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Buccaneer lived up to hype
By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer So consistent a goal scorer was Gulf senior Alex Maric this season that it's far easier to count the games in which he didn't score -- five, out of 30 the Buccaneers played. That's fewer than his number of hat tricks -- seven, against seven different teams, including four goals on four shots in the second half of a 5-0 victory against River Ridge. "He killed us, but really, he killed everyone," said Royal Knights coach Concepcion Ledezma. "All the talk was about him before the season, and it's hard for a high school kid to live up to that much hype, but he certainly did." The Bosnian-born forward finished with 41 goals, nearly eclipsing the school record held by coach Sam Koleduk, who was impressed with the senior's scoring prowess. "I think a lot of it is self-confidence, and his footwork is far superior to anyone in the area," Koleduk said. "If we got the ball to his foot, he was one of the most dangerous guys around. Once he has the ball, he can free himself and find his shot." Of Gulf's eight county rivals, Maric had three-goal efforts against six, all but conference champion Land O'Lakes and Hudson. He credits his success to a strong supporting cast, dangerous enough in their own right to keep defenses from collapsing on him all the time. No teammates were more in synch with Maric than his brothers, freshman twins Bosho and Novica, who learned the game with him in Germany and have played alongside him for eight years. Junior midfielder Drew Roberts complemented him as well, collecting 18 goals of his own, and Maric's goals were enough to put three teammates in double figures in assists -- Roberts (11), Adam Stosur (12) and Novica (18). Maric was unselfish himself, leading the county not only in goals but in assists as well with 19. He hopes to continue playing soccer in college and is weighing offers from Saint Leo, the University of Tampa, Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., and Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C. Maric increased his offensive production in each of his last three varsity seasons, from 12 goals and nine assists as a sophomore to 25 and 17 as a junior, managing to top both totals this winter. This year's scoring frenzy wasn't as much about improving as it was about taking better advantage of his opponents' relative inexperience. "I think I played the same all three years," Maric said. "This year just seemed easier because I was older and playing against younger kids."
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