The Kahoks boys soccer team’s late season resurgence has been led by Cody Sanftleben, Luis De Anda and Grant Bauer, who all scored goals in the 3-0 victory Tuesday over Belleville East.
Collinsville (2-3 Southwestern Conference, 9-10-1 overall) heads into the regular season finale at Alton Thursday winners of five of their last seven matches. Sanftleben’s eight goals in the seven game stretch have led the way for the Kahoks.
The news was not all good for Sanftleben, however. The senior midfielder was taken off the field with an injury late in the final home game of his career.
With the playoffs starting next Tuesday, Sanftleben’s injury came at an inopportune time for Collinsville. “He’s finding the right time to peak,” Collinsville Head Coach Myles Hensler said. “Hopefully he can overcome the injury and come back for us in the post-season.”
De Anda, a sophomore midfielder, has joined Sanftleben as the major beneficiaries of the Collinsville formation change that has sparked them to 18 goals during the seven-game stretch. “We put him up top where he can run and use his left foot,” Hensler said of De Anda. “We put him in a position where he has created more chances for himself and he’s put a couple away in the last couple of games.”
De Anda capped a long run late in the match against Belleville East (1-5 SWC, 5-11 overall) with a beautiful left-foot curler into the side of the net for his fourth scoring strike in five matches. It was his fifth of the season.
Bauer has been the table setter for Kahoks in their recent offensive surge, recording five of his team-high six assists over the past seven matches. Bauer knocked home his eighth goal of the season, and second in two games, at the 57 minute 34 second mark.
Collinsville’s defense has also played well during the recent run of success. Freshman goalkeeper Brett Niedzwiecki has pitched three shutouts in the Kahoks last four starts.
The Kahoks seem to be peaking at the right time. “Obviously you want to be playing your best soccer towards the end, to get ready for the post-season,” Hensler said. “I think we’re starting to do that.”
The Kahoks’ regular season concludes at 6:45 p.m. Thursday at Alton. Collinsville plays O’Fallon Tuesday in the opening round of the Regionals. Game time is 5 p.m. at Belleville West.
