The Ladue boys varsity soccer team participated in the Quincy tournament last weekend and came away with a tournament win for the first time in school history. It helped that the team had great momentum going into the tournament with a dominating 5-0 win over Priory.

“After we beat Priory the day before, we all felt very confident going into the tournament,” senior team captain Eric Petersen said.

Ladue’s first game was against Quincy whom they had never beaten before. With key goals from sophomore Chris Naunheim and senior Reid Cytron, Ladue was able to take an early lead. Quincy was able to respond with two goals, but it was not enough after junior Michael Wielansky sealed the win with Ladue’s third goal, leading to a 3-2 victory.

“Beating Quincy for the first time ever was pretty special,” head coach Matthew Prange said. “Wielansky’s ankle-breaking goal was pretty cool too.”

In Ladue’s second game, they faced St. Ignatius. After a scoreless first half, Ladue was determined to start off the second half with a goal. The team did just that when Naunheim was able to beat the keeper and bury the ball in the back of the net. A few minutes later, St. Ignatius was able to tie the game up.

But Ladue would not be denied, responding with a goal awarded to senior goalkeeper Eric Stuber after a long punt somehow got past the opponent’s goalie. Ladue scored one more goal on a free kick from senior Daniel Israeli, making the final score 3-1.

Now that they were in the championship match, Ladue faced off with Duchesne for the title. The Rams secured the win with a convincing shutout. The final score was 3-0, with goals from Wielansky and two from Naunheim.

“When you win a tournament, the best part is the feeling of accomplishment knowing that you just knocked off three very high quality teams,” coach David Aronberg said. The team now returns back home with high hopes of continuing their successful season.