Men's Soccer 10/4/2021 9:25:00 AM By Trey Hartwell, Student Intern

Mid-season soccer roundup: Eagles go undefeated at Kickapoo Shootout, sit at 9-4 (3-2 COC)

The Nixa Eagles soccer team entered the 2021 Kickapoo Shootout on a three-game winning streak at 6-4 with victories the previous two weeks against Branson, Waynesville and Carl Junction. Prior to that, Nixa dropped a tough overtime contest by one goal.

Nixa defeated the Smith-Cotton Tigers 2-1 on Thursday, Sept. 30 to open up play in the 2021 Kickapoo Shootout. The Eagles got off to a hot start with a quick goal from Josh Stoneberger off a corner. Nixa kept the attack going throughout the first half and got another goal from Zack Naugle. They dominated the possession battle and did not allow a shot on goal until the second half when the Tigers were able to score in the 50th minute and had some good opportunities to score again but the back line lead by senior Landon Myers and junior Kaleb James held their ground, and if anything managed to get by the duo was stopped by junior goalie Logan Elmer.

On Friday (Oct. 1), Eagles shut out the defending Class 4 state champions, the Jackson Indians. A first half goal by Aiden Matlock was the only goal scored by either team in the game. The Nixa defense held strong again and kept Jackson, who average 4.2 goals a game, off the scoreboard and shut out the Indians which was the first first time all season.

On Saturday (Oct. 2), Nixa continued their hot streak, beating Lee's Summit West by a score of 2-0 with goals coming from Naugle and Colin Cash. The defense again showed why they are a force to be reckoned, once again pitching a shutout. Nixa outscored their opponents 5-1 and went 3-0 in the shootout bringing their record to 9-4.

Nixa travels to Joplin on Tuesday, Oct. 5 for a conference matchup, seeking to extend their winning streak to five. The battle of the Eagles is a pivotal COC matchup as both teams are 3-2 in the conference, as Neosho and Branson both sit at 3-2 as well. Stoneberger, who did not play in the first few games of the season, now has three goals in his first four games he has played this season.

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