During an exchange at practice with Lake Central coach Shawn Thomas, sophomore Anika Berg managed a faint smile.
“That’s the same smile I got when I told her she was playing center back,” Thomas quipped.
Though Berg has mostly warmed up to the position, her initial reaction was indeed chillier.
“Not so thrilled,” she said. “I was, like, ‘Why me?’ I wasn’t, ‘Yay!’ At first, I told him I hated it. But it’s all right now.”
The Indians graduated central defender Rachel Inglese, a four-year starter. She was the Duneland Athletic Conference MVP, instrumental in Lake Central allowing just one goal in going 7-0 in the DAC.
Thomas put considerable thought into determining a successor for his defense-first system. He received input from people such as Jereme Rainwater, a good friend who is Lake Central’s boys coach.
“Over the winter, I was trying to decide and I came up with Anika,” Thomas said. “She’s a really competitive, athletic girl, and she doesn’t know how to lose. That’s the same mentality Rachel had, and it’s a must-have for a center back.
“Being a defensive player, especially running the show, wasn’t her first choice. But coach Rainwater and I told her that if we’re asking you to play center back, it means we think an awful lot of you. She was hesitant, but she wanted to help her team.”
Thomas has liked what he’s seen.
“Having three years left with Anika, we can really establish something in the back,” he said. “I have high hopes for her, and she’s lived up to them so far.”
Berg made a significant impact as a freshman. She played a variety of positions, including forward, before landing at left defender. Five senior starters made her transition smoother, it wasn’t easy.
“It was terrifying at first,” Berg said. “But they were so nice. They helped me, and Shawn helped me, and hopefully I got it down.”
The next step for Berg, who also has more license to attack with her club team, involves continuing to grow into her role as a central defender for the Indians.
“I haven’t done amazing because it’s all still new to me,” she said. “I have to talk and direct everything on the field — I talk a lot, just not like that. And headers, that’s another thing that Rachel was amazing on. But I’m adjusting and working on those things.”
Comeback trail: Munster forward Cami Kekelik continues to make progress after tearing her ACL and meniscus in March. The senior remains on target to return in late September, ahead of the start of the postseason.
Kekelik led the Mustangs with 16 goals and added six assists last season, when they won their first sectional since 2012 and first regional since 2009.
She has increased to jogging up to three miles a day and already has been working on some soccer skills, according to coach Valerie Pflum.
“She’s coming along a lot faster than usual with an ACL,” Pflum said.
Bigger picture: Last season, Kankakee Valley won its first sectional since 2009 before losing a 1-0 overtime decision to Munster in a regional final. But the Kougars graduated five senior starters, so there has been a learning curve this year.
“We’re still looking at different spots with different players,” KV coach Audrey Johnson said. “We’re still finding that spot for each person and moving things around and changing things.
“We’re working towards the postseason — that’s where it really counts. The season’s awesome and it’s great and we want to win, but our focus is always on that postseason and finding the things that work for us.”
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The Kougars went 3-3 in the Northwest Crossroads Conference last season before making their postseason run.
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Top 10
With last week’s rankings in parentheses
1. Munster (1)
2. Crown Point (3)
3. Valparaiso (5)
4. Lake Central (2)
5. Andrean (6)
6. Chesterton (4)
7. Kankakee Valley (7)
8. Highland (9)
9. Griffith (8)
10. Wheeler (10)
Player of the Week: Marquette’s Stacey Barron, a junior, became the Blazers’ career leader in goals, passing 2007 graduate Megan Ohms. She had a goal, tying the record of 39, and an assist in Marquette’s 5-0 win Aug. 22 against Boone Grove. She also had two goals and an assist in Thursday’s 7-2 win against Covenant Christian.