Vermont H.S. boys soccer: Luitel closing in on 100-goal milestone for Winooski

Burlington Free Press

WINOOSKI - The Spartans' all-time leading scorer looks like one: Head up, feet light, eyes active. Always on alert.

Every so often, usually after probing the defense with another slick move or burst of pace, he uses his hand to steer his dark bangs to one side. How many times has a star striker pulled that move before? Efficient and stylish in one fell swoop.

He's so convincing in the role, nonchalantly tucking away five more goals in a rout of Oxbow on Wednesday afternoon, it's nigh-unfathomable to hear that he never played soccer until sixth grade — and didn't take it seriously until the year after that.

"Isn't it?!" said Winooski coach Stephen Feiss. "He's just crazy athletic, so shifty. And just loves playing."

Born in Bhutan, Lek Nath Luitel has grown up here. And since he arrived in first grade, he's become nothing less than the best poacher Winooski has ever produced. The unlikely, self-made scoring sensation is poised to become just the fifth Vermont boy to net 100 career goals — he's eight tallies away and has 10 games to get there.

[Full list of boys and girls 100-goal scorers below.]

"I didn't think I would actually ever do it," the 17-year-old Luitel said after his team rolled past Oxbow to improve to 5-0.

Winooski's Lek Nath Luitel (7) runs past Oxbow's Zach Kane (11) with the ball during the boys soccer game between Oxbow vs. Winooski at Winooski High School on Wednesday afternoon September 18, 2019 in Winooski, Vermont.

"I thought I'd only break the one-season record," the 5-foot-7 senior forward said. "I didn't realize I was close until my coaches told me. I'm really, like, excited for it because it's a record. Only (four) people have done it and I want to be in the books."

But the single-season mark fell easily. The program's all-time mark (46) did too, early last season in a 33-goal junior campaign. Nineteen more in the first five games this season have turned the final lap of his four-year race to the century mark into a sprint.

More:Vermont high school highlights: Luitel breaks Winooski soccer scoring record

"He's for sure the best goal-scorer I've ever coached, period," Feiss said.

"A hundred is a lot. We've had some high-scoring kids here in the past but it was never even remotely close to this," Feiss said.

Winooski's Lek Nath Luitel (7) and Ayoob Musanovic (26) celebrates a goal during the boys soccer game between Oxbow vs. Winooski at Winooski High School on Wednesday afternoon September 18, 2019 in Winooski, Vermont.

Against the Olympians on Tuesday, Luitel's influence ran the gamut.

Four goals and three assists came before intermission, a combination of through-balls and crosses, feints in and around the box, smart runs, slotted finishes and a not-gonna-catch-me breakaway that left little doubt who was the best player on the field.

"It's a luxury. If we've got a team that's going to let him run around free, he's going to be super dangerous," Feiss said. "If we've got someone who's done some scouting and wants to lock him down, he'll still manage to score somehow most of the time — and can be a helper and draw the attention of the defense."

But it wasn't always like that for Luitel, the youngest of three children in a home where he was the first to pick up the sport — neither of his older sisters played.

Winooski's Lek Nath Luitel (7) in action during the boys soccer game between Oxbow vs. Winooski at Winooski High School on Wednesday afternoon September 18, 2019 in Winooski, Vermont.

"I was not interested in any sports. I was more into other things, just hanging out with my friends and that's it," Luitel said.

More:2019 Chittenden County high school boys soccer outlook

Peer pressure ultimately got him to try, friends urging Luitel to join them on the soccer team. Except he was "really bad," as he put it, and wound up on the worst of Winooski's three teams for his age group.

The experience motivated Luitel to catch up to everyone else. The summer before seventh grade he committed himself to playing every day.

Winooski's Lek Nath Luitel (top) dribbles past Peoples goalie Joe Buonnano during the Division III semifinals on Tuesday afternoon in Winooski.

"Hours and hours," he said. "Lots of touches."

Luitel had a place to play, kick around at least, near his home and recruited friends to join him.

"Not a big field, but big enough for kids to play," he said. "We wouldn't do formal stuff, we'd just keep on doing scrimmages."

In the years since, coaches have introduced him to drills to hone his game. The internet pumped new skills into his repertoire.

"It's a lot of YouTube videos and a lot of just trying new things on the field and with my friends," Luitel said. "With my friends I can mess up and nothing really happens, so I kept on trying new things I saw on TV, matches I'd watched with professionals."

Yet four games into Luitel's freshman season — with just three years of soccer under his belt — fortune struck on the road at Randolph. When one of Winooski's expected starters failed to clear his 10th practice to become eligible, Luitel took his place and put away three goals.

His first varsity hat trick was definitely not his last. It became habit-forming.

"He just lit the place up," Feiss said. "I really haven't taken him out of the starting lineup since then.

"He loves the game and wants to be here," Feiss said. "This is his place where he feels most like himself and feels like a part of something bigger than himself. Getting to see that as a part of his life is awesome."