BonnerSprings.com

If Bonner Springs fans head a little bit north on Kansas Highway 7 to catch a University of St. Mary soccer match this fall, they might see some familiar faces donning Spires uniforms.

The Braves’ influence is being felt in that area at the small Leavenworth university.

Five BSHS graduates play soccer on a team that is getting set for the start of practice next week.

The Bonner Springs-USM connection began two years ago with the decision of St. Mary’s head coach Derek Mazeitis to recruit two members of his club soccer team, Derrick Babcock and Justin Moulin, to come play college soccer for him.

“Those two guys committed pretty early on,” said Mazeitis, a Leavenworth native. “I liked the way they played, and I got to coach them in club ball, so I knew they were a nice fit. The rest of the guys just started falling into place.”

Mazeitis said Babcock mentioned Alex Perica might be interested in playing for St. Mary’s after he graduated the following year. After Perica signed on, Michael Bille, Clayton McCully and Michael Ducey joined the Spires for the 2008 season.

“They all come from good club systems in Kansas City,” Mazeitis said of his players from Bonner Springs. “I knew that we were getting well-coached, good kids.”

At a small school like St. Mary’s, it is important for a coach to make some connections with several surrounding schools to help fill out a talented roster each year.

Mazeitis said the farther south you go in Kansas, there are fewer people who have heard anything about Leavenworth — let alone St. Mary’s.

Another challenge he runs into is the cost of the university compared to that of surrounding institutions, but he thinks the positives outweigh most other things in many recruits’ eyes.

“I think that if we can get a kid on campus, we have an advantage over other surrounding schools,” Mazeitis said. “Our school has been here for 150 years, so it has lots of history. We have great architecture, trees and ponds on our campus. It just makes for a really nice place to study and compete (in athletics).”

There are no additions from the 2009 class from BSHS set to join the team this season, and one former Brave (McCully) has decided to leave the school. However, Mazeitis thinks a pipeline has been forged between the two institutions.

“(BSHS coach) Mike Moulin and I talk a lot about what we are doing here, so he knows and communicates to his players,” Mazeitis said. “The former Bonner kids talk to younger guys, so does (coach Moulin), so it is nice to know that they might nudge players this way (to St. Mary’s). They all know we are headed in the right direction.”

Mazeitis said the Spires were on the other side of a rebuilding effort that has taken place over the past few years and hope to compete for a top spot in the Kansas City Athletic Conference. He hopes to make the conference tournament — which takes only six out of 10 teams.

The Spires have 18 new players joining the roster this fall to go along with 12 returners.

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