Stagg’s Nick Soto is getting used to being the center of the opposition’s attention and the physicality that comes with it.
The junior midfielder is embracing the pain.
“I get a lot of fouls on me,” Soto said. “It hurts but it’s worth it when you take the win at the end of the day.”
Soto made sure it was worth it Monday, scoring in the second half to lift the host Chargers to a 2-0 season-opening win over Brother Rice.
Sebastian Magiera also scored for Stagg (1-0), while Konrad Smich made three saves to record the shutout.
Brother Rice (0-1), which started six freshmen, managed to keep the Chargers scoreless in the first half before Soto broke through with 35 minutes, 28 seconds to go.
He played a pass to Kacper Dziubek, who set up Magiera on the right side of the box. Magiera quickly slipped the ball back to Soto in the middle, and he ripped a high shot into the back of the net.
“I sent a through ball to Kacper and I stayed back,” Soto said. “‘Seba’ took a back touch. I was calling for it. I got it and just hit the back of the net. I was wide open.
“It felt good. It was a relief.”
Soto came up to varsity late during his freshman season and started throughout the spring as a sophomore. That makes him one of the most experienced players for Stagg, which started just one senior Monday.
“There are so many young players,” Soto said. “In past years, I was used to being the smallest one and I always looked up to the older kids. Now, I have to step up so they can look up to me.”
Stagg coach Mike Kealy is counting on Soto’s veteran knowledge.
“When you come up as a young player, you’re kind of the accessory and the third or fourth option,” Kealy said. “No one knows who you are and you just kind of do your thing.
“Nick needs to realize that people are going to be more aware of him now, and I need him to be more of a leader.”
Magiera added the insurance goal with 21:14 remaining. Brother Rice goalkeeper Oscar Cerritos saved Bart Jaskowski’s free kick from 23 yards, but Magiera pounced on the rebound and converted.
“I think there were some nerves with the youngsters, which is understandable,” Kealy said. “We talked about pressing and we were a little bit hesitant at the start. When we fixed those things, especially in the defensive midfield, we were able to put some pressure on them and get some more chances.”
Jaskowski, Christian Nowak, Kamil Prokop and Daniel Szczepaniak led the defense for Stagg. Jaskowski, a sophomore, came up big in his varsity debut.
“The first 10 minutes, if I’m being honest, I was really nervous,” Jaskowski said. “I kept losing the ball. I was off-balance. I started warming up to it and recognizing how varsity actually works. I used my teammates to my advantage and we played really well.”
Cerritos made six saves for Brother Rice. Freshman Salvador Perez had two shots on goal, including one in the sixth minute that required a tricky save from Smich, who punched the ball over the crossbar.
“It showed how young we are in the second half,” Brother Rice coach Matt Prunckle said. “We’re not looking for moral victories, but we’re trying to have progress. So, this game we played a good 40 minutes. The next one, we’ll try to play a good 60 and eventually a good 80.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
