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Stillwater sticks it to Suburban East rival Roseville

By Ryan Williamson, SportsEngine , 09/14/17, 10:30AM CDT

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Frederic LeClair made eight saves as the undefeated Ponies posted their fourth shutout of season.


Stillwater goalkeeper Frederic LeClair (1) remains poised as Maxwell Stauffer blocks a shot in front of the net. Leclair earned a shut out in the Ponies 2-0 conference win over the Raiders on Thursday night. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine


Nicholas Smetana (7) looks to steal possession from Roseville's Saw Htoo (16). Smetana added Stillwater's second goal early in the second half as the Ponies defeated the Raiders 2-0 at Roseville High School. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

It took just four minutes of action during Thursday’s match against Roseville for Stillwater senior goalkeeper Frederic LeClair to feel some serious pressure from the opposition.

With Roseville having possession near the net, LeClair knocked a shot over the goal to save what would’ve been an early Raiders goal. Seconds later, the veteran goalie was in the spotlight again. He knocked away Roseville’s ensuing corner kick attempt and got the ball back to the Ponies.

LeClair is one of the rare players who started on last year's Class 2A state champion Stillwater team and returned for the this season. With the Ponies featuring new faces up and down their lineup, players such as LeClair have been counted on to take leadership of the team. LeClair’s leadership showed in Thursday’s 2-0 win at Roseville High School.

As a junior, LeClair was part of a Stillwater defense that was almost impossible to score on. The Ponies gave up 11 goals in 19 matches during their undefeated run to the state title.

This season, LeClair is a captain and is playing behind a group in which most players either played junior varsity last season or spent most of the season on the bench with the varsity team. He has allowed five goals but recorded 29 saves in 540 minutes of action to help the Ponies remain undefeated.

Despite the lack of experience, Stillwater (8-0-1, 3-0-0) came into the season ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches' poll and a heavy favorite to make it back to U.S. Bank Stadium.

While Stillwater coach Jake Smothers would like to help some of his new starters deal with these expectations and succeed on the field, he admits that sometimes it’s players such as LeClair who can act as a coach on the field.

“(LeClair) keeps us poised when things are chaotic,” Smothers said. “He’s able to take control and help some of our inexperienced players get in the right spot. It’s massive for us.”

On Thursday, the inexperienced Ponies found themselves with one of their tougher Suburban East Conference foes. The No. 9-2A Raiders (4-2-1, 2-1-0) came into this season with plenty of returning players and had lost just once prior to Thursday’s match.

Early on, both teams played like top-10-ranked teams. LeClair and Roseville senior goalie Cody Barrett thwarted offensive chances for 35 minutes. Then, Stillwater junior Maxwell Stauffer got the Ponies on the board with a header. Stauffer spent the last season playing on the JV team.

“Goals like that show our team it’s not impossible to score,” LeClair said. “Sometimes, one goal is what you need to get going.”

That appeared to be the case for Stillwater. Early in the second half, the Ponies extended their lead to 2-0 when Nicholas Smetana scored on a cross. 

While Roseville gave themselves chances and challenged LeClair, the Raiders were unable to get on the board. For Roseville, this season has been a far cry from a campaign a year ago that saw the Raiders finish below .500.

“We have a lot more depth now,” Roseville coach Agapitos Papagapitos said. “With our returning guys, we now play more together. I don’t really see a weak spot in our lineup.”

Roseville has shown itself as one of Class 2A’s best so far. But Thursday’s loss shows the Raiders how far they have to go.

“In some ways, players are able to figure out how they have to take that next step,” Papgapitos said. “If you want to win your section or conference, you’re going to have to beat teams like this.”

Thankfully for Roseville, the high-flying Ponies are in a different section. But it is possible that these teams could meet further down the road. Regardless of the opponent, both teams left the top-10 matchup feeling good about their chances for the rest of the season.

“All these younger guys have really proven to be unbeatable so far,” LeClair said. “We’re going to continue to give it our best shot. I like where this team can go and think we can make it back.”


Stillwater junior Maxwell Stauffer collides with Roseville goalkeeper Cody Barrett. Stauffer scored first for the Ponies late in the first half but the collision resulted in a red card later in the game. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

First Report

After nearly 35 minutes of scoreless play, Stillwater broke through and defeated Roseville 2-0 on Thursday at Roseville High School.

The eventual game-winner came when junior Maxwell Stauffer headed in a corner kick to give a 1-0 advantage to Stillwater (6-0), ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches' poll. 

In the 47th minute, Ponies senior attacker Nichols Smetana added the insurance goal, which was setup by a cross from senior attacker Jorge Malon.

The No. 9-2A Raiders (4-2-1) were unable to get past Stillwater senior goaltender Frederic LeClair, who made eight saves.

Raiders senior goalie Cody Barrett did his best to stop the defending Class 2A state champions, making 11 saves in the match.

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