Stuttgart's James Sheppard and Kaiserslautern's Nico Engeman battle to get to the ball Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division I boys soccer championships in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE and KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Perspective is everything at events such as the DODEA-Europe Division I soccer championships.
For the Stuttgart Panthers and Kaiserslautern Raiders, victory in their respective clashes in the girls and boys tournaments Tuesday meant a favorable spot in Wednesday’s semifinals. Defeat, while not a disaster in this case, was not a desired outcome.
For the Lakenheath girls squad, a victory against Vilseck meant a chance to salvage a victory after two losses at the season-ending championships.
But for a few brief minutes, the winless Falcons girls squad might have been the happiest of them all.
“We scored in regulation play,” coach John Switala said after seeing his team fall 3-1 to the Lancers to end their season. “That’s a moral victory.”
Phoebe-Sue Dean was mobbed by teammates on the field after she booted the ball into the left corner of the goal from about 15 yards away. It was the first goal this season for Vilseck that wasn’t part of a set piece.
It was also the closest contest the Falcons have had during the four-day tournament that concludes Thursday with championship games on Ramstein Air Base. The Falcons lost 7-0 to Stuttgart to open the tourney, then carried over some momentum – and some goal-scoring prowess – in a 4-1 defeat to Kaiserslautern later Tuesday.
Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern battled to a 1-1 draw in Tuesday’s second match in what was the closest contest of the tournament through two days. It wasn’t really a surprising result after the two teams battled to a 3-3 tie during the regular season.
Stuttgart’s Meredith Fleming had given the Panthers a 1-0 advantage before halftime by following two defenders and the ball as they collectively streaked perpendicular to the goal before booting it into the net when it wasn’t cleared.
Kaiserslautern equaled in the second half on Georgia Rawcliffe’s penalty shot that struck the crossbar in the upper right corner of the goal before pinballing down and about and across the goal line.
Vilseck's Kayla Azevedo kicks the ball forward at the DODEA-Europe Division I girls soccer championships Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern's MaiLinh Guckeyson tries to get a foot in front of Stuttgart's Brielle Aplanalp before she can kick it Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at the DODEA-Europe Division I girls soccer championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Norah Hightower avoids a kick from Kaiserslautern's Lola Wesseler that sailed to the right of the goal Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division I girls soccer championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern goalkeeper Finn Derby grabs the ball before Stuttgart's James Sheppard can get to it Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the DODEA-Europe Division I boys soccer championships in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
The result – coupled with a higher goal-differential in other tournament games – put the Panthers in the semifinals against SHAPE. Kaiserslautern will face top-seeded Ramstein in the other.
“It’s a little disappointing,” Raiders coach Maggie Phillips said. “We wanted to play (the Royals) in the finals. But we’ll play the game and hope to take down Stuttgart in the championship.”
Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern also met at Kaiserslautern High in the boys tourney. The stakes were similar. Win and likely avoid a clash with Ramstein in the semis.
A day earlier, the Raiders had trailed Wiesbaden 1-0 at halftime before rallying for a 4-2 win. But the top-seeded Panthers eventually turned a one-goal advantage at the half into a 5-0 victory. Stuttgart will play upstart Lakenheath in one semifinal Wednesday while Kaiserslautern and Ramstein play in the other.
James Sheppard scored twice on offense and goalkeeper Caleb Fox stopped several long-range and dangerous free kicks from Kaiserslautern defender Isaac Phillips.
“One of them was just on his finger tips,” a smiling Stuttgart coach Michael Stevenson said of the 6-foot-3 Fox, who used all of his height to keep the ball from getting over his head and into the net.
