AFNORTH senior Nathan Kirstein deflects a penalty kick in a shootout against Hohenfels during the 2026 DODEA European Division III boys championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. Kirstein’s save setup AFNORTH’s win 9-8 in penalty kicks. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
LANDSTUHL, Germany — Aside from navigating wet fields, it was mostly business as usual for the top-seeded teams during the first day of the DODEA-Europe Division III Soccer championships at the Am Rothenborn sports complex.
Ansbach head coach Tracey Robertson said the Cougars knew they were stepping into the tournament with a target on their backs as the defending champions, but it didn’t stop the team from extending its unbeaten season with victories over Baumholder (6-1) and Brussels (2-0).
“We don’t feel like this is going to be a walk in the park,” Robertson said. “We try to come in forgetting our season and starting fresh.”
Ansbach senior Orlando Roman said the weather challenged the Cougars as much as their opponents following their second win of the day over Brussels in a contest that was far closer than their opening game.
“It was definitely annoying with the rain coming at our faces,” Roman said. “There are a bit of things we could have worked on, but overall, all of us kept it up, and we played our game.”
Ansbach is still on top for now, but Robertson noted the younger members of the squad haven’t faced the kind of adversity and challenge that’s sure to come as they square off with AFNORTH and Hohenfels in the coming days.
Coming in as the second-seed, AFNORTH cruised to a 5-1 victory over Spangdahlem before nearly facing an upset in its afternoon game.
Down 2-1 with just a few minutes to play, Hohenfels midfielder Matthew Stellfox delivered a high strike just under the crossbar to tie up the game that went to a shootout. AFNORTH ultimately prevailed after a flurry of penalty kicks.
Hohenfels narrowly won its first contest against Brussels 1-0, leaving them within striking distance of a championship berth.
Spangdahlem had a commanding 6-0 victory over Baumholder on Monday morning and looked strong against AFNORTH in the first half of their contest, with a defense led by goalkeeper Zander Doulder holding the Lions to a single score.
AFNORTH’s Patrick Stevens shoots against Spangdahlem senior Zander Doulder during the 2026 DODEA European Division III boys championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. AFNORTH won the game 5-1. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Ansbach freshman Kay Arbolado and Brussels senior Dorian Reed fight for the ball during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. Ansbach won the contest 2-0. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
AFNORTH striker Alexander Teichl attempts to dribble past Spandahlem’s Malachi Taherimorovat and Damian Cochran during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Baumholder junior Benaiah Morgan defends the ball against Spangdahlem’s Malachi Taherimorovat during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Ansbach midfielder Jaime Berger attempts a free kick over the Brussels’ wall during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. Defending champions Ansbach won the contest 2-0. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels’ Matthew Stellfox finishes a goal to tie the contest late in the second half against AFNORTH during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels’ striker Adrian Collier sends a header into the goal against AFNORTH during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. The game ended 2-2 and was decided by penalty kicks. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
With only four teams competing in the small schools division, each squad will only play once a day before Thursday’s championship game. There weren’t any surprises during the tournament’s opening day as top-seeded AFNORTH and Spangdahlem shut out their opponents with 5-0 and 4-0 wins, respectively.
The Lions have stayed atop the division since 2024, but they’re not leaving this year’s tournament with a three-peat if Spangdahlem has anything to say about it.
“They knew what they wanted, and it’s clear they want the championship because it’s up for grabs,” Spangdahlem coach Josia Onyango said of his team following their victory over Brussels.
The Sentinels didn’t drop a game in the regular season and tied AFNORTH (2-2) in week 2. Senior forward Alexis Lauer, who recorded a hat trick in Monday’s contest, said her team is confident it can bring home a championship and Wednesday’s matchup against AFNORTH will likely be a preview of Thursday’s championship game.
“Last year we beat AFNORTH but fell short and didn’t get to play in the championship, but I think this year is our year,” Lauer said. “I think it’ll really come down to when we play AFNORTH and see who wants it more — and I think we want it more.”
But that contest isn’t set in stone either, as Brussels and Ansbach will look to play spoiler when they square off with the Lions and Sentinels on Tuesday.
AFNORTH senior Clara Pacios dribbles the ball downfield during a game against Ansbach at the 2026 DODEA European Division III championship at Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. Defending champion AFNORTH won the game 5-0. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Ansbach sophomore Bailey Eickmeyer controls the ball against AFNORTH’s Madelyne Hatfield during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem senior and team captain Alexis Lauer drives down the field in a game against Brussels during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. Lauer scored three goals in her team’s 4-0 win. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem sophomore Emily Castano shoots against Brussels goalkeeper Maci Carmack during the 2026 DODEA European Division III championships in Landstuhl, Germany, May 18, 2026. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
