Crusaders prepare for playoffs

Faith Lutheran boys soccer teams earns playoff berth

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Since 1997, teams from the Northern League's Tahoe Division have had a stranglehold on the Nevada 3A boys state soccer title, a trend the Faith Lutheran High School boys soccer team and head coach Jason Boyd would just love to try and reverse this season.

In just their second season of play, the Crusaders soccer team certainly has enough talent, but in a season where only one team from the South -- the Southern League tournament champion -- will earn a berth at state, Faith Lutheran will certainly have its work cut out for them next week when the postseason begins on Nov. 3 with the Southern League playoffs at the Bettye Wilson Memorial Complex at Cimarron-Memorial High School.

Faith Lutheran (12-3-5, 5-0-2 Southern League) had a strong first half of its season -- two of its three losses came at the hands, or feet, of three-time 4A state runners-up Centennial -- and at press time was the only team in the Southern League without a loss.

But playing in a league that includes Boulder City (6-1-1), White Pine (5-1-1) -- which eliminated the Crusaders (2-0) from last year's playoffs -- and Pahrump Valley (4-2-0) means the battle for the one spot at state will be a tough one. Coach Boyd talked about that playoff reality.

"Every other team has at least a loss, a tie or worse," Boyd said. "We just have two ties so we're really in the lead right now but it just depends on what happens."

And the second-year coach thinks his troops are up for the challenge.

"We're definitely deserving and capable of being that team," he commented. "Whether that will happen or not, we'll see. Our first goal is to win the regular season league title. That's our first goal. And then hopefully that will help us out with who we play in the first round."

Bolstering the Crusaders defense has been the stellar play of senior sweeper Tyler Norman, a star member of Faith Lutheran's 2003 state championship basketball team, and defenders Kyle DeSousa, Dave Anderson and Timur Ahmed, all who are capable of putting the ball in the back of the net despite playing defense as was evident in an earlier 6-0 shutout of The Meadows when all three tallied a goal in the win.

Also providing effectiveness for the Crusaders has been the play of starting senior goalie Mike Vohringer, a 16-year-old exchange student from Germany and his backup, sophomore Mike Rasmuson, who had combined for a number of shutouts already on the season. Boyd said getting Vohringer between the pipes this year was a pleasant surprise.

"That was a nice addition to the team that we weren't expecting," he said.

Leading the charge on offense for Faith Lutheran has been the outstanding play of sophomore forward Jim Sullivan, who had already broken the school record of 22 goals set last season by Chase Sniezyk with 24. Boyd knows without Sullivan's contributions the team doesn't have that much firepower to turn to.

"He's meant a ton to us," Boyd said. "Without him we haven't had a lot of goal scorers."

Another forward for the Crusaders is junior Robbie Sidel, who was nursing an injury and being replaced by sophomore Bob Moretti at the position. Boyd doubted Sidel would return this season.

"We think he's done for the year," the coach said. "And he's one of our returning starters so you know we're really down to four starters playing pretty much the whole league season."

At the midfield position, Faith Lutheran starts juniors Kevin Tully -- who led the team with 12 assists after notching two more on Oct. 11 in a 6-0 win against Virgin Valley at Crossings Park in Summerlin -- Sean Banda, who Boyd said "is probably our team leader," Trey Harper and freshman Ryan Sniezyk, brother of 2003 graduate and Southern League MVP Chase Sniezyk.

Providing depth on the Crusaders bench are Ross Greene, Josh Gibson, Ryan Forsman, Kevin Briggs and Sean Simon.

When asked who he worried about in the Southern League, Boyd was quick to respond.

"White Pine, Boulder City and Pahrump," he said. "Pahrump actually just beat Boulder City last Thursday. They (Pahrump) had lost to White Pine and they had lost to us and then they beat Boulder City, 3-0. All those games are big. Also, I think a tie just hurts you so much. If you go 1-2, that's three points -- that's the same as three ties. So that's why I think it hurts you a lot."

The Crusaders last regular season game is this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at The Meadows.

So can Boyd & Co. win the Southern League tournament and be that one team from Southern Nevada to earn the right to try to be the first team in the Silver State not adjoining Lake Tahoe since 1997 to win the 3A boys soccer championship? The next two weeks will tell but with teams like White Pine, Boulder City, Pahrump Valley, Spring Creek, Truckee and North Tahoe on that horizon, if Faith Lutheran does make it to state it will most certainly have earned that berth.

And if the Crusaders do with the Southern League title -- the championship game is set for 12 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Bettye Wilson -- they will travel upstate the following week to participate in the state championships in Reno.

The Southern League representative at state will face the No. 3 seed from the Northern League playoffs at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11 at North Valleys High School. The championship game, which will be played at the University of Reno's Mackay Stadium's artificial FieldTurf playing surface for the first time, is set for 12 p.m. on Nov. 12 and will part of a 3A-4A boys-girls soccer championship quadruple-header.