SHAPE goalkeeper Peter Sudimak punches away a corner ahead of Kaiserslautern winger Ryan Suthers, center left, and center back Seth Patterson during an April 17, 2026, match at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – The SHAPE boys and girls soccer teams breathed sighs of relief during their wins over Kaiserslautern on Friday evening.
Granted, they were for extremely different reasons.
During the girls’ 6-2 victory at Kaiserslautern High School, the Spartans gave up a goal to Raider Sophie Pezel just seconds after Iveta Stefancinova gave the visitors the lead.
Coach Chad Lucy said allowing the equalizer had a calming effect in the third minute of the match.
“We can’t seem to play a match without giving up a goal,” he said. “The girls are really funny about it. They’re like, ‘Oh, thank God that goal’s out of the way.’”
On the boys side, the second goal by captain Marten Muurisepp in the 55th minute doubled the Spartans’ advantage and helped them pull away for a 4-0 win.
“It was such a big relief because we were looking for that second goal for quite a long time,” Muurisepp said. “When we finally got it, all of us were so excited.”
SHAPE winger Antonio Evangelista redirects the ball toward net during an April 17, 2026, match against Kaiserslautern at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE winger Jesus Lukas and Kaiserslautern fullback Ethan Bellus go after a ball during an April 17, 2026, match at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern center back Seth Patterson crosses the ball during an April 17, 2026, match against SHAPE at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Boys
SHAPE (3-0-1, 3-0) struggled to get the ball past Kaiserslautern goalkeeper Fabi Florez-Diaz (11 saves) for 46 minutes Friday, after senior winger Jesus Lukas put the Spartans ahead on a through ball from Chase Lattemore in the ninth minute.
Then, in the 55th minute, SHAPE junior Antonio Evangelista crossed the ball to Muurisepp, who ripped a shot from distance.
“I was like, ‘Patience – once that second one comes, it’s going to fall and you guys are going to get it,’” SHAPE coach Erika Aquino said. “As soon as we got that second one … everybody could breathe and I think they felt a little bit more at ease.”
In a matchup of two undefeated squads, the Spartans dominated the first half in terms of possession and chances. They produced seven shots on target and had five corners to put the Raiders under pressure.
In the second half, Kaiserslautern began to assert itself offensively and almost tied the match in the 54th minute when SHAPE fullback George Vorris cleared a deflected corner off the goal line.
Once the Spartans got the second goal, the field tilted in their favor. A pair of goals from Lattemore and Wilson Stewart in the 72nd and 74th minutes sealed the victory.
SHAPE gained the upper hand in the middle of the field. The visitors’ trident of Owen Aquino, Lattemore and Muurisepp collected balls and sent through passes to teammates for the team’s best goal-scoring opportunities.
“It’s not a secret: We play our way through the midfield,” Erika Aquino said. “They have such good vision, and they know each other so well to be able to give those through balls.
“Our midfield is definitely our strength.”
While the Raiders didn’t get on the scoresheet, coach Scott Manson said they showed they can hang with one of the best teams in Division I.
“I believe wholeheartedly in this team; I think they have it,” he said. “Today’s a good challenge. We’ll take a lot of lessons learned from this.”
SHAPE senior midfielder Iveta Stefancinova shoots as Kaiserslautern’s Olivia Ferdinandsen, center, and Layla Fleishman defend during an April 17, 2026, match at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE sophomore Victoria Del Pozo tries to shoot through Kaiserslautern defenders Isabella Schmidt, center, and Skylar Johnson, right, during an April 17, 2026, match at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern junior Kaelin Cahill blocks a cross into the box during an April 17, 2026, match against SHAPE at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Girls
Throughout Friday’s match, the Kaiserslautern players focused primarily on Stefancinova.
The senior midfielder proved why the Raiders (0-3, 0-2) kept “eyes on 11,” referring to her number. Stefancinova recorded a hat-trick within the first 32 minutes and added a pair of assists.
“Iveta is a maestro,” Lucy said. “She is the kind of player that is tactically and technically skilled. She makes the players around her better.”
Stefancinova was a menace throughout, dribbling through the Kaiserslautern defense for all three goals, starting in the second minute. In the sixth minute, she carried the ball 20 yards before launching a shot past Kaiserslautern goalkeeper Sofiana Pope.
Her goal in the 32nd minute topped them all. The SHAPE captain juked past two defenders before slotting the ball inside the right post to give the Spartans (3-1, 2-1) a 4-1 lead.
“I was feeling really good about it, proud of myself,” Stefancinova said of the third goal. “The ball was just flowing around the defenders, so I’m glad it went in.”
Still, what Lucy said separates Stefancinova is her unselfish nature.
Her aggressive passing put her teammates into good positions to score, which sophomore defender Victoria Del Pozo and freshman Wren Stewart did in the eighth and 72nd minutes.
The only SHAPE goal in which Stefancinova didn’t have a hand was on fellow captain Olivia Penry’s in the 64th minute.
“If I’m scoring lots of goals, I want to keep the chance for another girl,” Stefancinova said. “I’m really glad when they score.”
Kaiserslautern coach Stephanie Bigbey said she’s not concerned about the results right now. The roster doesn’t have a single senior and had 10 underclassmen on Friday.
The Raiders showed sparks with a pair of goals, starting when Pezel chipped a shot over SHAPE goalkeeper Aimee Fitzgerald. Then, in the 67th minute, freshman Sara Sateri launched a goal from outside the 18-yard box that found the back of the net.
“They’re holding their own against all the teams,” Bigbey said. “They should watch out for us this time next year.”