Despite the cold and windy night, coach Otto Berti seemed happy as can be as his players dumped freezing cold water on him because in the moment, all that mattered was that the Superior Spartans boys’ soccer team had cemented their name in conference history being the first to win it all in 24 years.
The team was honored to become conference champions after their 5-1 victory over the Proctor Rails on Sept. 29 2025 at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex for the first time since 2001.
The Lake Superior conference (LSC) includes nine schools that are extremely competitive both with one another and with schools outside of the area. Schools such as Cloquet and Grand Rapids often rank highly at the state level in soccer.
Junior Spencer Kidd was smiling ear to ear after the win.
“This meant a lot, and to win it in such a great game, winning conference for the first time in over 20 years feels amazing, it means everything,” said Kidd.
The Spartans were confident going into the game and it showed. In just the third minute of play, junior captain Aiden Pagnucci started them off hot, scoring a far post slider assisted by fellow captain senior Peyton Franta.
This opened the flood gates for four more goals within the first 20 minutes of play. Three of the four were in just the first ten minutes of play. The first goal was important for the boys.
“I knew that goal would open the gates for scoring more. After that I wasn’t worried, I knew we had them beat,” Pagnucci said.
The Spartans were able to dominate the Rails due to quick playmaking and good coach communication. They were able to work very well as a team and goalie Brady Bachand played a solid game between the pipes, and his defenders didn’t ease up either.
Kidd was a game changing player. His quick playmaking and dribbling helped generate numerous offensive chances leading to his own goal and two assists. Kidd alongside Franta’s offensive plays, which generated his own two goals, made it extremely challenging for the Rails to get out of their own zone even as the scoring slowed down.
After they had secured a 5-1 lead they slowed down, let some backups get play time, and focused on possessing and making smart plays to hold down the Rails in their own zone like a wet blanket.
Berti credits their success to the friendships between the entire unit and how they all click very well making practices both fun and intense. The award ceremony for the conference champions was held after their game against Rice Lake at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex was held on Oct. 6 2025, after their 4 – 0 victory the team took to the middle of the field.
Meanwhile the captains ran to activities director Ella Olson to collect their championship plaque. The rest of the team jumped up and down and cheered in support as senior captain Franta carried it back into the huddle.
“This brings confidence, I mean it took me ten years to accomplish, we’re coming in flying high and with authority, very proud of these boys,” Berti said.
With playoffs coming up, the Spartans will compete in the WIAA Regional Semi-final on Oct. 21 2025.
