Krejsa puts Stevenson on firm footing

In each of Stevenson’s two soccer victories this spring, Patriots senior forward Katie Krejsa scored once with her right foot and once with her left foot.

Some folks have approached her mother, Nancy, and asked, “Is your daughter left-footed?”

Her left foot is strong.

Her right foot is strong.

Call her ambipedaltrous, southern kin of ambidextrous.

Both of Katie Krejsa’s feet came in handy once again on March 22. But neither made direct contact with a ball when she scored her fifth goal of the spring and the final goal in Stevenson’s 2-2 tie with host Deerfield.

The 5-foot-9 Krejsa used her feet to elevate in order to knock in a header.

“It’s all about training,” Stevenson junior center-midfielder Jenna Weiner said of Krejsa’s vast abilities to befuddle defenses. “She’s had very good coaches. But Katie also works hard at soccer. She loves it and it’s such a big part of her life.

“What really impresses me is her incredible will to score.”

Krejsa was a high-scoring fourth-grader when Stevenson coach Mark Schartner first met her. He was running a camp at the time — for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.

“Katie’s father (Ken) convinced me to allow her to attend my camp with all those older kids,” Schartner recalled. “Guess what? She turned out to be the most physical player of the camp.”

Krejsa made Schartner’s varsity squad three years ago and made her debut at the start of the second half of the season opener.

“My dad said I was nervous the night before that game,” Krejsa said. “I think I was because I didn’t know what to expect. I also thought everybody would be bigger, stronger and faster.”

They were. But Krejsa hit a soccer pitch with both feet and proved she belonged on the Patriots’ parent club.

“She’s fearless and a leader,” said Schartner. “Katie plays hard all the time, never gives up. She’s also extremely competitive. Even in the simplest game we play in practices sometimes, Katie does not want to lose.”

The University of Dayton won when Krejsa committed to play soccer for the three-time reigning Atlantic 10 champion Flyers. Dayton finished 19-4 last fall after a 2-0 loss to Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament.

It was the Flyers’ third straight berth in the tournament.

“It’s a winning program and I’m pretty competitive,” said Krejsa, who scored 21 goals and delivered 11 assists last spring. “I’m really looking forward to being a part of the team.”

Schartner sees her fitting right in at the next level. He also sees her thriving right away.

“Dayton will be getting an amazing player who will do incredibly well when she’s surrounded by D-I players,” Schartner said. “She’s not tapped out talent-wise.”

Krejsa’s game expanded considerably as a team manager for Stevenson’s boys soccer team in the fall of her sophomore year. It was more than a position in which she kept stats and fetched cups of water.

Much more.

“I got to practice with the team,” said Krejsa, blessed with speed and toughness and soccer savvy. “That helped, really helped me as a player. It was a valuable experience.”

She served as a team manager in the fall of 2010 and again last fall.

Two years ago she joined Barrington FCX, a club coached by John Koeune. Her game grew some more.

“He taught me a lot of things, things like when to make certain runs as a forward and when to check back as a forward,” Krejsa said. “I improved my foot skills as well. It changed me as a player, going to that club and competing in some really competitive tournaments in the Midwest.”

It’s now all about Stevenson (2-1-1) for Krejsa, a captain for the second year in a row and the Pats’ leading scorer (5 goals) after her 1-goal, 1-assist effort against Deerfield (2-1-2). She scored two goals in Stevenson’s 3-1 win over Maine South on March 15 and tallied two more in a 5-1 defeat of Evanston on Tuesday.

She amassed oodles of goals often as a too-good tyke in 3-on-3 battles with kindergartners. Ken and Nancy knew about as much about soccer as their daughter did way back then.

But these days the proud parents could probably conduct a soccer seminar, or two, after years of watching Katie torch defenders and beat goalkeepers.

“My parents have been a big influence on me,” Krejsa said. “They taught me the importance of having a good set of moral standards and a strong base. I look up to them. Their tremendous support has allowed me to go after my dreams.

“I will always be grateful for that.”