As senior Zinedine Kroeten was deciding what school to commit to, he said he chose to play soccer at the University of Missouri-Kansas City because of their high interest in him, and that he will likely have more playing time next year.

“Other schools were interested in me, but this school seemed the most interested in me and they had 12 seniors last year, so there will be room for me to play for my first year,” Kroeten said.

Kroeten said he chose to continue to play soccer at the collegiate level because of his aspirations to play professional soccer.

“I love soccer, and I kind of get a bit restless when I don’t exercise. Soccer is just a fun way to exercise. I love soccer, and I want to maybe (play) pro someday,” Kroeten said.

Boys’ soccer coach Pat Hartman said he enjoyed watching Kroeten evolve as a player and as a leader for the team.

“Zinedine has been on our varsity program for four years. We first had him as a freshman, and it has been fun to watch him grow as a player and become more of a leader on the field. He was a captain and definitely was a good leader for the kids,” Hartman said.

Senior Emmanuel Iwe said he chose to commit to the University of Missouri-Kansas City because of the friendly environment and programs the school had to offer.

“I decided to commit to them because I really like the school and the location it was at. Kansas City (is) really nice, and the school (has) a very good engineering program that I liked. On top of that, they have great Division I soccer program,” Iwe said.

According Iwe, he wanted to continue playing soccer because he hopes to play professional soccer in the future.

“I am continuing to play soccer at a college level because I have (been) playing ever since I could walk, and I aspire to go play professional at some point,” Iwe said.

Junior Nick Riley said both Iwe and Kroeten possess impressive soccer skills and are both talented players.

“(Kroeten) is crazy. He’s got the perfect mix of raw talent, and he is really smart. He is a nightmare to defend, but I am glad he is happy and is going. Emmanuel is just as good, and they are (both) crazy,” Riley said. “They are both great players but even better people.”

Hartman said it’s exciting to see players continue their sport beyond high school.

“I think that’s a great opportunity for them. They are both really nice players, and it’s always fun to see kids get some opportunities after high school,” Hartman said.