consecutive headers to pull the lead out of reach and help secure a 3-1 victory over the Storm.
“It’s really exciting seeing a ball coming your way, but at the end of the day I couldn’t have done it without amazing crosses from my teammates,” Becker said. “I use my size to get in front of my guy and get to the ball; it helps me get above everyone and see better.”
Becker is part of seven seniors on the Spartan roster that have set this team apart from others coach Chris Stavros has had in the past.
“This year we’re just playing so well together as a team,” Stavros said. “Everything’s flowing right now, and they’re just battling, day-in-and-day-out. They don’t take any team for granted, and there’s just something special to the way they’re playing as a team.”
The win against Sauk Rapids was no different.
All three goals were by seniors, and there was a connection on the pitch that was truly indescribable. Hustling for the ball even in the waning minutes, keeping each other in check as things got chippy and simply having fun while playing soccer.
While being undefeated midway through September is certainly an added perk to the fun, sometimes establishing the work ethic is what then brings the fun, and the wins.
“It starts with the captains [M Ederson Gonzalaz, F Noah Mick and M Aidan Boeckmann], they push us really hard,” Becker said. “They’re getting us going and getting us together. It’s just teamwork that’s keeping us going and keeping us winning.”
It was just two years ago, when Leighton and his senior classmates were sophomores, that Rocori had five wins all year. Now at 6-0, the program-altering trajectory is impossible to ignore.
There is still lots of work to do in the interim, though.
A 3-1 win is good, not great, and there were plenty of missed opportunities against a .500 Storm squad.
“It was a little sloppy,” Stavros said. “But any road win in the conference is good and I’m happy to get it done. We moved the ball pretty well, but they pressured us. Sauk Rapids played well.”
Nonetheless, the Spartans are building something exceptional this year in Cold Spring. They have the leadership from the top and a talented group of reserves to rotate it at any moment. Only time will tell if they can keep up their winning ways.
"We got a really special amount of guys out in the field," Becker said. "I feel confident in every single one of them when they have the ball, and I know that they're going to make the right play every time. I think we just keep stacking them and stacking them."
Rocori has a tough test against Tech on Sept. 17 which is the start of a dreadful stretch of five games in eight days. Sauk Rapids is home against Bemidji on the same day.
You can reach St. Cloud Times sports reporter David Jacobs and send story ideas to [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @davidrjacobs10.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Rocori leans on seniors, improve to 6-0 in win vs. Sauk Rapids