Eli Remspecher dreaded the question.
As a freshman, Remspecher was approached by college coaches who asked about his future plans. Specifically, what he might choose for a major.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, it was four years ahead of me,” Remspecher said.
So, he and his father developed a plan.
“My dad said, ‘Say supply-chain management. Every school has supply-chain management. They’ll just nod their head and agree with it,’” Remspecher recalled.
The plan worked perfectly and coaches nodded in agreement, but eventually, Remspecher became curious about his pretend major.
“After telling so many people I was going to do it, I started looking into it, and all of a sudden I got really interested in it,” said Remspecher, a senior. “So, now the plan is to major in supply-chain management.”
Remspecher supplied the Eureka soccer team with a chain of game-winning goals, and his ability to manage the midfield with poise and creativity earned him a spot in the second installment of the STL Best XI as voted on by area soccer coaches.
Remspecher, who scored nine goals as a junior, already has eight through the first eight games this season. He is the offensive catalyst for a Eureka team with an 8-0 record, the best start for the Wildcats since 2010.
“It really is my teammates. They’re the ones who are setting me up with all the opportunities to score goals,” Remspecher said.
Those opportunities have come at crucial times. Among his eight goals, five are game-winners. He netted the only goal in a 1-0 triumph against Ladue and the decisive tally in 2-1 victories over Parkway West, Clayton and Webster Groves.
His lone game-winner in a match not decided by a one goal margin came in a 3-1 victory over Parkway North in the season opener.
“I feel like I work best in pressure situations. That’s when I strive and I bring the best out of myself,” Remspecher said. “Whenever there’s more riding on it, I can give it that extra push.”
In fact, Remspecher scored both goals in the 2-1 victories over Clayton and Webster Groves while hustling sideline to sideline and from goal line to goal line. He departed the field for only five minutes each game and still had energy in reserve to make impactful plays in the second half.
“I attribute it to my conditioning. It’s been a long off-season for sure, a lot of running. It’s not always easy, but it’s working,” said Remspecher, who plans to play in college but has not yet committed.
In the first meeting with Parkway West on Sept. 6, Remspecher scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick with two minutes remaining. In the rematch with the Longhorns on Tuesday, he collapsed the defense and delivered a soft pass in the wheelhouse of junior Kyle Rehg for the game-winning assist.
“He’s our offensive presence. He generates and creates a lot for us,” Eureka coach Mike Hanna said. “We told him last week that we needed other guys to get in the scoring act, too, and (Tuesday) he got the big assist.”
His ability to get other players going is one of many reasons he is an ideal captain for Eureka.
“It’s a huge honor for me to wear this (captain’s) armband. To me, it’s so much more than something on my arm. I’m so excited to lead this team,” Remspecher said.
And for Remspecher, continuing to play “The Eureka Way” will be the key to manufacturing more goals and delivering more wins for the undefeated Wildcats.
“We’ve been working so hard in practices and in games, never giving up. That’s the Eureka Way. That’s how we do it here. We just have keep pushing and keep that mindset going,” he said.
STL’s Best XI – Sept. 8-15
Forwards
Grant Locker, senior, SLUH
Scored the game-tying goal and contributed another during penalty kicks in a victory over Webster Groves. The next day, Locker scored the opening goal in an 8-0 win against St. Mary’s. He has tallied seven goals and three game-winners this season, including a beautiful strike that catapulted SLUH to a 1-0 victory over CBC.
Austin Conger, senior, Summit
Hat trick in a 4-0 victory over DeSmet set him on a goal-scoring tear that included a pair of goals against Holt, the Falcons’ lone goal in a 1-1 tie with Rock Bridge and the game-winner against Parkway South. He leads Summit with eight goals and three assists and has helped the Falcons begin the season with a 6-2-1 record.
Midfielders
Landon Weber, junior, De Smet
Scored three goals against SLUH in the CBC tournament on Sept. 14. A talented attacking midfielder with terrific vision, creativity, and an eye for the goal, Landon has a team-high 6 goals and 2 assists for the 4-2-1 Spartans this season.
Luca Andrews, senior, John Burroughs
Scored two goals and added an assist in a come-from-behind, 4-2 victory at Quincy Notre Dame. The leading scorer for the 7-1 Bombers, Andrews has accounted for nine goals and three assists on the season and has accrued points in all seven victories.
Charlie Lafata, junior, St Dominic
Scored a natural hat trick against Summit and added an assist against Rock Bridge to inspire the Crusaders to two key victories during the Summit Shootout. A talented playmaker, Lafata is the leading scorer for a St. Dominic team with an 8-2 overall record.
Eli Remspecher, senior, Eureka
Scored all four goals in 2-1 victories over Clayton and Webster Groves and provided the assist on the game-winner in a 1-0 victory against Parkway West. An outstanding two-way player, Remspecher has scored eight goals, including five game-winners for a Wildcats’ team that has an 8-0 record to start the season.
Brady Freeman, senior, Liberty
Scored twice in a victory against Holt, including the game-winner. The next day, he tallied one goal and three assists in an 8-0 victory over Fort Zumwalt South. A confident midfielder who runs the game for the Eagles, Freeman has tallied five goals and five assists for a Liberty team that has started the season with an 8-1 record.
Defenders
Sam Lurkins, senior, Oakville
Helped the Tigers earn a shutout against Parkway Central and a 2-1 victory over Parkway South with his leadership in the defensive line. A senior captain, Lurkins also contributed offensively with a pair of goals against Parkway Central and has helped in guiding Oakville to four consecutive victories after the Tigers began the season with an 0-4 record.
Carl Hurley, senior, SLUH
Instrumental in an impressive 1-0 victory against CBC and wins over Webster Groves and Saint Mary’s. A physically strong defender and selfless distributor of the ball, Hurley’s pace and soccer IQ make him a key contributor to a Jr. Bills team that has accrued six clean sheets and is off to a 7-1-1 start.
Mitchell Seavey, senior, Parkway West
Tallied three assists in a victory over Parkway North and the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Parkway Central. A defensive wall who squares up against the toughest attackers, Seavey is also an offensive force whose superhuman throw-ins have led to a team-leading nine assists in helping Parkway West earn a 7-4 overall record to start the season.
Goalies
Griffin Green, senior, Summit
Earned back-to-back clean sheets in a 2-0 victory over Ladue and in a 4-0 win against DeSmet, a performance which included a saved penalty kick. Green has made at least five saves in every start as has helped the Falcons begin the season with a 6-2-1 overall record.